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Contrary to prior Baller of the Month Awards, this month’s baller is a veteran dodgeball athlete. After being in the club for five whole years, holding leadership positions for four years, and constantly striving to bring the best out of our team, it is an honor to award Jake Sebranek the February BOTM award. Similar to how Mike Tyson dominated the boxing ring, Jake has consistently performed outstandingly at tournaments and practices alike. Sadly, he will be leaving the club this year upon graduation with a Civil Engineering degree, but everyone in the club hopes Jake the best in his future endeavors.

Although many fear Jake’s deepest and darkest thoughts, check out below for a list of interview questions.

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What has your overall journey been through the club?

My freshmen year I was just a regular player. Sophomore year I was the content writer. Junior and Senior year I was club president. This year I am vice-president and head captain of the Dodgeball Club. Overall, my time with the club has been a lot of fun and I like when we do team activities outside of dodgeball too like bowling or frisbee golf.

What do you wish to see the club do differently in the years ahead?

I want to see the club make a Final Four at Nationals and beat a top school like Grand Valley State in the coming years.

Do you plan on coming back for future Alumni matches?

Yes, I plan on coming back for alumni matches. I wouldn’t pass up a chance to headshot all my old teammates.

What will life look like for you upon graduation?

Upon graduation, I will be working with the Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation in Eau Claire, WI.

Is there anything else you wish to share?

Go Pioneers!

Coming into a new semester, UWP-Dodgeball is ready to turn the tides from last semester’s losses and come into Nationals with reasonable standing. Everyone seems to be in agreement that we have a lot of talent and potential, but it’s just a matter of coordinating throws during play and sticking to the fundamentals.

UWP is pumped to compete in our upcoming home tournament, Zanderthon Throw-Down #6. The tournament will be held February 19th, just one week before our upcoming away tournament @ Akron. UNL is the only collegiate team to be attending the Zanderthon Throw-Down, but UWP also anticipates a full UWP Alumni squad to play against both UWP and UNL. This will certainly be a big game for the club as we did not fare well against UNL last semester, but it is certain that balls will be flying.

The schedule for the tournament is as follows… First game starts at 10:15 AM with UWP up against UNL. The next two following games are UWP Alumni games, the first of the two being UWP vs Alumni @ 11:30 AM, and the second being UNL vs Alumni @ 12:45 PM. The fourth and last game will once again be UWP vs UNL @ 2:00 PM, after which Zanderthon Throw-Down #6 comes to a conclusion.

This will no doubt be a competitive game, so check out below for what our Captain/Co-Captains have to say about what’s to come.

What does UWP Dodgeball need to overcome in order to defeat UNL this home tournament?

Caleb Newell (Co-Captain) – For the team to be successful we need to do three things. We need to play aggressive, smart, and efficient. In our last couple outings against UNL we have played right into their strengths, if we keep UNL moving and on their heels, we should face little resistance. However, we need to keep in mind to help each other out so that we aren’t dismantled one by one. Notoriously we are slow starters, this is something us captains have recognized and are prepping our team to be ready bright and early.

JT Warren (Co-Captain/President) – I think if we can all get on the same page on the court, we will be fine. If we are all understanding of our rolls and what is needed of us, we will come out on top for this tournament.

Are there any specific players that you think will stand out this tournament?

Jacob Sebranek (Captain/Vice-President) – I’m looking for Jalen Sims to stand out. This freshman has been one of the few people regularly coming to our extra workouts on Mondays & Wednesdays and has really improved because of it. I’m also looking for Caleb Newell and I to stand out as leaders and communicators on the court because of our new leadership roles on the team.

Caleb Newell – There are a large amount worth mentioning, Tomas, Austin, JT, Jake, and Noah, are all experienced veterans that are going to give us an edge. Some rookies to look out for will be Jalen, Alex C, Cody L, these three have shown exceptional improvement over the last semester and I expect them to play well. Lastly would be myself, in the past I have had success against UNL, and I expect to perform just as well come the 19th.

What color Gatorade is Erik being dunked with?

Jacob Sebranek – Pink Gatorade is the only right answer!!!

We’re coming back at you P-Vegas with yet another stellar Baller of the Month. This month is January, and UWP-Dodgeball is excited to nominate another rookie as this month’s star. Some describe this player as a menace on the court, some call him the Rubber Ravager, some even call him Randy. Lest the rumors not given it away yet, the January Baller of the Month is none other than Jalen Sims. Jalen is a 1st year electrical engineer from Racine, WI; however, from spending the last few weeks with him, I am greatly impressed by both his arm and his understanding of the game. He puts in the work every day at practice and is a role model for the other rookies.

