NATS 2026 ATLANTA SECTIONAL PREVIEW
Written by Brad Clark & Drew Ryder
ROUNDNET IS BACK! The long offseason is behind us, and all eyes are on this weekend’s season opener in Atlanta. This event is the first of 12 happening on the North American Tour Series(NATS), our latest evolution for competitive roundnet in North America, supported by Spikeball, the equipment partner for the series. This is the first of eight sectional events. Three Majors will be taking place as well (Toronto, Seattle, New York City) before concluding with the NATS Championship in October. The implications of this event, especially in Bronze+ and Women’s Advanced, stretch beyond the tour itself. Placement on National Teams are up for grabs with the 2026 World Championships taking place later this year. Those vying for a spot only have 3 NATS events before selection camp in May, raising the stakes significantly for the early portion of the season. The traditional heavy hitters won’t get to warm-up their way to the late bracket, expect some tricky matchups as early as quarterfinals this weekend.
Before we get too ahead of ourselves, let’s take a better look at who’s coming to the Atlanta Slam, and what to expect across all divisions. Featuring over 120 competitors, the biggest division is Bronze+ at 43 teams. An ELO minimum has been added to Contender, effectively splitting the division in half to 18 4.0 teams and 19 3.5 teams. 13 teams have made the trip to Atlanta for women’s advanced, and several of them can make a case as the best in the field.
Among teams eager to make a splash at this tournament, two in particular stand above the rest as favorites. First, Rogue Roundnet, the defending champs, put themselves in a win or bust situation with their talent and resumes. Ryan Marino and Thomas Hamilton are both capable of acing any team off the net while supporting their serves with squeaky clean setting and hitting. The second major team of note is Fever. Connor Nelson and Kieran Rose have paired up for 2026, and the results of these two speak for themself. An event where either of these guys are done playing before semis is an outlier. Expect the duo to run with this experience and continue producing a dominant level.
A handful of teams find themselves established in the upper escalant of the field but still have more to prove for guaranteeing a spot on team USA. Our list of teams in this category include:
Finnochi/Model (Gabe Finocchi/Max Model): A legacy team with over a decade of experience between both players, these fan favorites offer incredible athleticism and playmaking ability you can’t miss as a spectator.
Bad Combo (Will Picone/Rahul Murthy): Iconic 2023 partnership reborn, expect incredible consistency from Will coupled with high power from Rahul in all departments.
Foolish (Sunny Gu/Lucas Pruett): The 2024 Pro team returns after Pruett takes 2025 off due to injury. Defense, quickness around the net, and super clean touch make this matchup difficult for anyone.
KAB Kyle & Paq (Kyle Fowler/Paq Clifford): Newly formed team from Atlanta, this team embodies the skills of modern roundnet with serves of every variety, low hitting at difficult angles, and quickness around the net that puts them in prime position to do well on Saturday.
NEM Seazonal (Jacob Summers & Zach Snover): Returning after a successful inaugural season last year, big serves and highlight moments are commonplace for this team from Raleigh. Expect a pairing that is dialed in for competition and has the game to back it up.
Abrams/Fragiocomo (Dan Abrams/Josh Fragiocomo): A mashup team for this tournament, these two veterans have played more total points than everyone in the field. To be expected, defense and consistency are at the center of their game. If Dan can have the same hot start as he did last year, expect him to continue playing late into this event with Josh’s firepower backing him up.
In the inaugural Women’s division of the North American Tour Series, we see 13 teams face off for the chance of being a champion. With both familiar faces and first-timers in the mix, this division holds a wide range of experience. Two teams bolster world class talent and stand out as favorites to make a highly anticipated final. Malia Wanderer and Kalin Morgan debut as Treacherous, one of the few women’s teams that have announced. Wanderer’s flashy style of play and Morgan’s cleanliness and consistency give them the edge over most other teams in the division. Joanna Gould and Abby Lamontagne look to sit atop the other side of the bracket. After earning premier with Malia Wanderer at this event last year, Gould looks to defend home turf in the Women’s division. Lamontagne aims to win the grudge match against her former teammate, having played extensively with Wanderer as Northeastern teammates. However, a handful of other teams look to enter the conversation not only for a podium finish, but also for positions on Team USA. Including lots of returning pro players and fun team combinations, the rest of this field is certainly capable of seeing some upsets go their way. Other notable teams include:
Tiny Town (Tiff Ding/Christina Nikas): Mashup duo with something to prove. Clean and athletic play from Nikas will be the catalyst to compliment a very fundamentally sound Ding.
Animal Jam (Stef Ding/Samantha Barklow): 2024 US Pro team hoping to return to that division in October. These two have lots of experience playing together and intend to use that chemistry for a deep run.
Ray of Sunshine (Tess Dolan/Ally Kula): With Kula’s setting and Dolan’s hitting creativity, this will be a fun team to watch on offense. Plus, we can expect lots of hustle on defense.
disco all the time (Rachel Dolan/Ally Chou): Chou’s serve pressure coupled with Dolan’s experience and versatility create an exciting pair.
Huffstetler/Veron (Maddie Huffstetler/Alex Veron): Huffstetler returns to action as an athletic defender and determined competitor. Veron is building the resume after a successful 2025 campaign. This coast to coast matchup sets their sights on a podium result.
This year’s Atlanta Slam is driven by local engagement and passion from the community. Organizations such as ATL Roundnet, PRA, Spike Dawgs, and KSU Roundnet have a plethora of participants and have also spent dedicated time to help make this a special event. This tournament has huge implications for the top level of roundnet in North America, but it also serves as a testimony to the growth in the local Atlanta community and across the region. Streams will be happening across a few accounts, but be sure to check out these pages on Instagram and YouTube to tune in:
YouTube
This 2026 season has a lot of energy bubbling with the North American Tour Series and Worlds on the horizon. Atlanta holds just the first stop of an action packed season across the US and Canada. Who will take home the glassware? Who will be crowned the champions? Follow the action here: NATS Atlanta Fwango
