Category: Reviews

Welcome back dodgeball fans! We started this semester off by visiting UW-Stout for their very own Rosen Bowl! UW-Platteville was the only school to attend, and they brought fifteen players. Poor weather contributed to the small turnout, however it allowed for a chill day full of fun.

The first game was UWP vs UW-Stout in a twelve versus eight match. There were a few newer faces on Stout’s side, and it’s great to see their club growing. The game ended UWP 11-0 UW-Stout. After the NCDA match, we set up a mixed game which included a few alumni players. Again, this game was more fun than serious, and it gave the Stout players a chance to play with more support and players. The two Eau Claire players that showed up hopped in too at times which made the game all the more fun.

After the pinch games, the captains set up the court for a no-sting game. Unfortunately due to the few number of woman in attendance, some of the guys stepped in to fill the court out. We are extremely lucky to have such supportive players who are willing to play the no-sting style so we can improve in our game. We regularly play each other in practice when no-sting is the focus of the evening, and their competitiveness helps us improve as a team.

The day didn’t go exactly as planned, but it was a nice way to ease back into the season after such a long break. The drive was easy which made the rest of the day flow easily. We are thankful to UW-Stout for hosting this tournament and their flexibility around the weather. We are looking forward to playing them again at our home tournament!

On Saturday December 7th, Northern Illinois University (NIU) hosted a meet-up tournament between UWP and UIUC. After an official NCDA match, NIU’s Women’s Rugby club and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club participated in a 6v6 Round Robin play. To end the tournament, the Women’s Rugby club and a member of the Jiu Jitsu club played a Women’s no-sting game against UWP featuring UIUC’s Naila Kudla. Here’s how the tournament went.

UWP vs UIUC

UWP was determined to redeem themselves from the loss at the Pioneer Classic V against UIUC. While they didn’t win this time either, the number of points played were fewer, and the game went into overtime. UWP brought a roster of seventeen while UIUC came with only eleven players. We were able to get our rookies in on some points which provided them with some practice against UIUC’s play style. Even though we didn’t win this game, we got to show off how our on-court communication and awareness has improved since our last match.

Round Robin

Two courts were set up in our six versus six style of play, and those participating gathered in their predetermined teams. The seven teams made included UWP A, UWP B, UIUC A, UIUC B, Rugby A, Rugby B, and BJJ. While this part of the tournament was just for fun, it gave our rookies the chance to learn how to play call, to keep track of how many balls their team had, and how to communicate better with their teammates. I can only speak for my team (UWP B), but we played UWP A as intense as we could (everyone but the women were not allowed to pinch throw), but we ended up abandoning that play style for a more lax and fun style.

Something that surprised me as we progressed in the round robin play was just how much the non-dodgeball clubs were learning from watching and playing the dodgeball clubs. Blocking became more confident, players learned how to pinch, and they started to play call when attacking. All in all, it was very fun.

Women’s No-Sting

This match was UWP’s second official women’s match ever. We came in much more prepared compared to our first match (see Pioneer Classic V recap), and our women had much more confidence in their skills and roles. It was cool to see the rugby and Jiu Jitsu women take what they learned in the round robin and incorporate it into the no-sting game.

There are still things that are frustrating due to a lack of experience and inability to play other women’s teams, but I can’t wait to see how our women’s team grows over the upcoming semester. I hope we can play more women at our next home tournament in March.

Final Thoughts

We are extremely grateful to NIU for hosting this tournament; it was nice to have a short drive for a change. It was nice to see the support from our families and friends who made the drive down to see us, and it was great to see how much fun everyone had (even if an ice coffee was lost). We hope we can set up something like this again to gain more attraction from other schools and hopefully expand the central region of the NCDA.

The Dr. Peter Broe Classic tournament is the only tournament we play in besides nationals where we can play teams from the Ohio and Michigan regions of the NCDA. It is also the time we play our most challenging opponents. We brought a team of seventeen players, and we played three matches.

