November 8th, 2025, UW-Platteville (UWP) hosted the sixth iteration of their Pioneer Classic tournament. It was cold and raining, but it was still a great day for dodgeball. A squad from every central region team except Iowa made their way to Platteville, and UWP invited their Radio Club to commentate again to help reach a broader audience. Below is a reminder of the day’s schedule, so let’s take a look at how each team did! All photos included are credited to Reagan Bucholtz.
UNL vs UWP A (3-1)
It had only been a few weeks since the Pioneers and the Cornhuskers last played each other. The Cornhusker Clash was a double header between UWP and UNL. This time, at the Pioneer Classic VI, they only played each other once at this tournament, and it was made to count. UWP A consisted of 15 players while UNL traveled up with a full squad of 18. The game consisted of only four points scored total–three by UNL and one by UWP–compared to seven in each of their last two matches. UWP hoped to start off this tournament much like the Pioneer Classic V where they beat UNL 3-0, and their hard battle yielded them a much closer game than those played in previous tournaments. Platteville showed great teamwork and cohesiveness in this match which allowed them to keep the points alive and prevent any more from being scored on them. UNL kept their defense up with strong fakes, synchronized team throws, and their reluctance to give up ball control.
UIUC vs UWS (5-0)
Both teams entered this game with strength and determination. UIUC made the the trip up with fourteen players, and UWS came down with eight. They are both comprised of mostly rookies, but UIUC has an additional tournament under their belts over UW-Stout. UIUC stuck to their strategy by moving as a unified front up to and back from their attack line and keeping UWS on the move. On UW-Stout’s side, veterans Angel Lucero and Tyler Mathison and their coach Jacob Sebranek encouraged and supported their rookies when on the attack and demonstrated how to safely play defense. Throughout the game, Stout’s strategy began to fall into place, and they became more confident from point to point. UIUC had the upper hand during this game with more players and more game experience, and this advantage led them to victory over UW-Stout.
UNL vs UIUC (3-2)
UNL continued the scoring streak by scoring three points against UIUC as well, but their opponent was able to score one more on them compared to their first match. UIUC was coming off of a win against UW-Stout. In the 2024-25 season, these two teams were competing on almost an equal level, and their current rankings are nothing to sneeze at. UNL came out applying strong pressure on the opponent, keeping them stuck on their baseline and preventing them from getting any meaningful throws off. UNL quickly took the first point of the game, and they continued to try and draw UIUC off their baseline. If there’s one thing UIUC is good at it is their long reset throws; they manage to keep them low and make them count. Another thing these two teams have in common is they like the burden to be on the other team resulting in instances of reset throws being utilized instead of setting up stronger attacks. Nebraska took the second and third point before the half. UIUC came back in the second half with fire under their wings to claim two points with the third point unfinished.
UWEC/Alumni vs UWP B (5-1)
UWP recruited enough rookies so that their numbers exceeded the cap allowed to register for a tournament. Their solution was to take a few veterans and the entire rookie class and form a team B so that the rookies could gain the much valuable experience of being thrown head first into decision making on the court. On the other side, UW-Eau Claire brought a team of five and they joined forces with the alumni. The game started out slow with each side being very hesitant to make the first move. The rookies on both sides were encouraged to make the decisions of when to attack and how to do so, but it was a little rocky at the start. The alumni and vets helped where they could–alumni Nicholas Stocks was essential in helping the Eau Claire rookies gain their footing–but the newbies were entrusted to figure things out. The mixed team had the benefit of half of their players having significant experience under their belts, and this allowed them to behave more recklessly than the rookies–it also lightened the mood of the game some. On Platteville’s side, their coach Erik Zander joined the game to help direct, and alumni Eli Huntly jumped in to help out the B team. It will be very exciting to see these teams grow throughout the season.
UIUC vs UWP A (3-2)
UWP sets many goals for the team to accomplish during the course of the season. One of those goals is to beat Illinois at least once, and this game was their first opportunity of the season to accomplish that. UIUC was in high spirits as they were coming off of one win and one loss, so they were hoping to make it two wins on the day. Platteville started off strong by taking two points to UIUC’s one at the end of the first half, and the Pioneers were keeping Illinois trapped to their baseline. However, Illinois bided their time, waiting for an opportunity to strike, and they managed to tie up the game and took a third point on the Pioneers.
