NORTHEAST REGIONALS PREVIEW

Written by Drew Ryder, Edited by Henry Pilliod, Photos by Melissa Argenna, Corentin Bureau, & Others

The USA Roundnet National Series is heading to the Big Apple for the fourth regional tournament of the season. The country’s biggest city will be host to the biggest tournament this year to date, with 122 teams signed up across all divisions. This tournament will also be contributing to the International Roundnet Federation’s rule change efforts, with Package B and a bigger ball set to be tested. 

The competition couldn’t be stiffer,  as several top teams and mashups are in attendance. This is not without reason, as regionals are worth the most points toward the pro race as well as player ELO. Those with the most points can earn coveted pro division spots at the national championship in just over three months time. In 2025, there may not be a bigger regular season event to follow.

OPEN BRONZE+ DIVISION

2x National Champion Gabriel Finocchi has yet to win a sanctioned tournament in 2025… is he due?

In the open division, there are quite a few teams that could be considered favorites heading in. Many eyes will be on Drawing Dead, made up of Kieran Rose and Tyler Fernandez; this duo made the finals at both of the previous regionals they’ve played, and ended up in the middle of the podium in Chattanooga 2 months ago. With Tyler’s athleticism and well-rounded game, and Kieran having one of the highest serve ceilings in roundnet, they are a tough out for any competition. NEM Seazonal have also proven themselves as a top team with their 3rd place finish in Chattanooga, where they beat 2024 STS finalists J.A.R.V.I.S. Comprised of Zach Snover and Jacob Summers, these two have marked themselves as top players in the Southeast, but this is a great opportunity for them to prove they can compete with the best roundnet has to offer. Party Fowl, made up of Kyle Fowler and Cole Maddox, is another strong contender to make a deep run. Both players have had highly successful seasons thus far, most notably including a 3rd place finish at West Regionals in Los Angeles, California. 2024 US Champion Sunny Gu and Henry Pilliod, who make up Blind Bandits, are both players that have done nothing but improve over the last few seasons, and are looking to bounce back from a T-5 at Atlanta Sectionals in what was their first tournament as teammates. With multiple pieces of glassware between the two of them, this team can’t be counted out as a candidate to make a deep run.

Additionally, several household names within the roundnet community will be mashing up in hopes of a tournament victory. Cote/Picone is sure to be a strong team given their vast experience in the later rounds of tournaments. The same could be said about Finocchi/Abrams, with Dan Abrams having a particularly exciting resurgence with the implementation of new rules this year. First overall in the men’s pro race, Abrams took home 1st at both the Southeast and West Regionals, each with different partners. Switch Hit, made up of Thomas Hamilton and Dawson Morgan, will be pairing up for NYC to bring back what was a top pro team in 2022. Don’t let that fool you, as both have been competitive in 2025 and look to maintain that high level for this tournament. Along with established ballers, multiple dark horse teams are looking to make their mark on the roundnet scene at this regional. Hoffman/LeVeque are not a team you want to see early as their high energy and athleticism can be difficult to handle for anyone in the field. Gross/Savage cannot be ruled out either, as both have regional semifinal appearances in 2025 and years of tournament experience. Another high-ceiling team is Mottershead/Garrett. This New Jersey pairing continues to impress, with the most notable result being Garrett’s Christmas Classic victory last December. Wish/Lerner-Morelle, Denmark/Buchanan, Spolarich/Hutko, Newton/Nassour, and Clark/Clifford are all teams that have the ability to make some noise in bracket with a favorable seed. 

Newly premier player Joanna Gould has the chance to become #1 in the Women’s Points Race.

Karah Hui won the most recent Regional in Los Angeles. She aims to extend her win streak and extensive pitcher trophy collection.

WOMEN’S DIVISION
The women’s division has had much more parity this season than in previous years, which is sure to make for a very exciting women’s division. The odds-on favorite is Carry Set, made up of Malia Wanderer and Abigale Lamontagne. The Northeastern duo have not missed a podium when playing together this season, a trend likely to continue in New York. Wanderer has also chosen to make her mark in the open division, earning premier status two weeks ago in Atlanta. Her partner in Atlanta, Joanna Gould, will also be playing in women’s this weekend alongside roundnet veteran and 2023 US Champion Kalin Morgan. With the duo finding themselves second and fourth overall in the women’s pro race, there is no doubt they have what it takes to end up leaving with pitchers on tournament day. Kathleen Phan and Rachel Dolan will be a great duo as well, with Kathleen having international experience on team USA at Worlds last year and Rachel being an established player in Division I college roundnet. Other teams with high potential to make a run include Yu/Hui and Ding/T. Dolan.

Kieran Rose has represented Team USA. This weekend, he plays for NYC pride.

FINAL THOUGHTS, PREDICTIONS

Several New York natives will be looking to establish their home field advantage across both divisions. Locals such as Kieran Rose, Sunny Gu, Thomas Hoffman, Drew Ryder, JT Mankowich, Ricky Santiago, Justin Wang, and Kevin Chen are very familiar faces in the NYC Roundnet Community. Holly Yu and Cailey Biagini will also be looking to bring their best level on their home turf in the women’s division.

The fun does not end on Saturday. Sunday’s mixed division is sure to be a blast with several top players sticking around to compete. The field is wide open with talent being very widespread across the 14 teams looking to win it all. Head to https://fwango.io/nyc-coed-25Fwango to see who’s teaming up!

It wouldn’t be a complete tournament write-up without predictions to go with.
Open: 1. Cote/Picone, 2. Drawing Dead, 3. Finocchi/Abrams, and 4. Blind Bandits.
Women’s: 1. Carry Set, 2. Gould/Morgan, 3. Phan/Dolan, and 4. Hui/Yu. 

In all, this weekend in New York is shaping up to be one of the best tournaments we’ve seen in a while. With new rules getting tested, pro points on the line, and a super deep field across both divisions, there’s going to be no shortage of unmissable moments. Stay tuned to @usa_roundnet on Instagram for updates on live streaming and other highlights from the day. To follow results more closely on tournament day, head to https://fwango.io/usar2025northeast to see results in real time. 

Full Forecast for Open Bronze+, Women’s, and Open Contender

*See @roundnetfederation on instagram for more information about the new rules.

For the full prediction