The sixth edition of Maryland Madness delivered everything East Coast dodgeball fans could ask for—tight finishes, breakout performances, and an early look at the region’s power hierarchy. Host Maryland pushed James Madison to overtime before fading late, while the Dukes shook off their opener to steamroll rival Virginia in a statement win. UVA, shorthanded but resilient, managed a solid victory over the Terps before running into JMU’s relentless firepower. From highlight catches to dominant throwing displays, the tournament set the tone for a fiercely competitive 2025 season.
UMD
Results:
2-3 (OT) vs. JMU
1-3 vs. UVA
Maryland’s opening campaign at their home tournament left much to be desired. Despite this, they still showed some competitive flashes, including taking the current regional leaders JMU to overtime. However, in their matchup with UVA, they left a lot on the court – Maryland consistently seems able to get off to a hot start against the Cavaliers, yet on Saturday let up 3 unanswered points after taking the opening point. They also had a 2-1 lead against the Dukes with under three minutes left to play and were unable to close it out after being up 3-1 in players and forcing a balls-over during the overtime period. Adam Butz, the Terps’ best thrower, seems to have picked up right where he left off after an All-East Coast 2024 season. Unfortunately, his only support at Maryland Madness seemed to come from Andrew Myers, Dan Rodriguez, and Nate Walls (who will not be on the court in the spring). When Walls, Butz, and Myers are in the out line, UMD looks lost and fragmented. To expect better results against East Coast competition throughout the rest of the season, Maryland needs to capitalize when their core four are on the court, and find new leaders to step up when those anchors leave.
JMU
Results:
3-2 (OT) vs. UMD
5-1 vs. UVA
While JMU probably wanted more out of their opening match against UMD, they shook off the rust in the overtime period and, off the back of two big catches by sophomore JW Harrington, finished off the Terps. They bounced back with an emphatic statement against a weakened UVA team. Removing any doubt about who the real kings of the East Coast are, the Dukes used their arm superiority to knock out their East Coast competition. JMU’s offense was balanced, with Jaxson Hannie, Ryan Pendelton, and Francesco Carvelli contributing extensively. Their high octane style, including unmatched front-line throwing and too many crosses to count applied pressure that forced the Hoos into ill-advised throws, sacrificing their ball advantage and keeping them on the back line. By mid-match, the score was already slipping away. A lone UVA point slipped through late, but JMU closed confidently and decisively. JMU’s results show they can win close, nerve-wracking matches and dominate when they get the edge, cementing their status as a team to watch not only on the East Coast but in the league as a whole.
UVA
Results:
3-1 vs. UMD
1-5 vs. JMU
UVA had a rough start out of the gate against UMD, once again dropping the first point of their 2025 campaign. However, despite being shorthanded (the Hoos were without All-East Coast Captain Grady Holmes and standout corner Ben Wu at Maryland Madness) they kept their composure under coach Wyndham White and captain LJ Jones. The Cavaliers’ smart counterthrowing and strong catching propelled them to a 3-1 win, but many questions were raised by their lackluster performance against JMU. Despite taking the first point, the Hoos then proceeded to completely collapse, letting up 5 unanswered points to their main rivals in the chase for the East Coast Dodgeball Cup. While catching can always keep them in the game, a true lack of arm depth proved to be their issue. Only being able to secure positive player differentials by catching will not work against the upper echelon of teams UVA hopes to compete with this year, and that showed against JMU. While the return of Holmes and Wu make this team a substantially more dangerous opponent, an overall assessment of style and strategy may be needed if UVA wants to truly contend against the best this season.
Maryland Madness VI Top Players
Francesco Carvelli (JMU)
JW Harrington (JMU)
Nate Walls (UMD)
Adam Butz (UMD)
Landon Jones (UVA)
Luke Cutelis (UVA)