UNL vs UWS (8-0)
The most challenging hurdle for UWS to overcome in this game would be there difference in numbers. UNL having a full squad with subs while UWS had the bare minimum required to register. Yes, this proved to be a large burden on the UWS players as they had no real chance for a break during their games, but it also provided them with a great deal of experience to take home. UNL kept UWS on the move to tire them out so their attacks would be most effective. This led them to taking eight points on Stout by the end of their match.
Mixed/Alumni vs UWP A (3-2)
This game did not go how either team imagined. UWP A was coming off of two very close losses, and they were hoping to take this game. This was their last game of the day, and last chance to earn a win, so their goal was to play hard and smart to earn as many points against Eau Claire and Alumni. The points consisted of a lot of back and forth with catches made by both sides with the first point going to UWP A and the second to the Mixed/Alumni. For the third point, UNL coach Tre Sumrall joined the mixed side, and it was obvious that the mood had lightened and everyone was having much more fun. UWP A took the next point right before halftime. The pace picked back up in the second half with more team throws and rapid resets to keep pressure on the other team. The Mixed/Alumni team managed to secure two more points during the second half, and again, the mood lightened during the last point played.
UWP B vs UWS (3-1)
UWP B only played two games during this tournament–their first was against the Mixed/Alumni team. They came into this game with much more confidence than their first game, and they were noticeably more communicative on court. Shout out to veterans #47 Dalton Foreyt and #7 Alison Draxler for supporting and leading the B team. The game consisted of long points where each side was forced to play more aggressively than preferred. UWP B took the first two points of game before half time. After their return, they secured a third point while UWS claimed the fourth point played.
Mixed/Alumni vs UNL (3-2)
At this point in the long day everyone was tired, and many of the players had a long ride home to look forward to. Fortunately, they had another game to keep them occupied. The first half was decreased to twenty minutes to save a bit of time. Each side, while playing a tad less seriously, took two points by the end of those twenty minutes, and they were proposed with a serious question: Whether or not to continue the game. After five minutes worth of discussion, it was decided to play one more point–a winner-takes-all style point. Much like in the game against UWP A, UNL’s coach joined the Mixed/Alumni side along with #35 Collin Glover and #4 Samuel Lavender, and the Cornhuskers took this as an opportunity to take their frustrations out on him. He was caught in several times just to be hit with a barrage of balls over and over again. Quite cathartic, I’d imagine. By the end of the fierce battle, the Mixed/Alumni team came out as the victor, securing a third point and ending the game.
Women’s
UWP A 4-1 UIUC
This match was UWP’s first official women’s no-sting game of the season with four women formed UWP’s A team and four women made up UIUC’s team. The four UWP women were #20 Hollie Wheeler, #14 Reagan Bucholtz, #15 Tori Sanborn, and #7 Alison Draxler; these four women make up the veterans on UW-Platteville’s Women’s team. UIUC’s team included #31 Tera Pabico, #28 Christina Nasios, #13 Jia Kim, and #95 Naila Kudla. While some of the rules for no-sting are a different from pinch dodgeball, the strategies are pretty similar. UWP plays no-sting almost identically to how they play pinch which is convenient for their players. The Pioneers stayed strong throughout the first half with strong defense and a stronger offence. Each player took turns throwing and blocking for each other, and when appropriate they set up team throws. Illinois’s tactic was more on the defensive side with more frequent reset throws as they waited for catching opportunities. UWP A took three points before halftime, and they took the first point of the second half. UIUC came back strong to take the second point in half two, and the third point played went unfinished as the game completed.
Mixed 8-0 UWP B
Much like the co-ed team, the Pioneers have recruited enough women to form a B team for no-sting. This game consisted five UWP women against a mixed team of the 3 UNL women and one UWEC woman which took place at the same time as the UWP A vs UIUC game. While this wasn’t an official match, it would provide great experience for the rookie women to play people they haven’t had the chance to yet. The mixed side had more experienced players with UNL’s #45 Rachel Tysdal and #40 Abigail Nelson and UWEC’s #7 Cleo Moen having played several no-sting matches prior to this one while UWP B’s women were all rookies. But one important thing these rookie women have is nothing to lose. Their sole purpose in these games is to learn as much as possible even if they do not come out the victors. In the end, the Mixed side took eight points on UWP B.
Final Thoughts
The day proved to have many exciting and close games, and all teams who attended have shown great growth since they last played in Platteville. We are most excited for the growth the rookies will show by the end of the season.
Check out UW-Platteville Dodgeball YouTube channel for any games you might have missed, and we extend a big thanks to the Radio Club for joining us again this year.