MOUNTAIN REGIONALS PREVIEW
The final regional of the year is being held in Salt Lake City, Utah. There are 41 teams competing across all divisions. We are in the final phase of rule testing with the IRF, as package D has been removed to allow further testing on the rules that have already been tested. This will be the second regional of the year to be using Premier Spike nets and bigger balls - which was just announced as the sponsor for the US National Championship in October. Top players are angling to cement their place in a power pool or stay off the bubble to qualify for pro.
Alex Veron has her sights set on a pro division berth and is poised to secure it with a podium finish.
This may be the last women’s division played before Nationals (*cough cough sign up for the last few sectionals here) With that in mind, the 6 teams competing this weekend have it all to play for. Capyballers (Veron/Chou) have an opportunity to add a big result to their 6th place at West Regionals earlier this year. Each sitting 20th and 30th respectively in the individual pro race, a finals appearance or better would put them right in the mix. Another team with hopes of climbing the rankings are Dolan/Kula. Rachel Dolan is seeking her second podium finish of the season and this duo has what it takes to lock in their individual rankings and find themselves in the pro division in October. The women’s pro division at nationals will be featuring 8 teams to elevate the competition. T. Ding/T. Dolan and Nikas/Radell can only hold their breath as they sit on the bubble for Women’s Pro, as the women’s pro race could be wrapping up this Saturday.
In the Bronze+ division, there are a handful of teams among the 22 competing that have a high enough ceiling to podium. The favorites among that group include Turf Burn (Rose/Fowler). It is no surprise that two of the most-traveled players in the sport are a favorite when they mash up. Their wide serves and tight angle hits will be exciting to watch, but their overall cleanliness will be the key in their push to make a deep run. J.A.R.V.I.S. (Nelson/Fragiocomo) are looking for another confidence boost before the duo play nationals together in October. With their pro spot all but locked up, J.A.R.V.I.S. is seeking their first regional final of the season. After their 3rd place finish in Chicago with the same Premier Spike equipment and ruleset, this team is poised to make finals and win the event if they play their best game this Saturday. My third team in the “favorites” tier is the slightly newer mashup of Savage/Essen. With Ben Savage asserting himself as one of the most consistent players on tour this season, and Aleks Essen showcasing a very high ceiling over the last couple months, no team will be happy about having them on their side of the bracket. The Raleigh mashup of Snover/Greer is similarly dangerous. If you have stood across Zach Snover before, you know how punishing his left handed power and spin are on his serve. Andrew Greer has the late bracket experience this season to support his partner’s serving prowess; expect this duo to make a deep run with the right draw. Fourth Dimension (Wooley/Cummings) are a team with high standards and the experience to back them up. Cummings has not played on the tour in 2 months, having last gotten fourth with Wooley at West Regionals. Jake Wooley boasts a sectional victory with another partner, setting himself up for a deep run here. With the pro division at Nationals around the corner, expect these two to be locked in and eager to play deep into the bracket.
All “Rose” to the Finals go through Kieran: Excluding his one regional win, Kieran Rose has only suffered losses to three eventual regional champions and one runner up.
There are several different dark horse teams with question marks surrounding the likelihood of a deep run, but there is little to ask about the overall talent of these players. Xande Plaisted makes his return to competitive roundnet this season, he’ll be pairing up with fellow Utah player Garrett Carver. Plaisted was expected to become a top player after his red hot start to 2023 on the Spikeball Tour Series, but did not compete for all of 2024. That’ll be the biggest question mark, and perhaps exclamation point, in this whole division. The Diamond Dogs (Anderson/Pfutzenreuter) are a team with lots of hype surrounding them as they enter their 21st tournament together. The Minnesota pairing offer a combination of athleticism and a high-level out of system conversion rate that make them a tough out at any stage of the tournament. It’s better late than never to make a pro run, as they make their 2025 regional debut far from home.
It’s getting real on the US National Series as we approach the final regional of the year. Women’s pro could be decided this Saturday, and many teams in Bronze+ are looking to further solidify their spots in the pro division. The new rules have promoted exciting gameplay and longer points, and we can’t wait to see more of the same in Salt Lake City!
To follow the action live, keep up with Ally Kula - she’ll be taking over the USA Roundnet Instagram for the weekend! You can also follow results online at https://fwango.io/usar2025mountain!
Drew’s prediction digest
Women’s: 1. Dolan/Kula, 2. Capyballers 3. Hatch/Gibbs
Open Bronze+: 1.Turf Burn (Rose/Fowler) 2. J.A.R.V.I.S. 3. Savage/Eseen 4. Fourth Dimension