UWP vs WMU

We started the day off strong against WMU with a long first point. The next point started with a few balls thrown off the start as both teams pushed hard for the center. Shortly after a cross was thrown by WMU. While it didn’t connect, UWP was not fast enough to prevent the connection. WMU took the second point after another long back and forth.

The third point of the first half was not completed, and by the time the second half started, UWP seemed to wake up and start calling and communicating more on court. Calls were being relayed as well as potential crosses were being announced. The first point of half two went to WMU. The next point was quite the disaster as our top players sequentially got out. We were able to pick up the last point of the game for ourselves, resulting in a score of WMU 4-1 UWP.

Many of our players have been working very hard during our scheduled practices and skills practices to hone their skills. It is really exciting to see those hours of hard work pay off during intense games like these.

UWP vs BGSU

We last played BGSU at Nationals 2024 and they were our first game of the tournament. They are a formidable opponent because they are all very athletic and talented at the game. They play with a sort of confidence that lets everyone know that they rule the court, and their court awareness is something to be envious of. BGSU is a very fun team to watch.

The first point was very quick, and BGSU never left their attack line keeping UWP stuck and without balls. There were moments where the tempo picked up which resulted in UWP’s top players getting out one after the other, and this left our less experienced players responsible for filling their roles. We have made improvements when it comes to moving as a unit and throwing behind our blockers, but fast paced and intense moments like these have us falling back on old habits. BGSU players obviously have an immense amount of trust in each other, and this allows them to act a little carelessly while in the line of fire, but their defense is so tight that we struggled to make connections when they pushed up. Point number two also went to BGSU followed by point 3 not long after.

Point four made UWP look like a different animal. We moved as a unit, made connection after connection, and was able to secure the point with a majority, if not all, of the team still on the court. BGSU ended up earning two more points by the end of the game, but UWP made those two points hard ones to get. The final score was BGSU 4-1 UWP.

UWP vs GVSU

When we started our match against GVSU, it was obvious that we were tired. Both of our previous games had teams that are more athletic than us and are really good at the game. Not to spoil the ending, but we were unable to secure any points during this game. While it is one of our goals to score at least one point against every team we play, we also want to beat a Ohio and Michigan school, and this was our tournament to do so.

GVSU likes to throw crosses, and we don’t practice them enough in practice so we frequently get hit by them. This reinforces our need to always be watching the entire court no matter where we are standing.

Even though we didn’t score any points, Platteville still had moments of great defense and offense that showcased our play style. We don’t play like most other teams, and when we can get our opponents into our flow, we can play to our fullest potential. I can see our confidence as a team starting to really grow after this tournament, and we are excited to see these teams at Nationals this spring.

Final Thoughts

Our previous few tournaments at Kalamazoo have not been our greatest performances. This year was a hard battle as well, but we were able to compete better as a team while also identifying areas where we can improve. One of our goals is to earn a point on each team we play, and we were able to achieve that for two of our three games. We didn’t win this time, but we are excited to work hard next semester.

November 9th, 2024 the UW-Platteville Dodgeball Club hosted its fifth Pioneer Classic tournament. The turnout was the best we’ve had for a while with UNL and UIUC making the trip to see us, and Stout teamed up with Eau Claire to form a mixed team. UWP also hosted our first no-sting match with the women who showed up for a 5 vs 4 match.

UWP vs UNL

Our first game of the day was against UNL, a team we haven’t beaten since 2020. UNL came with a team of thirteen.

The first game started with a strong attack from UWP. We used to struggle with the first point or even the first game of the day, but we were able to get quick counters off which allowed us to stay on our back line. This is a very impactful strategy to use against teams like UNL and UIUC because they are teams that thrive on their back line. It also helps us conserve energy by not having to run up for an attack and then back-peddle all the way back to the baseline.

This game was a great way to start off the day. UWP took one point in the first half and the other two in the second half. Each point was long, most notably by how only three points were completed during this game. UWP worked really hard for this victory, and were are really grateful for our team’s dedication to achieve this goal.

