Below is a link that contains all the in depth RAW stats articles from the 2021 season.
The 2021 season was a rich season for stats as RAW’s analytics platform was used to breakdown a large amount of game data during the year.
2021 TASR Majors Preview: Round Rock
2021 Round Rock Ultra Major
by Fredric Hinkle
This Major will be featuring the option to play lips!
A serve that would not have cleared the shoulder
Cannot be called a lip on Saturday’s event.
We are playing pro pools, RESULTS all morning!
Gold
Hit Ball Hard - Matthew Burrows and Caleb Cummings -WySpike & Baylor
Burrows coming off of a week of memeing it up with Ethan may be in the spirit to compete this week. Caleb put up a great podium last week and should be drastically empowered by this newly implemented rule. T-5
PROUDFATHERS- David Louis and Brian Childs - WySpike and Space City
Oh gosh, I have no idea what to expect. Question 1, can they hit under serve pressure? Question 2, will David set consistently under serve pressure? Question 3, what will their defense look like? These guys have played together with some great 3rd place results in the past and I expect them to stay consistent. 3rd
Cathartic Peacock - Grayson Wills and Kyle Walsh - UT and A&M
This team hasn’t played together in a good while. Kyle has improved greatly since then. This team will be in trouble on serve receive. Their serve receive has never been rock solid and with lips in play, this team might get torn up. They will have to really find a serving groove if they’re going to have success. T-5
In N Out - Dylan Keen and Chase Meyer - A&M and Baylor
“My serve is a micro lip every time” - Chase Meyer. Well, Chase, that is suddenly very convenient. I have a good feeling about this team. I think Dylan can serve receive well and set very well to help out Chase with his serve receives. If Chase can keep his sets on the left side of the net this team will be in great shape. 4th
No More Mr. Nice Guys - Matt Cole and Josh Weinbach - Baylor and UT
Matt Cole is downright gross at some lipball. He really crushes the ball and suddenly his left hand could be devastating. Josh also has a really lip-heavy left hand. I think with Josh’s defense and Matt’s butter they could piece together a great result! 2nd
Under/Overrated - Andrew Chinese New Years and AJ Hutchinson - Trinity and Baylor
This team is in a tough spot. Andrew is a solid server and a strong serve receiver. AJ is a resolute server and both really hustle on defense. I think this team will play great together and really pressure some offenses. Despite this, I just don’t see them competing with some of the high octane teams at the top. However, with Pro Format Pool Play, they’ll have an opportunity to book a big win. T-5
Double Clutch - Fredric Hinkle and Rahul Murthy- Texas A&M
Coming off of a stunning loss in ATX these two will look to regain some confidence. This team is the best in every facet of the game and should destroy the field. Anything less than a win would be a massive disappointment. 1st
Author Predictions
Double Clutch
No More Mr. Nice Guys
PROUDFATHERS
In N Out
Advanced
The top 2 teams in the Advanced Division will earn a Gold qualification for future majors!
Author Predictions
Mr. Brick and Dax OHair
Pocket Aces
Craaaacked
Gin and Juice
P.S. go Craaaacked
2021 TASR Majors Preview: Waco
2020 Waco (Kileen) TASR Major
by Fredric Hinkle
This is the first Major in 4 months. This is a clean slate.
Many players have been honing their game for months,
While others have travelled and found national success.