See below for Jalen’s hot take on some burning questions that the team has for him.

What are your favorite parts about the club?

My favorite part about the club has to be how it can be both competitive/serious at times but it’s also just a good way to have fun.

If you were to adopt a guinea pig, what would his name be?

Rocky

What else do you like to do besides dominate on the court?

Video games, fishing and swimming.

What is something you really want to do this semester with UWP-Dodgeball?

Go to Nationals.

Cody Larson was voted as Baller of the Month for November and is yet another new recruit that has been given the reward. I did not get a chance to know Cody as I was on coop, but here are some fun facts about him.

What’s your major, where are you from, what do you like to do, what year are you in school/dodgeball?

My major is Engineering Physics, and I am from Manitowoc WI. I enjoy 3D printing and I am a freshman on the dodgeball team.

How has being in dodgeball this semester affected you?

Being in dodgeball this semester has greatly improved myself confidence and helped me make some pretty awesome friends.

What are some things that you can see the team working on as a whole?

Working with a little more court awareness of where your teammates might be.

Where’s your favorite place to eat on campus?

My Favorite place to eat on campus is the Bridgeway commons.

What is your trajectory in life, and are your parents proud of you and your decisions thus far?

My trajectory in life is towards my degree.

December. The month of snow, finals, and yet another Baller of the Month award. This month, UWP Dodgeball chose its own President JT Warren as the recipient for good reason. JT has put great time into expanding the club and gaining participants in tournaments this semester. He is also a seasoned veteran of the sport with excellent awareness of the court. See below to hear what JT has to say of the club thus far.

Let’s get elephant out of the room, what is your favorite color dodgeball?

My favorite-colored dodgeball is probably blue. I don’t know why, but I feel like blue gets broken in the easiest and always feels the best to grip.

How does it feel moving all the way up from a player to the President of the club/team? Are you happy with the newfound responsibility? 

It honestly is kind of weird moving from player to President. Luckily, I did not go straight there, and I got lucky enough to become the Vice President first. I like the new responsibility because if something goes wrong I only have myself to blame. I know I can get things done at this is the position to do that. Also, I have Jacob to help me out if I ever have any questions on what needs to be done.

From your perspective, what’s one thing that if each player could do consistently, we could win most matches?

If we were all on the same page, we would be perfectly fine. We have a lot of rookies who do not have a lot of experience. Once they get a few tournaments under their belt and understand the game better they will be able to do everything we need them to do to help us win games. They have all made great progress and I see them taking the league by storm next semester.

What’s one club that you wish you would have joined but you didn’t?

I have always wanted to get into some sort of martial art or boxing. I wish I would have joined a club that had something like that because I just find that stuff fun.

Anything else you want to say to the team???

I just really hope the team knows I got all their backs. On and off the court I try to not let any of them down and to never give up. No matter how hard we are down I will always give them my all because I know most of them are going to give exactly that back. I want them to know no matter how they play on the court they will never be the only one. Our team can do great things and I genuinely believe that once we all get on the same page and get the experience needed, we will take this league by storm.

After only a week, UWP Dodgeball was going head-to-head once again with the UNL Cornhuskers, this time at their facilities. There were two matches total. UNL took the lead the first game and maintained it throughout with a final score of 4-1 UNL. The second game was a battle for control, with UNL taking the lead 3-0 at halftime, but UWP came back and just fell short with a final score of 4-3 UNL with the last round going into overtime.

Like the home tournament last week, this was another tough battle. However, it is great to see the sport coming back with such force after an extended hiatus. We were truly honored to travel and compete with UNL once again. See below for a NCDA summary from Coach Erik Zander that goes into detail of each individual round for both this tournament, and the home tournament a week prior against UNL. Also check out some comments from one of the UWP captains, Jared Colden, as well as the UWP Dodgeball President, JT Warren.

Pioneer Classic & Cornhusker Clash Recap – NCDA (ncdadodgeball.com)

Captain’s Recap:

As an overall summary for the past two tournaments, I’d say we did a lot of good things and found things that we can work on. We had a lot of new guys playing in their first tournament as well as the vets shaking off some rust. I’m very glad with how our new guys played. It took them awhile to settle in to the faster pace, but they got used to it pretty quick. They gained a lot of good experience and grew a lot during these tournaments. Once we fell into our groove and played our game, we fired on all cylinders and played like a unit. 

