Category: Reviews

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

On (February 17th) we traveled down to Lincoln, NE, to partake in the Cornhusker Clash and our third meeting with the University of Nebraska. We went into the day hoping to get at least one win and to get some more experience for our rookies against some great talent on UNL’s squad. However, the day went just about as well as it did in our last meeting with UNL. We did manage to get a few very hard-fought points and showed signs that we can be a team that doesn’t go down easily. Too often though, we fall apart and stopped playing the game we know how to play and loss points in the blink of an eye. Looking forward, we plan on really getting at the nitty gritty and becoming the best we can be. 

Here is what some of our players had to say:

Zach Brand
How do you feel the tournament went?

I personally think the tournament went okay, there was a lot of stuff that I noticed while playing and watching that we worked on in practice that just wasn’t being applied. Part of that though, at least in my experience, comes down to getting into a different mindset while in game to apply the things we’ve already worked on. Other than that, most of the other things we worked on in practice like blocking and staggering were there. This tournament really showed us that if we are going to compete with the bigger and better teams, then we have to put in a lot of work to get there.

What are some of the big takeaways you have from the tournament?

While we did lose and there’s still a few things that we have to work on, the biggest takeaway for me was that we can compete as a team and with that can at least make it harder for other teams to win even if we don’t in the end.

What are you looking forward to for the rest of the season?

Just getting out there and showing the other teams that we can compete with them, because it’s not just a matter of who’s got the fastest throw or who can catch the most balls, it’s the teamwork that’ll take us further as a club.

What was your favorite moment(s) of the tournament?

The team throw between Tomas, Caleb, Nick, and I was a really awesome moment that for me solidified that we can be a solid team, because the coordination between us four was really satisfying, and if the team can coordinate like that with everything else, we can compete with the bigger teams like MSU or Grand Valley.

Nicholas Stocks (President)

How do you feel the tournament went?

We learned a lot about ourselves such as individual strengths and weaknesses. We proved to ourselves that when we are constantly communicating on court we stay in and get outs.

What are some of the big takeaways you have from the tournament?

This tournament proved we as a team we can play and not make major mistakes. The scores of both games don’t show it but in most of the points we were with UNL up until the end. The small individual mistakes are what we struggle with and why we lose points. Once we all eliminate those mistakes, we will be dangerous.

What are you looking forward to for the rest of the season?

I look forward to seeing the team continue to work together and strive towards a common goal.

What was your favorite moment(s) of the tournament?

My favorite moment was when Tomas Zander, Caleb Laux, Zach Brand, and I all had a team throw to get the final out in a point.

Bryden Hundt (Rookie)

How do you feel the tournament went?

As a team, it was a great stepping-stone for progress. We competed, had successful moments and even won a couple points. The tournament showed we could play as a team and be very successful even against one of the toughest teams in the nation.

What are some of the big takeaways you have from the tournament?

Together as one. Everyone played their role on the team. Of course, we all have our minor flaws to work on, but we had great success.

What are you looking forward to for the rest of the season?

Since our next tournament right now is nationals, I look forward to causing a couple upset matches. If we play similar to how we played at UNL and keep ourselves disciplined and do the basics right, there would be nothing to stop us but ourselves.

What was your favorite moment(s) of the tournament?

Watching the team catches, we had a handful of great team catches and some great hits. The best part of the tournament had to be the points we won and competed in. 

We want to thank UNL for the invite and great hospitality. We wish the Cornhuskers luck as we approach the NCDA national tournament. 

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!