For those of you unable to witness the intensity that was the sophomore class spikeball tournament, here’s what you missed. 

By Ty Corley

Photo courtesy of Kathryn Wilson

The sophomore class had formed a circle around the trampoline and the four players. Tempers were running high as the players dove across the gym attempting make athletic saves and succeed in their quest for a $20 Amici’s gift card — the prize that the winners would take home. It was the championship.

On the evening of April 29, 2016 the sophomore class embarked on a journey. A journey of fear, pain, and, in the end, triumph for a select few. This journey was none other than a classwide spikeball tournament held in the gym. 

The entire west gym was carpeted in order to form a softer surface for the competition.

Photo courtesy of Kathryn Wilson

Landon Smith’s tumble in the first round after slipping on the carpet was one of the highlights of the night. Many players, after witnessing the slip, preferred to play on the harder gym floors instead of the carpets which could potentially slip out from under them. “The playing conditions were not ideal […] this fall definitely affected my championship campaign and caused an early round exit for my team,” Smith said. “I’m still recovering from the fall.”

Photo courtesy of Kathryn Wilson

Nicole Priestley and Electa Narasin prepare for a serve from Silas Stewart and Baily Deeter. Deeter and Stewart won this match on their way to finish in third place. “I think the girls were distracted because we were shirtless and we [were able to] capitalize on that and win the match,” Stewart said.

Photo courtesy of Kathryn Wilson

Caroline Bradley and her partner Eva Herr dive for a ball in a match against Kevin Connor and his girlfriend. A few players chose to wear knee pads for the tournament as it protected against the hardwood of the basketball court. “I’ve never had more adrenaline in my veins than in that moment in that game,” Herr said, “I felt like an animal in my natural habitat.”

Photo courtesy of Kathryn Wilson

Grant Dumanian and John Weingart against Vida Saffari and Elika Eshghi play a first round match in front of a crowd of fellow classmates. Dumanian and Weingart would go on to win the match before suffering a second round exit at the hands of Will Roth and Emilio Simbeck. “We had watched the film on [Eshghi and Saffari] and knew they would be a challenge, but in the end we were the more prepared team and it showed in the match,” Dumanian said while discussing the victory.

Photo courtesy of Kathryn Wilson

Dylan Williams makes a difficult play to help send him and his partner Ty Corley to the finals where they fell to Marc Velten and Cole Dollinger. The semi finals included a match between Velten/Dollinger and Deeter/Stewart and another between Williams/Corley and Jake Shiff/Ben Shaw (pictured above). Some players felt the officiating was critical in deciding the winner of that match. “In the semifinals, we were not playing against Dylan and Ty, we were playing against the refs,” Shaw said.

Photo courtesy of Kathryn Wilson

A ball manages to get over the head of Ty Corley and his partner Dylan Williams as Marc Velten and Cole Dollinger win a crucial point in the championship campaign. “It was a tough loss, but I have to just get back on my spikeball grind and come back next year to hold up the hardware,” Williams said.

Photo courtesy of Ashley Dreyer

Marc Velten and Cole Dollinger sported matching white outfits with pink armbands, while Ty Corley and Dylan Williams wore NBA Jerseys for the tournament. Many teams decided to showcase their matching outfits in the event.

Video courtesy of Landon Smith

This video captures a critical point in the finals. The final score of the championship was 21-19 in Velten/Dollinger’s favor over Williams/Corley.

Photo courtesy of Keeton Martin

The final bracket of the tournament documents the results of the event, showcasing the many talented spikeball players that competed before Velten and Dollinger became champions. “I had practiced months before coming into this tournament. A first round exit was not what I was planning on but I still respect the game and will come out next year to try and win a championship,” Roshan Chandna said.

“The sophomore class brought their A game for the tournament and that really showed,” said class president Kathryn Wilson. Wilson hopes that spike night will be the first of many and that the success of the event will lead to an ongoing tradition for the class of 2018.