It is another week of college dodgeball and this time the Central Region is back in action! On Saturday, October 26th the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) and the University of Wisconsin Platteville (UWP) will go head to head in a double header in the Cornhusker Clash. This has become an annual tradition between these two teams and it is currently the 7th iteration. The first two involved UNL, DePaul, and UWP and since then it has been the Pioneers and the Cornhuskers. Let’s take a look below at the history of these match ups and the both teams in attendance!
In the history of this event, UNL and UWP have played a total of 12 times and the Cornhuskers lead the series 9-3. The earlier years between 2016-2019 both teams went back and forth each taking turns winning this event. The post Covid era (2021-2024) has all been Nebraska. UNL has won every matchup at the Clash and has only had one loss to Platteville in that time. Nebraska has outscored the Pioneers 53-30 all time at this event. Does this trend continue this weekend? Will the Cornhuskers stay on top or will Platteville finally be able to turn things around and be competitive once more. Let’s take a look at each of the teams and what the captains below have to say.
The following are the questions asked of the captains of UNL and UWP.
Erik Zander- Who are your key notable players not returning this year and who are your top players returning?
Dylan Fabry (UWP)– For us, the notable players not with us this season are Cody Baxter, Tomas Zander, and Caleb Laux. Our top players returning are Jalen Sims and Nicholas Stocks.
Colin Clover (UNL)-Our key graduates include: Alex Schmidt, Caleb Fowler, and Dillon Mundy. Our top returners are Malaki Shriner-Horne, Dillon Cruise, Noah Willey, Samuel Lavender, and Collin Glover.
EZ- Do you have any standout rookies that we should know about?
DF– Ian Westrick and David Laux are really talented rookies that are not to be underestimated on the court.
CC-Our key rookies this year are Jesse Stebbing, Victor Sinica III, Chance Buchanan, and Art Provost, with Jesse being a potential rookie of the year contender already.
EZ- Do you have any players that might fly under the radar?
DF-I feel like Griffin is one of our players that could shine out on the court this weekend. He has been working hard and will have the type impact on the court that we need to be successful.
CC-A few players who might fly under the radar are Carson Homer, Adrian Moses, Jesse, and Malaki Shriner-Horne.
EZ- What is your strategy or plan of attack to be successful against your opponent?
DF-Our plan is to play our game, keep ball control, and move as a team with good coverage to prevent crosses.
CC-Our strategy for UWP is just going to be to play as a team. We have a lot of rookies and a lot of gaps left from graduates; if we want to be successful, we need to be able to play together and stay in sync.
Closer Look
UNL– A lot about the Cornhuskers is unknown at this time. Nebraska lost not only a lot of their talent but their leadership to graduation. Those individuals have been a key part of the success they have had over the years and it will be tough to replace. It will be interesting to see who steps up, takes those roles, and keeps them disciplined to stay at the level they were last season. The question is will they have a big drop off and struggle in their first event or will they be the same UNL that has dominated Platteville the last several years. Colin Clover and Noah Willey will have to play extremely well for UNL to be successful.
UWP– The Pioneers lost a few key contributors from last season, but their veterans have stepped up and found ways to replace that production. For UWP, if they will have success on Saturday, it will depend on communication and not waiting for their best players to set the pace. In terms of communication, the veterans need to make sure they understand who is making the calls and who is suppose to help set them up. It is understanding their roles and not trying to do more than they should. The rookies just need to remember to listen and do the basics and play as a team. If they can all be on the same page, this may be their opportunity to pick up a win against UNL that has been evading them for so long.
Make sure to tune in to watch the games live. They will be streamed on the UW-Platteville Dodgeball YouTube channel. First game is at 9:30a.m. central time followed by 10:45a.m. central time. Be sure to subscribe to get notifications when they go live!