Final score was UWP 3-0 UNL

UWP vs UIUC

UIUC has a unique strategy. They are more chaotic than most teams we’ve played, but they are able to use it to their advantage. That unpredictability causes us to stumble and fall into their fast play style. Additionally, they are a team that frequently throws off the opening rush, which causes our fastest players to get out immediately. They also throw resets to the point where it seems like they don’t have a shot clock; these throws are solely meant to reset the clock instead of getting an out.

It takes great team chemistry to pull off the strategy that UIUC utilizes, and it is a tough monster to play. Although we were unable to beat them this time, we are looking forward to future tournaments where we can showcase our strong on-court communication and hard counters.

Final score was UWP 2-4 UIUC

UWP vs Eau Claire/Stout

It’s always exciting to see how the Stout and Eau Claire teams improve since the last time we played them. This time they played as a united team I have executively decided to call Eau Stout.

We pride ourselves on never playing down to a team if we believe they are less skilled or experienced. Both UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire are brand new teams, but when they combine, they fill in the spots that were lacking and become a stronger team. It is always fun to play them and witness their growth from the beginning.

Final score was UWP 5-1 Eau Claire/Stout

UWP Women’s Match

We were able to successfully host our first women’s no-sting match ever at UWP! The rules for no-sting are very different than the co-ed format, most significantly is the court size and number of players. Each team can have up to six players on the court at one time, and the court is the same size as a volleyball court. Additionally, there are only six balls in play at one time compared to the ten balls in co-ed dodgeball, and the shot clock drops from fifteen seconds to twelve seconds.

To say it was a learning curve is an understatement. Our two women vets had only played co-ed until this point, and our rookie women haven’t had much tournament experience.

The game had five UWP women against a mixed team of one player from UIUC, one from UW-Stout, and two from UW-Eau Claire. Due to this match being the first time we played on such a small court with a smaller neutral zone, we stepped over the attack line once, and I personally stepped out of bounds twice. Hopefully, with more practice, we can commit the court size to memory so we can play dodgeball even in our sleep!

Final score was UWP 4-6 Mixed

Afterthoughts

This was an extremely fun and exhausting tournament to partake in. We are also very grateful to the WSUP Radio Club for commentating on the tournament and for the time they took to learn the game. We are also very excited to kick off our Women’s team journey with our friends, families, and former players by our side. Keep your eye out for our future tournaments and women’s matches we hope to play!

On October 26th, UW-Platteville played in a double-header against UNL on a pleasantly not-so-cold morning (if you know, you know). The day didn’t start off completely hitch-free, but the tournament started off with a bang!

UWP hit the road with twelve players, four of which were rookies. UNL won in the rookie department with almost an additional team of rookies. This allowed them to constantly cycle fresh players each point while UWP didn’t have any subs to spare.

Game One

The first game opened with an almost immediate balls over on UW-Platteville. The intense back and forth lasted for 8 minutes until only three were left on both teams and UNL received a shot clock violation. After two successful team throws from UWP, another shot clock violation was called on the Pioneers. UNL achieved no outs from this balls over, but UWP’s Dylan Fabry missed a catch soon after. Fortunately, rookie Keaton Bahr and vet Andrew Jones were able to clutch up the point with an extremely lucky long distance throw. In total, the first point lasted nearly ten minutes.

UWP was able to hold out for another ten minutes before the second point in the first half went to UNL. In point three, UNL called for a timeout. After which, they caught in a player on head captain Nicholas Stocks’ throw. The point ended as time ran out; at the half, the score was UWP 1-1 UNL.

The second half started with a powerful and successful UNL team throw, but a sharp counter by UWP also connected. Shortly after, a sneaky catch was made by vet Kate Douglas from a close range throw. After several catches were thrown by UWP and a balls over, vet Griffin Johnson was unable to secure a catch on UNL’s team throw resulting in the end of the point.

