First Half Review

2023-2024 Pioneers

As the year dwindles down, we approach the halfway point of the season and get a chance to reflect on the season so far. As a team, we haven’t had the start to the season we had hoped for. Right now we stand at 2-8 and ranked outside of the Big 16. That being said, we have had some good things happening in the background. For starters, we had a great recruiting class and they have picked up on the game fairly quickly. However, we lost some big hitters from the season before and have missed more of the veteran presence on the court. Too often we lose track of what we practice and points get away from us. Going forward we need to look at it as we are in a reload and not a rebuild. We also said goodbye to long time member Eli Huntley as he graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Platteville this December and his presence on the court will be greatly missed. 

Looking towards the remainder of the season we plan on working on the nitty gritty things. Making sure we don’t lose focus of the game we play is a priority as well as getting our rookies more experience and filling the holes we have had. Developing our rookies’ knowledge of the game and fine tuning some aspects of the veteran game. We want to continue building the culture we have been creating around the team and becoming a tighter knit unit. 

Here’s what some of the team had to say:

Tomas Zander (Co-Captain)

“I’m really proud of our recruitment efforts. We found a bunch of eager young players ready to learn and get better and proud of how the older guys have handled teaching them. I want to see the older guys shift from their focus on getting themselves to the next level. They need to clean up the fundamentals. If they can clean up the fundamentals they can look for some upsets in the next half of the season. I really enjoyed going to practice this semester. I didn’t make every practice so I was pleased when I showed up and all the board members taking charge of practices and encouraging the rookies to play hard.”

Ethan Schmeling (Rookie)

“I believe we had good ball control, and our communication went well and improved drastically as the season went on. I would like to see us improve on moving as a team and looking across to see where the team is as well as keeping an eye on the cross throws. Those really killed us in points last semester. I’d say some of my favorite moments were team bonding nights where we got to be a team off the court and form a better connection. Team dinners and bowling nights were always a great time. Bonding is key for a great team and having a great time with your teammates is an experience I’ll never forget.”

Bryden Hundt (Rookie)

“As a team, I would like to see our consistency improve. A lot of that comes to doing the small things right. As for myself, I would like to improve on my throw. I want to be more of a threat on the court. As a team, the first two points against Kent. That showed that we can compete, and we should be a lot more successful than we were. As an individual, I would have to say being a survivor player in a lot of points or the getting 5 outs in the match against CSU. The team started to find rhythm and our game towards the end of the semester. There were points where we would dominate, and I hope we can bring that back.”

That being said, we are ready to return to the court and continue to build the team up and make a push going into nationals. And as always, Go ‘Neers!!

December 2023 Baller of the Month- Nicholas Stocks

Junior #27

The Baller of the Month award is an award given monthly to a player voted on by their teammates to recognize all the hard work they have put into the team throughout the month. This month’s recipient is junior Nicholas Stocks. Here’s what he had to say:

How do you feel getting BOTM? 

It feels good to have my work and dedication recognized by my teammates.  

What are your plans to continue to improve? 

I will continue to attend all regular practices and always showing up ready to compete. 

What do you like most about the sport? 

I enjoy throwing things at other people because where else can you do that and not get in trouble? 

What are your goals that you want to see accomplished this season? 

I want to see the team win at least half of our games this semester along with going 2-1 on the first day of nationals. I also want to see myself improve my throw so I can get more outs. 

How have you felt about the season so far? 

I feel the team is progressing much better than we were last year. I have been impressed with this rookie class and the hard work and dedication they have put into this sport. I look forward to seeing the whole team improve over the upcoming semester. 

Anything else you’d like to say to the team/readers? 

Look out for the Pioneers this semester as we are hungry for some wins. Roll ‘Neers! 

Congratulations again to Nicholas Stocks on receiving the Baller of the Month award. We look forward to seeing who’s next! Go ‘Neers!

December 2023 Rookie of the Month- Dylan Taylor

Freshman #17

The Rookie of the Month award is an award given monthly to a player voted on by their teammates to recognize all the hard work they have put into the team throughout the month. This month’s recipient is freshman Dylan Taylor. Here’s what he had to say:

How do you feel about being voted ROTM?