UNL has grown a lot. They are a very disciplined team and have gained a lot of experience. They were catching a lot and getting some crucial throws in there when they needed them. UNL has a lot of all around players that can basically do anything on the court. As a team they are very aware of what’s going on on the court. They had a lot of team catches which helped them in crucial moments. 

As for players that stood out, it’s hard to choose specific ones. For us, I would say our new guys stepped up and exceeded my expectations so I’ll give it to them. Jacob has grown a lot too. His throw has gotten better and also had crucial catches for us. 

For UNL, Robyn (14), Ethan (96), and Tre (34) stood out to me. Robyn had a lot of crucial catches that really helped them change the tide during the matches. She just seemed to not drop anything that came her way. Ethan had some strong and sneaky throws. He made some difficult catches and wasn’t afraid to fight for a ball. Tre had some good cross throws and overall good court awareness. It seemed like he could see stuff coming before it happened. 

President’s Recap:

Our team as a whole played well all considering. We may have lost, but what we gained as a team was much more valuable. We have a significant number of rookies on our team that needed that experience and that is exactly what they got.

All of our rookies played amazing considering it was their first tournaments. While it is hard to name a few standouts I would have to mention Caleb Newell as he has been outstanding in coming in and learning the game so quickly while helping out the rookies with their throw. Cody Larson also started off the season with a bad ankle injury, but as soon as he got healed, he showed exactly what he could do. He balled out to say the least and quickly became a standout rookie. All of the rookies have improved so much and our success on the season will depend on how much they grow.

Watching them compete I am confident that our club will be able to compete with every team we come up against when the time comes. They will be our backbone for years to come and with what we have seen in these previous tournaments we are definitely going in the right direction.

Despite the difficulty of organizing competitions with other teams this year, UW-Platteville was thrilled to have UNL (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) participate in a tournament at home. Both UNL and UWP have been rivals for a long time, and this tournament was no exception. UNL won both games, defeating UWP 4-1 the first game, and 3-2 the second. UWP was also thrilled to have several Alumni come back for games against both UWP and UNL.

All in all, the tournament was a hit. It was a great first tournament for the new players, as well as a great time for the more seasoned players to brush the dust off. Although we were not able to win either games, we greatly appreciate UNL making the trip and hope that they had fun. See below for some photos and videos of the tournament.

Casey Mack (Secretary) – Even though we were a team with lots of newer players, we did really well against the disciplined veterans of UNL. Of course we still have lots of work to do, but by nationals, we have the potential to have a powerful team!

UNL vs UWP 1st Game, 1st Half

UNL vs UWP 1st Game, 2nd Half

UWP vs UWP Alumni

UNL vs UWP Alumni

UNL vs UWP Game 2

It’s that time of the month again… not what you’re thinking silly, it’s Baller of the Month time! UWP Dodgeball is proud to choose Caleb Newell as October’s Baller of the Month. Caleb, otherwise known as Noochie, is pursuing Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, and a Spanish Minor. Like last month’s baller, Caleb is a new UWP Dodgeball recruit, but is showing quick understanding of the sport and its mechanics; this is largely in part due to his 10+ years baseball experience. See below for some of Caleb’s thought on the team and his personal life.

How does it feel being awarded Baller of the Month? Don’t hold back. 

It’s truly an honor. I’m happy that the team has chosen me as the Baller of the month. With that being said, I do feel that its justified. I’ve come into the club with 10+ serious years of baseball experience which has allowed me to establish myself as one of the best throwers on our team. This ability has allowed me to help our rookies that may not have that edge to their game yet. The part I attribute my success to the most is my sports IQ, whether that be timing, awareness, agility, etc. Sports were a big part of my life prior to college, I’m just glad I can ‘dust off the cobwebs’ so to speak and compete.  

Who are your favorite teammates in the club? 

I have a handful. I’ll start with the ‘vets’ they follow as such: JT, Chad, Jared, Eli, and Seth. They have been very welcoming and helped me a ton when it came to getting me up to speed. My favorite rookies would have to be Muddy (Joe), Alex, Jack, Jalen, and Nicholas S. They’ve shown up with so much enthusiasm at every practice and it really helps all the rookies feel comfortable.   

What makes you get up every morning? 