For point two of the second half, both sides had strong counters and the occasional whiffed throw (speaking from experience). The latter half of the point had vet Jalen Sims up against the majority of UNL’s team. He got one out before a shot clock violation was called. UNL set up a team throw of at least five players, yet all balls missed! Jalen managed to survive another two team throws as well as two solo, close range throws before missing a catch from UNL’s number 26. Shout out to Jalen for lasting an excruciating three minutes alone against eight UNL players!

UNL ended up taking another timeout in the next point, and unfortunately UWP began to crumble. Yet again, Jalen Sims was the last man standing for Platteville, and he stood against six UNL players. Another balls over on Platteville followed shortly after. Luckily, or unluckily, a connection was made with the first team throw, ending the point.

The last point in game one looked the most confident out of all the points played. Platteville was moving as a unit, counters were made before half-court, and we were able to keep UNL off their base line. Although we were unable to gain another point in game one, we were able to identify aspects of our play to change for game two.

Final score for game one: UNL 5-1 UWP

Game Two

Game two started with a few throws off the start from UNL, none of which connected. Again, UWP was quick to counter, keeping UNL up at their attack line. The first point was a close call; both teams lost players at the same rate, but in the end UWP dwindled faster leaving one player and a balls over on Platteville. Incredibly, vet Hollie Wheeler secured a catch from a four person team throw, catching in rookie Ian Westrick while dodging the rest. She readied for another catch, but was unable to secure it. Ian got out soon after, ending the point.

Point two opened with a catch made by UNL followed by a powerful counter from UWP. UNL was kept up to their attack line yet again while UWP camped out on their baseline after each quick counter. Sadly, several detrimental mistakes were made by Platteville that resulted in many players getting picked off in quick succession. Four players soon turned into three, but vet Griffin Johnson made a solid connection against UNL followed by rookie David Laux hitting big name Noah Willey. Two dirty blocks later and Hollie Wheeler was in on her own again. Much like game one, she made a catch from a three person team throw, catching Ian Westrick back in. The intense back and forth between UNL’s seven players and UWP’s two resulted in a shot clock violation on UWP. Ian was targeted for two team throws and was hit out on the second. Hollie, in on her own once again, goes for a catch but misses, ending the point.

Well into the third point, vet Jalen Sims threw a huge cross which was caught, but vet Andrew Jones quickly counters and makes a connection. Captain Nicholas Stocks then throws a cross to an unsuspecting UNL player, removing another player from the game. UNL then has balls over called on them. With total ball control, Nicholas Stocks, Andrew Jones, and Ian Westrick set up a team throw with Andrew as the blocker. The first throw was successful, but the second team throw failed to make a connection. Several single throws follow before vet Kate Douglas throws a catch from the inside. Shortly after another balls over is called on Platteville. UNL sets up a few team throws, one of which was successful and Andrew stepped out. It was Nick’s turn to stand on his own in which he got a few throws off before getting hit out to end the half.

The second half of game two started with a clean opening rush. Several throws were traded before co-captain Dylan Fabry went for the catch but missed. UNL then quickly lobs a cross which is quickly countered with a clean hit from Jalen Sims. Shortly after, a missed block results in him getting out followed by another UWP player getting out due to a dirty block. About three minutes later, UNL throws a long cross which Hollie Wheeler easily catches!

Five UWP players quickly dwindled to two and a balls over. The first team throw was unsuccessful, but the second made contact with UWP captain, Nicholas Stocks. Hollie Wheeler, in on her own YET again, goes for the catch but couldn’t hold on.

Point three showcases UWP’s ability to counter quickly with two quick outs. A fight for a ball occurs shortly after with UWP claiming the ball for themselves. A few missed or dirty blocks knock UWP’s numbers down, and then Jalen Sims throws a close-call catch. UNL then calls for ANOTHER time out, which works out for them because they quickly pick off most of the remaining players leaving vet Kate Douglas in on her own. She gets out as two balls make contact.