I am glad to be voted ROTM. I have been working hard during practice and the tournament.

How do you plan on continuing to push forward?

I am planning on making it to the skills practices this coming semester.

How have you liked dodgeball so far?

I have enjoyed playing so far; it is fun and always a great time during practices. 

What skill do you plan on working on improving next?

I want to improve my blocking skills this next semester. 

What are your goals for the remainder of the season?

To become a better thrower, not just because of my speed and power in my throw but with my aim. I also want to help the team be more comfortable with each other so practices don’t have to be so drill-oriented. 

Anything else you’d like to say to the team/readers?

We may just be a bunch of band kids and nerds, but we make a great team. 

Dr. Peter Broe Classic review 2023

We attended the Dr. Peter Broe Classic at Western Michigan. There we played Kent State, CSU and MSU. Going into the weekend we knew we were going to have to play some good ball. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned as we went 0-3. Throughout the day we felt as though we put together our team throws very well and the communication on these throws was some of the best we have had this season. We also feel that our movement as a team was much improved from earlier in the season. However, what really hurt us was our blocking and not seeing the cross throws in time. It is frustrating that we have continued to struggle at this aspect of the game for so long. Another huge downfall throughout the day was our inconsistency in play. We play strongly and do things correctly so well and then out of nowhere we fall apart and make mistakes that we should not be making.

Here’s what some of the players had to say:

Nicholas Stocks (President):

“Our performance at the Dr. Peter Broe Classic was not what we were hoping for. Not executing the fundamentals properly continues to be an issue the UWP squad has. The small things continue to be the death of our team, missing our blocks, for ourselves and teammates, not immediately attacking when the other team throws, once we do these things UWP will be a difficult opponent. While the score on the day doesn’t show it UWP did have some strong points, during the beginning of the Kent game UWP was the dominate force on the court. If we always have that same style of play, I expect an elite eight appearance and possibly a final four.”

Dylan Taylor (Rookie):

“The tournament went alright. We definitely could’ve done better, but we grew as a team. We had lots of great team throws and the communication improved as the day went on. We were very aggressive during the points we won and worked well as a team. However, we need to work on keeping this aggression during the whole day. We also need to work on rotating throwers more. Most of the throws were done by the same couple of veterans.”

Zak Lathrop (Secretary):

“Overall, I feel the tournament could have gone way better than it did. There were things we did great at but there were many other areas that we still need to work on. For the most part when we played as a unit we dominated on the court. We killed with our transition game and counters. As I said previously, we dominate as a unit. It’s when we start to fall apart and slowdown that kills us. The team needs to continue the intensity on the court at all times. Once we can consistently work together and play together. We’re a force to be reckoned with.”

Daniel Breitenstein (Rookie):

“While I had fun, I was disappointed with how we performed. We didn’t work together well, and we definitely suffered because of this. When we did communicate well with each other, we were able to coordinate attacks effectively. We were able to execute good team throws that got outs. Better communication and coordination. This is the area that we need the most improvement, especially during games.

All said and done, we had a great time attending the event and wish our fellow competitors’ luck in the last half of their seasons. Go ‘Neers!

November ROTM 2023- Eric Sullivan

Freshman #18

The Rookie of the Month award is an award given monthly to a player voted on by their teammates to recognize all the hard work they have put into the team throughout the month. This month’s recipient is freshman Eric Sullivan. Here’s what he had to say:

How do you feel about being voted ROTM?

Wow that’s cool! I feel honored.

How do you plan on continuing to push forward?

I do plan on continuing to push forward and using the veteran’s knowledge and experience to help me become a better player.

How have you liked dodgeball so far?

I love dodgeball and I’m glad I joined the team this year.

What skill do you plan on working on improving next?

I plan on improving all my skills but really focus on my blocking.

What are your goals for the remainder of the season?

My goals for the remainder of the season are to let my broken finger heal and work on my throw.