Well…. besides my old bell style alarm clock, my wonderful girlfriend, and my crippling caffeine addiction. The thing that makes me wake up every morning is my drive to be successful. I have so many goals in life and failure isn’t an option. It never has been. College is just another notch on the belt.  

Where is your favorite place to go in Platteville? 

My favorite place to go in Platteville is down by the Rountree Branch. I like to go there because the sound of the running water is relaxing and is great for de-stressing and grounding myself. This is especially true after a couple rough weeks in school. For fun I usually always tell people to go to the ‘M’ mound.  

Why did you join the club? 

I joined the club because I’ve been itching for competition. I’m a very competitive person and I cannot stand losing in any aspect of life. Playing in intramurals was fun for a little bit but it got increasingly hard to count on people to show up or they if they did, they just wanted to play for fun. I can have fun, but I still want to win. However, the true catalyst to me joining was JT. JT and I met through work, and he mentioned that he was the president of the club. He told me about a memorial tournament they were having in the summer, and that I should come give it a try. The rest is history.  

Would you like to give thanks to anybody, whether it be a role model or someone that’s always been there for you? 

I would like to thank those close to me, family first. Mom, Dad, Riley, your unwavering support is why I’ve made it to where I am today. You guys have always pushed me to be the best I can. Some examples include but are not limited to: our countless car rides to tournaments far and wide, the sleepless nights you guys have pulled to provide for Riley and I, giving up your twenties to show me what being a family is all about, and lastly supporting me through by educational endeavors. I cannot wait to until the day where I can support you.  

To my close friends, you know who you are. Thank you, many of you have seen me go through a rollercoaster of emotions over the past year and a half. I’m beyond grateful that I could have a group of friends that allowed me to express myself during my times of need. I cannot thank you enough.  

Is there anything else you wish to share?

I would just like to thank to the dodgeball team. It has been great to be able to feel that comradery of a team again. I never realized how much I missed it. Although I’m sad that it has taken me until now to find and join the club, you better believe that I am going to give you my all until the final whistle blows. Let’s go out and have a great year and show the NCDA why Platteville is a club to be taken seriously.  

What’s poppin’ P-Vegas, it’s your favorite Dodgeball Content Writer coming back at you again with a Baller of the Month Award. Joe (Muddy) Bullock is a freshman engineering physics major who is new to the sport. He just joined the club this Fall and has already climbed the ranks and is showing exceptional dodgeball skill regardless of being a newbie. Muddy’s willingness to learn the ins-and-outs of the sport, as well as his commitment to his peers are the primary reason why he was voted September Baller of the Month. See Muddy’s responses below to hear his thoughts on the club.

1. How does it feel being superior to each and every UWP Dodgeball member? As for how it feels to be the most superior player on the court, it feels great! It’s nice that I can give some of the players like Casey and Jack a good role model to look up to! I like being an inspiration to them on the court so that maybe one day they can come close to my level of expertise!
2. Is there anyone out there that you’d like to thank? There are a lot of people I would like to thank. Of course, my family for giving me the tools to come to campus as well as my friends. But of course, I must thank the team. The team has really given me a place I can feel at home while at campus. I can go to dodgeball knowing I’ll fit in and feel good while I’m there. Every day when I go to practice, I’m greeted with a “Hey Muddy!”  and just like that my day is one hundred times better. I feel at home with the team and that’s something I can’t go without thanking them for.
3. Is this your first-time playing dodgeball with rubber balls? This is my first time playing competitive dodgeball and my first time using rubber balls. As soon as I saw the rubber ball, I could hear the iconic sound of a kickball hitting my face, and I did get hit in the face many times. The rubber can really sting sometimes, but that is just part of the game!
4. What is the hardest part of the game (tournament rules) for you? The hardest part of dodgeball isn’t the technique or timing, but the court awareness. Court awareness is knowing what’s always going on at every corner of the court. From watching for cross throws to understanding court rules to analyzing ball control, court awareness takes a lot of time and practice to master. I am very lucky to have a great coach and a fantastic team to help me!
5. What is your greatest fear? The final question is one I had to think about. What is my greatest fear. I have to say when it comes to my greatest fear, centipedes are spooky.
6. Is there anything you’d like to share to the team? Last thing I want to say to the team: Thank you all so much for giving me such a fun place to go. I always look forward to practice and hanging out with the team! It is such a fun environment and group. I feel so lucky to be a part of it. From the first day I met Casey, Eric, and JT at a recruitment table up till now, I have never thought twice about how awesome it has been to be a part of the community. Everyone has been so nice to me and so inspirational about pushing myself too always be better. Not only has it helped my ability on the court but in overall life as well. I always know that when I need a place to de stress and have fun, dodgeball is the place to be. For all the good times, all the fun we’ve had. All the jokes and making fun of each other. Everything this team has done. It has all been such a great experience. So, thank you team for letting me join you and be part of the great UWP dodgeball team!