The fourth point opened with a chaotic rush, and UNL momentarily had a break-dancer on their team. A fierce exchange of balls followed with great blocks from both sides. This time around, UWP was the one doing the picking, and UNL’s numbers quickly dwindled to just three. UWP set up their signature team throws, with one being successful. Vet Zach Brand then had an opening to secure a catch and quickly counter for two consecutive outs to end the point.

The second to last point of the day resulted in another UNL player spending too much time on the floor from an unsportsmanlike slide. Eventually, the pace picks up, and balls are exchanged with few to no outs. The first to go out on UWP’s side was head captain, Nicholas Stocks, but he was quickly caught back in by another great catch by Zach Brand; almost like he never left in the first place. Nick then secures his own catch before gleefully skipping to hold the center position which allows rookie David Laux to secure an out then vet Jalen Sims to follow swiftly after. Several more outs follow from Zach Brand, Ian Westrick, and from a team throw from Hollie and Nick. Moments later, not only does Nick miss a catch, but Kate Douglas throws a catch.

A balls over is called on UNL, which allows UWP to set up their beloved team throws. Two successful team throws and a close-range solo throw left one on the court for UNL. Another balls over is then called on UNL. It took three team throws, but the last UNL player finally got hit out.

The court was set up for one more attempt at a point. It starts off with a stalemate after the rush, but Nicholas Stocks makes the first attack followed by Jalen Sims. A follow-up attack resulted in a ball bouncing off Zach Brand’s chest but rookie Keaton Bahr secured the team catch. He then passed the same ball back to Zach as he readied for an attack. Several minutes later, a rouge throw took out Kate Douglas with a gnarly headshot. It was an accident; I was fine. The point was never completed as time ran out, but both sides played hard until the last second.

Final score for game two: UNL 5-2 UWP.

After Thoughts

We are very proud to have played as hard as we did. In the past, we would have expected a greater difference between scores especially with three of our vets being unable to attend. We are also grateful to UNL for hosting this double header that gave our rookies–and theirs–many good reps and two good games to look back on and learn from. We look forward to seeing them at our next tournament, the Pioneer Classic V!

On September 21st, UW-Platteville and UW-Stout met at UW-Eau Claire for our first official NCDA tournament of the season. Three full skirmish games took place with each team playing two games. Each team had some new faces which was great to see.

UW-Stout vs UW-Platteville

The first match had UWP against UW-Stout. UWP brought a team of eleven while UW-Stout had 7 players.

The first point of the day was awarded to UWP after just 4 minutes. But Stout wasn’t giving up! The next point dragged out for over six minutes with intense back and forth from the vets on both side. UWP eventually took that point as well, but UW-Stout put up a great fight. Over the next ten minutes, UWP secured two more points for a total of four to UW-Stout’s zero. During half time, Coach Erik and alumni players Caleb Laux and Eli Huntley took time to explain the rules to UWEC again.

The second half started with Eau Claire hopping in on the UW-Stout side which evened out the teams. Although the official game had ended, Stout (featuring Eau Claire) took two points to UWP’s one in the second which had UWP frazzled.

UW-Eau Claire vs UW-Platteville

The Eau Claire/Platteville game was more evenly rostered with UWEC bringing nine players and UWP with their eleven.

In the first half, UWP took the first two points, each lasting over seven minutes each. The third point was played through and was awarded to UWP.

The second half started with another excruciatingly long point and a balls-over called on UWP seven minutes into the point. One UWP player stood against two UWEC players. After another long back and forth, another balls-over was called on UWEC for a one-on-one battle where UWEC eventually secured the point. The point lasted a whopping ten minutes. The last point played (albeit unofficial) in the second half had a guest player: UWP alumni Eli Huntley joined to change up the dynamic. The ending score was 3 UWP to 1 UWEC.

Eau Claire’s style of play is vastly different from other teams we’ve played which makes it challenging to adapt and anticipate an attack. They provide us with a good challenge.

