NATS 2026 TORONTO MAJOR PREVIEW
Written by Drew Ryder. NATS is sponsored by Spikeball.
It is major tournament weekend! The 8th edition of the River Cup in Toronto is our first major of the year on the North American Tour Series, and the community is out in numbers! This tournament boasts 106 teams across 5 divisions, and 14 squads across 2 divisions. All majors are headlined with an exciting open gold+,women’s bronze+, and mixed expert squad divisions. In open, players earn gold by achieving a top 120 ranking. This elite division currently has 29 teams signed up. The women’s field is strong as expected with 17 teams in Bronze+. Before we talk specifics for this weekend, let’s look at the big picture implications of a good result at a tournament this big.
Open Gold+
The Open Gold+ division in Toronto is particularly exciting for its depth of talent and storylines surrounding what’s to come this weekend and beyond. As the first Major of the 2026 NATS season, Toronto arrives at an interesting point in the calendar. The Pro points race is beginning to take shape, but nobody has truly separated themselves from the field yet.
Connor Nelson enters the weekend atop the standings with 662.5 points, followed closely by Kyle Fowler at 645 and Kieran Rose at 612.5. That makes Fever, consisting of Nelson and Rose, the natural place to start. The Dallas champions have not teamed up since their win earlier this season, but I still see them as the team to beat. Their ability to get ahead early in points with serving, combined with clear holding ability has already produced results this year. With Connor and Kieran currently sitting first and third individually in points, another deep run would only reinforce their position near the top of the standings. While neither player dramatically boosted their stock at Team USA Selection Camp, neither hurt it either, and they remain one of the safest bets in the field.
Alongside them is Paradox, with Kyle Fowler and Paq Clifford continuing to establish themselves as one of the leading partnerships in North America. Kyle's recent return to the winner's circle in Montreal reminded everyone that his rally ending skills can take over a net, while Paq never seems to have a bad weekend on tour. Sitting second and fifth in points respectively, the duo has already proven they can win tournaments together. At this point, the question is less about whether they belong among the elite and more about whether they can put together the kind of weekend that results in a Major title.
Foolish enters Toronto with some solid results, but not to the eye-catching level they know they can produce. Sunny Gu and Lucas Pruett currently sit sixth and seventh in the Pro standings and have repeatedly found themselves in big bracket matchups throughout the season. Sunny's unwavering belief in his own game has become one of the defining characteristics of the team, while Lucas continues to demonstrate the cleanliness and decision-making necessary to compete against the top teams. The challenge for Foolish has never really been creating opportunities, but more so turning enough of those defensive touches into breaks down the stretch.
Sharkeys is in a fascinating position entering the weekend. Will Picone currently sits eighth in points, while Jaxon Gonzalez has continued to build momentum in other events this spring. Gonzalez impressed during College Nationals as a key contributor for Virginia Tech, along with the quality reps he got at the Camp. His athleticism remains his greatest asset, allowing him to keep the ball in system through diving hits and sets other players simply cannot make. With Will's original season plans of Bad Combo appearing increasingly uncertain, Toronto could provide some insight into what the rest of the season may look like for both players.
Rogue. Ryan Marino and Thomas Hamilton have not played together since their runner-up finish in Atlanta, but it would be a mistake to overlook them because of a relatively quiet stretch. Thomas currently sits 14th in points while Ryan sits 19th despite having played only one event. Both players remain capable of beating anyone in the field on a given day, and a deeper Gold+ division may actually work in their favor by providing stronger competition throughout pool play and helping them find a rhythm before bracket begins.
Beyond those leading contenders, several other teams deserve attention. Bang Bang Lighty Boys, featuring Sam Diani and Jackson Biggs, arrives fresh off a dominant College Nationals victory with Northeastern and may be carrying as much confidence as anyone in the field. Diani's recent addition of the Dooley Roll to his serving arsenal has made an already dangerous server even more difficult to handle, while Biggs continues to emerge as one of the most promising young players on tour.