Anything else you’d like to say to the team/readers?

Thanks to everyone on the team for coming to practice and making dodgeball fun and exciting!

Congrats again to Eric Sullivan! We look forward to seeing who’s next. Go ‘Neers!

November BOTM 2023- Eli Huntley

Senior #8

The Baller of the Month award is an award given monthly to a player voted on by their teammates to recognize all the hard work they have put into the team throughout the month. This month’s recipient is senior Eli Huntley. Here’s what he had to say:

1. How do you feel about getting baller of the month?

It feels good to have my level of play noticed by my teammates. It’s nice to know that they see the effort that I am putting into the team.

2. What are your plans for the future?

Since I will be graduating in 1 week, I won’t be able to play the remainder of the season, but I plan to play in the NDA over the summer.

3. What will you miss most about the sport?

I will miss hanging out with all the guys/girl at practices as well as in the hotels during away tournaments.

4. What are your goals that you want to see accomplished in the remainder of the season?

I want to see the team have a record above .500 for the spring semester.

5. How have you felt about the season so far?

The season so far is a little disappointing. I think with the team that we had we should have done a lot better. I think with a little more practice and discipline, this team can win games.

6. Anything else you’d like to say to the team/readers?

Thanks to the team for keeping me busy my last semester on the court. Roll Neers.

Congratulations again to Eli on getting the November Baller of the Month award! Eli graduates in December 2023 and plans to join the NDA. As a club we will miss him dearly and the work and time that he has put into the organization doesn’t go unnoticed. Go ‘Neers!

Pioneer Classic IV Review

On November 11th, 2023, we hosted the fourth annual Pioneer Classic. Teams that attended included: Nebraska, Illinois, Concordia, help from UW-Stout and an appearance by some of our alumni. We thank everyone that came and not only participated but came and supported us to make the event the spectacle that it was. 

In terms of play, overall we went 2-1 on the day with our loss coming to UNL. We had moments throughout the day where we struggled to stick to how we know to play and in those moments became our biggest downfall. However, there were also times where we worked together and did what we know how to do best and showed how well we can perform as a unit. Early on we struggled to find our footing against UNL and it showed. Much like previous meetups this season, we found ourselves in a hole early on and never really recovered. We had moments where we thought we got a grip only to lose control in a matter of seconds. In our other two ranked matchups we got ourselves in a rhythm and were able to control the game the way we wanted to. We still had moments where we let the big picture get out of sight but were able to hold off the opponents and secure the win.

Here’s what some of our team had to say about the event:

Eric Sullivan (Rookie):

“I think last tournament was good in some ways but bad in others. For most of the points we worked well as a team and had great communication. The points that we lost or came close to losing we had issues communicating and we weren’t working together. We definitely learned a lot about how we need to play better and how we can more effectively communicate on the court and make smart plays.”

Zak Lathrop:

“The tournament overall went as expected, other than UNL. I knew that it was going to be challenging against UNL, but if we just would have played our game, we could have taken way more points than we did and maybe even won. CUW and UIUC, although we won both, we played sloppy and didn’t play our game. We have to play the same way all the time no matter who we are playing. But overall, the tournament went well and I’m proud of the things we accomplished.”

Nicholas Stocks (President):

“UWP’s performance at the Pioneer Classic proved we can compete with top teams such as UNL if we are able to effectively communicate on court and not fall victim to other team’s moments of chaos. This was a great tournament where our rookies were able to get valuable game experience. As a team and as individuals, we know what we need to work on to make ourselves better.”

We had a great time hosting this event and give a lot of thanks to the teams that made it possible as well as the fans that showed up to support us. If you missed the action and would love to see the games, check out the links below and make sure to subscribe to our channel to get notifications for our future games! Go ‘Neers!