Afterthoughts

It’s great being able to play teams that are a day’s trip from Platteville. It’s also beneficial being able to play such an athletic team like Eau Claire as it forces us to step out of our comfort zone of shorter points and less running on the court. Additionally, as UWP is trying to build a women’s team, it was great to see each team with one or more women participating in the tournament. The rookies–three from UWP played at this tournament–performed well under pressure while not knowing how to pinch or using the shot clock consistently. Although there were moments where we could have played better or where we made silly mistakes, it felt good to be back on the court again.

With finals completed, we can finally wind down for the summer. No more battling with long car rides, missed alarms, or sudden injuries. Now we can look back on all the ups, downs, and sideways this season threw at us.

The year started off with a large recruiting class and a lot of potential. Several had the dedication we needed to build a strong team. Our first tournament was a meet up with UNL in Iowa City, IA, and it provided a clear example of what we would be up against later in the season. While we didn’t win, it was a great introduction for the rookies to apply what they learned during practice and test their skills against a new opponent.

We participated in eight tournaments this season including nationals, but we wish that number was larger. Our team would have benefited greatly if we had more experience in a tournament environment and it would have increased the number of different teams and games we could have played. Hopefully this coming season grants us the opportunity to play more tournaments and play the different techniques those teams play by.

We are proud to say that we have eight rookies sticking around for next season, two of which are the start of the UW-Platteville Women’s club. We hope to gain enough women members to establish a proper women’s team with the confidence and ability to compete at the national level.

It’s true that this year threw some harsh challenges at us, but we were able construct a proactive game-plan to attack the upcoming season head on. We appreciate all the support our fans have thrown our way (wink wink), and we look forward to their continued support for next season.

Elections

Daniel Breitenstein- President
Q. As club president, what are your goals for this coming season?
A. I want to have better recruitment and retention among the players, specifically the new ones. I also want to get players to attend more practices and team events–not only to improve their skills but to bond more as a team. Lastly, I want to recruit more women so we can form a women’s team.

Eric Sullivan – Vice-president
Q. How do you want our team to improve most for this coming season?
A. I want our team to concentrate on improving on-court collaboration and communication. We have a strong group returning, and we can become a more cohesive team by improving communication and teamwork. We can cover each others’ weaknesses and make the most of each players’ abilities. We can improve our performance and bring our team to the next level for the upcoming season.

Nicholas Stocks – Captain
Q. What do you hope to bring to your last season as a Pioneer?
A. In my final season, I will always bring my A Game because many former UWP players have poured their hearts into this game while the team fell short. I hope to match the dedication of these former members who left their marks on the team. While I may not have the strongest arm or be the quickest on the court, I am committed to exemplifying the qualities of a supportive teammate and an effective leader for current and future members of the club.

Dylan Fabry – Co-Captain
Q. What areas do you want to see our team improve in the most?
A. Throwing because we lost a lot of our good arms to graduation. Another is countering as soon as the ball leaves our opponents hands so we can get outs without needing powerful throws.

Griffin Johnson – Treasurer
Q. What are you looking forward to most for this upcoming season?
A. I am looking forward to our growth as a team. This year was a strong year for recruiting. The rookies, myself included, have all improved drastically leading me to be extremely enthused for the progress they will make next year.

Hollie Wheeler – Secretary
Q. How do you want to impact the rookies that show interest in the club?
A. I think the biggest impact I want to make is helping the rookies feel welcomed and valued regardless of their skill set. I want them to attend practices, team events, and tournaments not because they feel obligated to but because they want to be there. I think that the key to a successful team is players that get along well and can naturally be on the same wavelength. I want the rookies to have fun and be involved so in the future they will be ready to welcome new teammates and eagerly show them the ropes.

Kate Douglas – Content Writer
Q. What is one goal you hope to achieve next season?
A. As we all know, Platteville does not have a very large female student population; and those who do attend are more likely to participate in other sports like volleyball and rugby. I want to gain enough women to have a no-sting team to compete against other no-sting teams. I was the only girl who stuck around from this year’s initial recruitment, and I am graduating next spring, so I want to make any incoming rookies (male or female) feel comfortable and confident to play against strong opponents.

