CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. – The East Coast Dodgeball Cup returns with more parity—and more pressure—than ever before. With Nationals 2026 looming, ECDC is more than just a regional title; it’s a measuring stick. For Maryland, it’s a chance to salvage a winless campaign and spark late-season momentum. For James Madison, it’s an opportunity to defend their crown and reaffirm their place among the NCDA’s elite. For Virginia, it’s a shot to close one of the tightest ranking gaps in the country and seize control of a rivalry that has defined the region over the past two seasons. These three programs enter the weekend with vastly different stakes but the same goal: hoist the East Coast Cup. In a region where overtime thrillers and one-point swings are the norm, every catch, cross, and team throw could decide who carries momentum into the postseason.
Maryland
Rank: #24
Record: 0-9 (0-4 East Coast)
Maryland will enter the postseason with absolutely nothing to lose. The Terrapins are still winless on the year, and any sort of success at ECDC could be the catalyst they need to steal a game or two at Nationals 2026. They currently sit at 0-9 and 24th in the NCDA, but just one quality win could vault them up the standings. Maryland will have to do better than their average of just over 1.5 points a game if they want to compete with their regional peers. Dan Rodriguez and Andrew Myers are capable of keeping the Terps in any point, but they have a tall task against the great catching squads of UVA and JMU. Maryland could shock the world–they only need to win two games to hoist the Cup, and they’ve already taken JMU to overtime once this year. East Coast competition is always competitive, but the Terrapins have an uphill battle ahead of them at ECDC.
James Madison
Rank: #10
Record: 6-4 (3-1)
After coming off a rough 0-2 performance against out-of-region competition in their home tournament, James Madison will look to repeat as East Coast champions for the TK time in a row. Losses to Ohio and Cincinnati shouldn’t dissuade the Dukes, however. Rivals UVA also went 0-2 at Beast, and they’re 1-1 against the Hoos on the season. JMU also put on a strong performance in their loss to Cincinnati, making the Bearcats push to convert a winning point with only 9 seconds remaining in the second half. The East Coast Cup could be decided by which JMU we see on Saturday: the team that thrashed UVA 5-1 to open the season, or the team that struggled with just about everything in their recent shutout loss to Ohio. Captain Ryan Pendleton has morphed the Dukes into a team that plays together, crosses better than anyone, and has the firepower to close out points against anyone. James Madison is in the driver’s seat to bring the Cup back to Harrisonburg, but their competition for the championship this year seems stronger than ever.
Virginia
Rank: #11
Record: 4-3 (3-1)
It cannot be overstated how close UVA and JMU are. JMU’s hybrid ranking is just 0.01 ahead of UVA, the closest gap between any region’s top two teams. UVA showed flashes of incredible dodgeball at Beast despite their two losses, but they also looked sluggish and predictable after losing their top throwers. The key for the Hoos this time around is the performance of their 6-12 on the court. Points are won and lost with catches and kills from unproven players. Christian Bolton, a second-year for Virginia, has shown a willingness to catch just about anything, and he could be an important asset for his team if their opponents can easily take down UVA’s star corners Ben Wu and LJ Jones. They should still feel confident going into the postseason – they took down both of their Saturday opponents in convincing fashion last time in Charlottesville in November, and haven’t lost at home since 2024. Though they lost senior Eric Avellone to an ankle injury, they’ll replace him with Arden Levin, who has the skills to be the best player in the region at his peak.