  1. UWP vs UNL
  2. UWP vs UIUC
  3. UWP vs CUW
  4. UWP vs Alumni/Stout

Red Cedar Rumble Recap

On October 28th, 2023, we took an 11 man squad to the Red Cedar Rumble in East Lansing, Michigan. In this tournament, we had hard fought battles against some of the best in the league in Michigan State and Grand Valley. Our roster consisted of five rookies and six of our veteran members. Overall, we went 0-2 on the day and only managed to score a point in each game but got tremendous experience for our rookies that made the trip worth while. That being said it is quite clear that we have fundamental things to work on but when we work as a unit we have shown that we can have moments where we can compete with anyone. Here are thoughts that some of our members had to say about the Red Cedar Rumble: 

Dylan Fabry:

“I thought that we as a team did really well against the top teams for the second tournament of the season. I thought that the rookies improved a lot compared to the first tournament and that we are headed in the right direction. The rookie that stood out the most to me was Ethan as he did a great job blocking for others on the court after they threw.”

Toryn Swartout (Rookie):

“I think the tournament went really well for our second one of the season. We did decent considering the talent of MSU and GVSU. The points we won were well earned but we have a lot we can work on.”

Caleb Laux (Captain):

“As a captain, I am really proud of how our team did. Going up against some of the best teams in the league and coming out with a point on each of them is a great sign for the young players we brought to this tournament.

It was many of our roster’s first tournament of the season, myself included. In particular, we had a few rookies get good experience. Ethan Schmeling stuck out to me as he was doing a great job. But all of our rookies have grown tremendously in the last few weeks.

With the closeness of some of the individual points despite being a player down with no subs, I believe that we made it clear that Platteville will put up a fight against any team we face and come out smiling when we give it our all.”

In the end, it was not the outcome we were hoping to have but ended up being a great experience for our newer players and we loved being able to compete with some of the best in the league. We hope to improve going forward and wish our competitors good luck with the remainder of their seasons. You can check out the games at the following links on our YouTube Channel. Make sure to subscribe to our channel to get notifications for our future games, Go ‘Neers!

  1. UWP vs GVSU
  2. UWP vs MSU

October ROTM 2023- Ethan Schmeling

Freshman #69

The Rookie of the Month award is an award given monthly to a player voted on by their teammates to recognize all the hard work they have put into the team throughout the month. This month’s recipient is freshman Ethan Schmeling. Here’s what he had to say:

How do you feel about being voted ROTM?

“It’s awesome! To see my teammates think I’m improving a lot and that my hard work is paying off is really rewarding.”

How are you planning on continuing your work?

“I plan to continue to work hard and show up at every practice I can.”

What skill do you plan on improving next?

“I plan on working on my grip and throwing more, they need a lot of improvement and I’m ready to learn.”

What are your goals for the remainder of the season?

“For the remainder of the year I’ll be working on getting my throwing down to a tee and getting it right all the time.”

How have you felt about the season so far?

“So far it has been amazing and I’m glad I’m doing it.”

Anything else you’d like to say to the team/readers?

“I’d like to say thanks to the whole team, and I will continue to try my hardest to get even better and become a great player on our team.”

Congrats again to Ethan Schmeling! We look forward to seeing who’s next. Go ‘Neers!

October BOTM 2023- Jalen Sims

Junior #10

The Baller of the Month award is an award given monthly to a player voted on by their teammates to recognize all the hard work they have put into the team throughout the month. This month’s recipient is junior Jalen Sims. Here’s what he had to say:

How do you feel about being voted BOTM?

“I appreciate people voting for me for BOTM, it shows I’m doing something right.”

How are you planning on continuing your work?

“I plan on being more aggressive and keep communicating with my team on the court.”

What skill do you plan on improving next?

“To improve myself I plan on getting my throw lower and more accurate, I also plan on improving my catching abilities.”

What are your goals for the remainder of the season?

“My goals for the remainder of the season are getting one catch a game and throwing less catches”

How have you felt about the season so far?

“I’ve felt pretty good about the season so far. We have a great roster this season with a lot of talented rookies that improve every practice.”

Anything else you’d like to say to the team/readers?

“Once again, thank you for voting me BOTM”

Congrats again to Jalen Sims! We look forward to seeing who’s next. Go ‘Neers!