Awards

See our posts on Facebook and Instagram or click on their names below for their full interview and responses!

Baller of the Year: Tomas Zander

Rookie of the Year: Eric Sullivan

Team Impact: Eli Huntley

Most Improved: Zach Brand

As another season comes to an end we look back at the moments that put us where we are now. The victories, the defeats, the breakthroughs and the setbacks. All of which have led us to this moment in time. April 13th and 14th, we traveled to THE Ohio State university to compete in the 2023-2024 NCDA Nationals Tournament. Of the 15 players we brought, three were graduating seniors, four were returning players and eight were rookies that have been some of the best rookies we have had in recent years. We were very proud of our young team. The season wasn’t easy but we kept pushing. The culture within the team had shifted significantly and instead of a team of “me” players we had a team of “we.” Going into Saturday we didn’t have the most ideal situation to be in. We ranked 15th in the standings and had a win and get in opportunity all day. However, we got off to a very slow start and played a game riddled with mistakes against Bowling Green and suffered our first loss. In our next game, we played Saginaw Valley and had our best chance at making it into the championship bracket. We traded blows with SVSU and despite a few breakout performances, ultimately fell short in overtime. Our final game of the first day we went on to play James Madison. This was our toughest game of the day but we didn’t let that change the amount of drive we had to play them. Despite a few rounds where we got them spread thin and a handful of catches, we ultimately came up short in the bout. At the end of day one we were ranked at number 18 and had the number two seed in the consolation bracket and a first round bye.

At the start of Sunday, we came in on what we had left in the tank from the previous day. Our first match we started strong but showed moments where we could have let things get away from us against Northern Kentucky. We pushed through and won the chance to go on and play Cleveland State to win the consolation bracket. There we played a hard-fought battle and went back and forth but ultimately came up short and lost. Although it wasn’t the outcome we had hoped for going into the event, we were proud with how our team played and not once, against any opponent, gave up. Hopefully next year we can go in and flip the script. 

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

Daniel Breitenstein (Rookie)

How do you feel about the tournament?

It was a lot of fun, and while we didn’t do as well as we hoped I think it was a great learning experience that will definitely help us do better as a team in the future.

What is something you feel could have been done better on the court?

I feel like court awareness and communication on and off the court were some of our bigger issues that we need to work on in the future, because we had a lot of issues with our players not relaying calls across the court, people on the side line not counting, and players getting out because they weren’t paying attention to the entire court.

Where do you feel we did good as a team?

In the points where we excelled as a team, the one big thing that we did well was the basics. We moved quickly as a unit, we communicated with each other, and we gave everyone a chance to throw. When we had the basics down, we controlled the court.

Thoughts on how the year came to an end?

While we didn’t meet all of our team goals for the year, I’m still proud of how far we have come in the past year, not only in how much work we’ve put in but how closer we’ve gotten as a team. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to play with, especially for my first year on the team.

Kate Douglas (Rookie)

How do you feel about the tournament?

I had a lot of fun at nationals! It was so much fun to see the improvements all those who attended displayed, and it was very cool to see other teams’ play styles.  

What is something you feel could have been done better on the court?

We have a habit of playing poorly during the first game at large tournaments like this one (Kalamazoo, too).  We need to play the first game as if it’s make-or-break for us. 

Where do you feel we did good as a team?

Coach drills us on our team throws, and we had some great team throws on both days.  We let the blocker get set, communicated, and we got several outs because of them.

Thoughts on how the year came to an end?

I never played team sports as a kid, and this past season has truly opened my eyes to the types of friendships and bonds being on a team can forge.  I am incredibly grateful to my teammates for accommodating my limits and for pushing me past them. I am proud to play on this team.  Playing dodgeball now makes me wish I started sooner!

Tomas Zander (Captain)

How do you feel about the tournament?

UWP did not get the result we were hoping for. Regardless, I think UWP played every game tough. Our younger players got a lot of experience and the more we played the better UWP got because our younger players started to step up and take pressure off our veteran players.   

