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Duck! Michigan State Dodgeball Team Holds Tournament, Attracting Best Teams In State

Dodgeball
Kara Keating

The sports has moved out of the realm of gym class, with serious players and intense dodgeball games.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State club dodgeball team has hosted a big tournament, the Michigan Dodgeball Cup, since 2005. The annual event brings in the best teams in the state.

But the Spartans have been unable lately to win their own tournament, with the streak continuing in the 2019 edition. The dominant Grand Valley State team again took the title, Saginaw Valley second, and MSU finished third.

“We won the tournament when it first started, but not so much in the last few seasons,” MSU senior dodgeball player Rebecca Shappell said. “We have a pretty poor track record right now. They have been calling it the Michigan Dodgeball Cup curse because we’re hosting it.”

Shappell has played in the tournament throughout her time at MSU, witnessing what the team has been through.

“Throughout the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association, this is probably the second most intense tournament,” Schuster said. “The Michigan teams are usually the top six teams in the country. It’s extremely competitive.”  

Throughout the day, the intensity rose from players and fans arguing calls on both sides as teams were frustrated from losing games. Teams, such as Western Michigan, faced frustration from going 0-4 in its first season in the tournament while others tried to keep their overall record strong.

Emotions running high seems to be a staple during dodgeball games, with the flying balls leading to flaring tempers.

“We’ve gotten a couple of yellow cards for some altercations between stuff,” Shappell said. “People get very hyped up for this tournament. It never escalates, mostly just back-and-forth at other people about calls so the ref would have to break it up.”

Grand Valley (38-4) posted 4-0 at the end of the tournament and placing first. Schuster described the Lakers as a tough team to play.

“They really don’t make mistakes,” Schuster said. “That’s what really makes them tough to beat because they really don’t have flaws in their game. You have to try beating them through good strategy and with their strategy being so sound, it’s just a tough team to beat.”

Dodgeball
Credit Kara Keating

Shappell jokes the Spartans need to practicing the five Ds of dodgeball: dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge, best known from the 2004 film “Dodgeball”.

“If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me the five D’s of dodgeball I would have enough money to fund this club,” Shappell said. “We just need to keep aggression and keep ball possession and within our element, while not getting too sucked into the other team’s style of play.”  

 

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