We started off the tournament by refereeing the first matches-UC vs Miami on court one and UIUC vs CSU on court two. By refereeing these games, it gave our rookies the chance to watch part of each game to learn what type of opponents we would be playing. It also gave our more experienced players a chance to practice refereeing in a loud environment. The day was fun and chaotic and intense all at the same time, and our rookies got to experience a sliver of what nationals will be like.
UWP vs CSU
CSU has always been a fun team to play. They are an impeccable catching team with strong team chemistry. They are more disciplined as a team, and this requires us to act more cautiously and make smart decisions. This resulted in the first point being eleven minutes out of a twenty minute half. They scored two more times before the half ended.
We started the second half more in sync as a unit which greatly improved our defense; we were moving together and executing the calls efficiently. There were a few instances of throwing in front of our blockers, but fortunately no connections were made on our players. We only played two more points in the second half, one of which had veteran Hollie Wheeler on her own for almost three minutes, making quick resets and hoping to bait a catch. The game ended with a score of CSU 5-UWP 0.
UWP vs UC
Coach warned us that UC was going to be a hard team to play. It’s true that they throw hard and are more athletic than the average UWP player, but we sure gave them a run for their money. Many of our rookies including Ian Westrick, Reagan Bucholtz, and Alison Draxler made outstanding plays on UC that made them second guess themselves. UC was trying to scare us by throwing hard at the wall, but we stood strong and unfazed, looking for an opening for a catch or out. Ian had two epic catches one after the other, Reagan had one too that shocked UC’s #7, and Alison was providing excellent coverage for our vets!
We went into the second half with the same intensity. A shot clock violation was called on UC which allowed us to get off two team throws. Several throws were exchanged afterwards, and several players on both sides were hit. After a shot clock violation on UWP’s side, rookie Alison Draxler was left in on her own where she survived a few minutes before getting clipped in the toes. It’s great to see her not backing down when faced with so many opponents!
Every out we got on UC made us fight harder for the next one. Small victories are very important when growing as a team, and it’s important to recognize them too. For example, rookie Reagan Bucholtz was able to fake-out UC’s #6 so hard he lost his footing. Vet Kate Douglas made a close-range out on #44. And Ben Breidenbach had a great last-second out as the clock ran out. I know it’s hard to see the good in a defeat, but these accomplishments are important memories to look back on when playing strong opponents. The final score was UC 7-0 UWP.
UWP vs Miami
Miami was second in the league at this tournament. Our game against them was also their fourth in a row, and we were all tired by then. It’s fascinating to see the difference in play styles from each team, and maybe it was because of fatigue, but Miami was not the monster we expected. They throw hard, but so do we; they can apply pressure, and we can too; they’re athletic and, well, some of us are; but once we get playing our game, we thrive.
By the second half, both teams were having more fun than feeling competitive. It had been a long day for everyone at that point. Silly mistakes weren’t taken to heart, and a few laughs were shared. Our players were holding their own better in the second half and Miami was getting reckless. They started throwing wild crosses at UWP while we stayed cool and collected on our baseline. I have to give a huge shoutout to Alison Draxler again for holding her own so confidently several times against Miami. Several times she was left in on her own, but she kept her head up and kept attacking! In the end, the final score was Miami 6-0 UWP.
N0-Sting Match
There wasn’t a women’s match scheduled for day, but we had enough time to play at least one half before the day ended. There were eight of us; five from UWP and three from UIUC. We split into a 4 vs 4 with Hollie filling in on UIUC’s side. It was all for fun, but it still gave us women an additional game in preparation for no-sting nationals.
Afterthoughts
This was a very fun tournament that allowed our rookies to get additional reps in against teams we don’t usually play. We may not have won any of our games, but we were able to perform better as a team and achieve some pretty cool individual accomplishments. I am incredibly proud of how our rookies performed, especially the women–especially when the opponents were trying to intimidate them. With both national tournaments close, we are going to incorporate the things we learned so we can be the best team possible when it matters the most! See you at nationals in April!