What is something you feel could have been done better on the court?

What killed us the most was throwing catches. It is hard to win points when the catch ratio is 2:1. We also were struggling early on to put pressure on the other team while we team threw. Our advantage was lost because we could not get successful team throws off due to getting crossed by the other team.  

Where do you feel we did good as a team?

When we ran teams down in transition, we were unstoppable. We only survived as long as we did in points because of how effective we were in transition.

Thoughts on how the year came to an end?

This year was tough because of how many players we lost throughout the year and how little experience we were able to get our younger players before nationals. We spent a lot of time at Nationals making adjustments. I wish we could have gotten more wins, but I am sure the next season looks bright.

Caleb Laux (Co-Captain)

How do you feel about the tournament?

Overall, I will admit that I am disappointed with our games at nationals this year. But we played our hearts out and I can’t say I’m completely unsatisfied.

What is something you feel could have been done better on the court?

Aim better. I threw 18 throws that were called catches on the weekend. Honestly this is pathetic for the expectation I had for myself.

Where do you feel we did good as a team?

When we were able to dictate the pace of the game, and play it the way we have been drilled to, I think we did well. This required a lot of on-the-court communication and patience from every member of the team.

Thoughts on how the year came to an end?

Overall, this team has pushed through several hardships throughout the season, and I am so proud of everyone on the team for sticking it through to the end and playing their best. Each person on our team deserves respect and I am happy to have ended my collegiate career with this group.

Final Thoughts
I would like to add a bit here before I wrap things up and take time to thank and recognize our graduating seniors. Caleb Laux, Tomas Zander, and Cody Baxter all played in their last tournament as University of Wisconsin-Platteville Pioneers. Caleb and Cody have both been on the team the last three seasons and have helped the younger players on different levels. Caleb’s future around dodgeball will include a potential run in the NDA as well as getting boots on the ground to get a NCDA team at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Cody will be stepping away from the sport and may make appearances at Platteville home tournaments as an Alumni player. Tomas was our longest tenured player and he will have a run in the NDA as well as work towards getting a NCDA team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. We wish the three of them the best of luck and thank them for everything they have done to help the team during the time they had here. 

Looking forward we hope to continue to build the culture we have started here at UWP and will be looking ahead to next season. As always, Go ‘Neers!

Written by Kate Douglas

On April 6, 2024, UW-Eau Claire welcomed UW-Stout and UW-Platteville for their Blugold Invitational dodgeball tournament. UW-Platteville brought ten players while UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire both brought eight players each. Let’s take a look below on how the day went.

UWP vs Stout (8-0)-The first game had UW-Platteville playing UW-Stout. The first half ended with twenty-one seconds on the clock with a score of 4-0 for UWP. The second half ended with UWP with a score of 8-0 and two minutes and thirteen seconds left in the game. Although the score doesn’t show it, UWS improved since the last time that they played us and we look forward to their continued growth.

UWP vs UWEC (7-1)-The second game had UW-Platteville playing UW-Eau Claire. The first point went to UWEC, but UWP took the 1st half 3-1 with two minutes and five seconds on the clock. The second half started with those two minutes rolling over, and UWP quickly took the first point and stayed on track. The game concluded with a clean sweep by UWP and a guest appearance by former UWP player number eight Eli Huntley. The final score for UWP vs UWEC was 7-1 and another victory for UWP. Eau Claire was a fun to group to play against and we hope to see them next season.

UWEC vs UWS (8-2)-The third game had UW-Stout playing UW-Eau Claire. The first half ended in a tie with two points each. UWEC took control in the second half with six more points. UWEC won 8-2 with both teams fighting hard until the end of the game.

Overall, the weekend was a great success and and it was a fun a event and a great opportunity to visit another school and play dodgeball! If you would like to see some of the action from that weekend you can check out the links below. Make sure to subscribe to our channel so that you get notifications of when we go live!

1. UWP vs UWS
2. UWP vs UWEC