People have been throwing objects at each other since humanity has been around. It may have started out as rocks in Ancient Greece, then moved towards sowed leather sacks. Thankfully we are gifted in the Modern Era with light, yet firm rubber balls. It is no surprise that humans find joy in throwing balls around, there are a plethora of sports that involve this; however, there is something primitive of hurling a pin missile at your friends in the hope of knocking them on their butts that makes dodgeball such a wonderful sport.

Enough of the blabber…. UWP Dodgeball is so excited to have everybody back on campus this year. We’ve already had a huge turnout with the first couple of practices. As of right now, UWP Dodgeball has 11 new members regularly coming to practice, which puts the total number of players at 22. After such a miserable season last year, UWP Dodgeball is happy to say that we are back, stronger than ever.

However, each school is dealing with COVID differently. The exact number of tournaments we will be competing this year is still unknown, but we plan on taking every chance we can get to have a “normal” season. I asked JT Warren (President), Jacob Sebranek (Vice President) and Jared Coldman (Captain) a few questions on what their thoughts are for the upcoming season.

1) What are your expectations for the upcoming season?

JT – I have high expectations for this season on many levels. On a competition level I expect us to rise through the ranking to finish top 8 by the end of the season. On a team level I expect us to gel together better than anyone expects. I want transition play to be seamless. I want communication to be on a higher level. Most of all I want all of us to fight for every point no matter if the score is 10-0, 0-10, or 1-1.

Jacob – My expectation for the season is for this team to make the Elite 8 at Nationals. We have one of the most experienced groups in the NCDA right now and a large promising group of freshmen.

Jared – My expectations for the year are to get a good recruitment class, play well outside of the Midway Conf., and do well at Nationals. I think if we are able to get a good recruitment class and get them up to speed we should do pretty well overall this season. We have experience with our returners and I expect them to come full force and help the new guys out the best they can.

2) What are your goals for practices and tournaments this semester?

JT – My goals for the season are to reach the elite 8 in bracket play at nationals. Considering what our team is capable of I feel like that isn’t an unreasonable ask. Maybe we can even reach the top 4. I would also like to recruit at least 7 new members this year.

Jacob – This team has throwers and catchers. What I want to see out of practices and tournaments this year is a sharp increase in blockers. I also want to see people get out of their comfort zones. If someone is a bad catcher, I want to see them practice catching in practice even if it means getting out more frequently so that in a tournament they make the catch. The same goes for blocking, throwing, and so forth.

Jared – Some goals for practice are to get the intensity up and try our best to replicate tournament situations to help the new guys get used to playing at a quicker pace. As for tournaments, my goal is to do well outside of the midway. We have struggled against other teams and the goal is to turn that around.

3) In which areas does this team need to improve this semester?

JT – We need to focus on two major areas I feel like. The first one is stamina. We get tired near the end of tournaments or even at the end of games. I don’t want other teams beating us only because we are tired. The other major issue is our throwing. We need to get more arms used throughout the year, so they are more rested up near nationals time.

Jacob – I think this team needs to improve our ball control. We are often beat at the starting rush and when we do get ball control we often lose it far to quickly.

Jared – It’s been awhile since we played in a tournament so it’s kind of hard to tell what we need to improve on. One thing we struggled with was ball control. Part of that was the starting run and not getting enough balls off the bat. Communication is another part of that. It’s always an essential aspect of the game and it helps us regulate ball control.

4) How do you think COVID will impact recruitment?

JT – I don’t actually think COVID will affect recruitment because we are on campus. If anything this year I think we will get more members than the last few years. So many people have been cooped up in their house waiting to go back out and do stuff. Dodgeball club gives them that opportunity again. They get that team feeling again and are actually able to have some fun playing sports again.

Jacob – I think Covid-19 has impacted recruitment in a great way. We have 10-20 new freshmen ready to join our club already. It seems as though everyone is eager to get involved after being cooped up indoors last year.

Jared – I think it might help us out actually. I think people will be looking for something to do and want to be a part of a sport club.