Extra Sausage brings defending Toronto champion Maxime Prince back to the event after his title run alongside Guillaume Bilodeau last year, and there is no question Prince will be eager to defend his home tournament… is what I would write if he didn’t land on the injury report Wednesday night. Je’s partner replacement for the weekend is uncertain.
Last but not least, Seazonal may have the most intriguing story. Despite only having two results this season, Jacob Summers and Zach Snover both sit inside the top ten of the individual standings, a testament to just how productive those appearances have been. Summers, in particular, enters Toronto coming off what many have argued was one of the performances of the season at the Camp. Expectations surrounding Seazonal feel significantly different now than they did a few months ago, and if Summers can maintain something close to that level of play, this team has every reason to believe they can win the tournament.
Women’s Bronze+
The Women's Bronze+ division in Toronto arrives with its own unique sets of storylines for our first major of the year. While the top of the Pro points race has started to establish itself, there are still plenty of unanswered questions surrounding the division, especially with a few of the highest-ranked players either attending with new partners or not attending at all. Kalin Morgan is currently tied for first with 700 points after three events, while Cailley Biagini sits third with 505 points. However, neither of those names appear on the women’s division (Biagini is eyeing an Open Contender run instead), opening the door for some new faces to gain ground. Several of the division's top players will still be in attendance.
Clash immediately stands out as one of the teams to watch. Laurence Vallée enters with 250 points despite only competing once this season, while Kellie Forand sits tied for 17th after her own limited tournament schedule. Neither player has accumulated the volume of results that some of their competitors have, but both are household names in the roundnet community, especially in Canada. Vallée in particular has a long history of performing well in Toronto, having won the event in 2025 and 2023. Whenever a former champion returns to a tournament, they naturally command attention, and Clash enters as one of the teams most capable of turning experience into a deep bracket run.
Animal Jam also deserves significant consideration. Samantha Barklow and Stef Ding currently sit tied for tenth in the points race with 265 points with each having played two events. Both have quietly put together productive starts to 2026 and arrive with a partnership that already has meaningful tournament experience together. Animal Jam has a real opportunity to collect a result that could substantially improve both players' standing as we enter the middle of the season.
ABG Scale Theory brings another player currently sitting near the top of the standings in Elle Lowe. Lowe enters tied for 12th with 250 points from a single tournament appearance, suggesting there may still be untapped potential in her season resume. Partnering with Karah Hui makes them a scary team regardless of any point standings.
In a similar fashion, Jo-MAMA made up of Dianne Fonseca and Joelle Nguyen are under-represented points wise, but definitely not resume wise. Gemini Season arrives with Daphnée Dorval, another player currently inside the top 25 of the points standings. While Dorval has only recorded one result this year, Toronto provides a chance to add another quality finish that could see her get closer to the top 10. Last but not least, Malia Wanderer and Joanna Gould enter Toronto with one goal in mind. Joanna is the current points race leader, and Malia’s point total this season underestimates where she stands in this field — this team is equipped to bring home the gold. Toronto itself has a strong history of hosting women's competitions. Over the last four years, champions have included some of the most recognizable names in roundnet, including players such as Katie Pierson, Kim Aspirot, and Shonda Couroux have won tournaments here.
Squads and More (addenum by Ben Dantowitz)
In an exciting shift for roundnet, squads and team roundnet are becoming increasingly connected in the competitive sphere. Sunday’s squad divisions kick off a big year for mixed roundnet, featuring some top level mixed play across the country. Look out for a podium to consist of the Atlanta-, Boston-, and California-centric squads. (Paq Clifford, Kyle Fowler, Bennett Anderson, Tess Dolan, Jacob Narayan, and Joanna Gould) - (Malia Wanderer, Jackson Biggs, Sunny Gu, Lucas Pruett, Hannah Radell, Abigale Lamontagne, and Sam Diani) - (Jerry Hao, Kieran Rose, Connor Nelson, Karah Hui, Jake Hurst, and Elle Lowe). Though depending on how Saturday plays out, the biggest unknown will be what everyone has left in the tank to conquer a two-day weekend.
We hope you’re as excited as we are that a major is finally here! Follow along with all the scores on fwango, and stay tuned on instagram for live updates, stream links, and recaps.