Gold
Quick as Frick - Luke Marshall and Blake Henke -Texas A&M
Luke and Blake will have to put serves on. They will surely be moving fast; in order for that to be useful they need to keep the serve percentage up. Blake and Luke will make TOUCHES the only question will be setting and hitting competency. 3rd
lukrightbal - Ethan McWhirter and Matthew Burrows - Texas and WySpike
This tournament comes after each of these players fell 2 spots on the T100. While both are crowd favorites it’s likely their result will just be, “Ok”. I’m not really sure how intensely these two will be playing. T-9
WySpike Crossbearers - Nic Noguez and Luke Mowry - WySpike
Will the meltdown happen in the RO16 or Finals? They are such good players, they just need to work together and play as a team. Keeping their spirits up will be an enormous battle for these two. If they put serves on we know they will play solid defense. I think the mental aspect will be key. T-5
Play-Doh - Brian Childs and Colton Mowry - Space City & WySpike
Colton and Brian have some weird results. Colton’s generated by his extremely inconsistent serve and Brian’s generated by his inconsistent serve receive. I anticipate a lot of defense as both excel here. Colton is likely the best off net setter in NHZ while Brian is sneaky good at out of system hitting. If either are on it will be a great day! 2nd
Nolan Ryan - Caleb Cummings and Matt Cole - Baylor
Historically the most successful Baylor players in Texas. This team has wowed us many times with their synergistic play and they will try to do it again on home soil. They are both long guys and have adjusted quickly to hitting with the NHZ. They have translated their game well. The question will be setting; Matt leads partners to succeed as hitters and Caleb will have to follow suit for them to go deep this tourney. T-5
Chicken Tenders - Fredric Hinkle and Noah Beinart - Texas A&M and Bellaire
It’s been 8 months since these two got 2nd in the Gold League. Noah is playing his first tournament with the NHZ and it will be interesting to see how he adjusts as a player. This team will be the strongest setting team in the field. If they find touches it’ll be game over for the others. 1st
Unexpected Toxicity - Chase Meyer and Seth Searcy - Baylor and Texas
Chase is coming off of a historic climb up the TT100 and Seth is looking to prove himself as a complete NHZ player. Seth played with Jack Granger in Gold in the stacked ATX event with mixed results while Chase returns off of his best finish yet. T-5
Filthy Casuals - Andrew 4th of July and Grayson Wills - Trinity and Texas
Andrew has exploded up the TT100 on this list. He’s a solid player and he just gets results. Grayson seems to do everything right, he just doesn’t have the results that he’s looking for. Maybe this is the combo to get the job done. They’ll have a very specific job this time as Andrew’s archnemesis could line up against him later in the day, and I think we’re all rooting for Andrew to defeat Dax. T-9
Riot - Rahul Murthy and Dax O’Hair - A&M and Baylor
Rahul is magic and has carried the most obtrusive of players through tournaments before. This time he’s playing with the human backpack. Dax has experience in the carry department as with Grant he beat the Worst(Rahul and Garrett). This team could lose in the quarters or win it all! 4th
Its Jager Time - Grant Laughlin and Dylan Keen - A&M
Dylan has played excellently with NHZ and has shown he still has a few mistakes in his game. I think he will have a great platform to create breaks playing with Grant. All Grant needs to do is hold and hit some bangers. If they both do their part, I see a terrific result. T-5
Author Predictions
Chicken Tenders
Play-Doh
Quick as Frick
Riot
Advanced
The top 2 teams in the Advanced Division will earn a Gold qualification for future majors!
Author Predictions
Maroon and Green
Mr. Brick and Nathan Wright
Jabez
Atrocious
2021 Maroon & White Classic VII Podcast Preview
2021 Maroon & White Classic VII
Podcast Preview by David Louis
Checkout the podcast where David goes over his preview with the Lone Start State of Roundnet Crew!
1 Texaners
Fredric Hinkle & Grant Laughlin
Tier 1: Unbeaten at the past 2 M&W tournaments, and every other TX tournament they’ve played at together, this is the team to beat. Grant recently beat Rahul and Garrett with Dax, so in theory he should be able to win with Fredric being a better partner. With the last-minute change of the tournament being played with a No-Hit-Zone, clean setting and hitting become an absolute necessity in this tournament. With Grant’s unbelievable off-net hitting alongside Fredric’s solid setting and impeccable defense, they are the favorites to flourish in this game variation.
2 Seg Fault
Rahul Murthy & Garrett Hornok
Tier 1: There's a likely chance this team gets 1st. Garret beat Grant and Clark Marshall (who's arguably in the same Tier as Fredric), with Luke Mowry as his partner. Now that he has Rahul as a better partner, they could very well do it. With the No-Hit-Zone being implemented this tournament, Rahul will be grateful to not only be the most powerful hitter in Texas, but to also have Texas’ best setter by his side. See these two in the finals going to game 3 deep extras with Texaner.
3 Zoinked
Luke Mowry & Josh Weinbach
Tier 2: The most likely team to upset one of the two teams above. They lost to Grant and Rahul in a close 3-game series back in Houston last year. If the other teams above them don't serve well, Luke and Josh will make the finals. On paper they’re too consistent together not to be in the "top two" conversation. It's worth mentioning that Josh didn't show the greatest consistency in the recent Austin tournament, so he'll be out to regain that consistency title and prove his 9th place ranking.
4 Crouching Tiger
Matt Cole & Dylan Keen
Tier 2: Matt and Dylan had a great result last time they played in College Station, taking 3rd at the Major last year. They both are constantly improving their game; Dylan’s serves have somehow gotten wider, and Matt is making much less errors than before. This team is looking for blood having been disallowed to play at TX Nationals last year. It’s important to note that Matt Cole’s hitting will be buffed with his long reach and “tweenering” ability. See them in the semis.
5 Hard 90
Ryan Messick & Blake Henke
Tier 3: I have the next 6 teams in the same tier, which will make this an exciting tournament. This is definitely my hot take – but I stand by it. There are some players in this Tier that have higher individual rankings than these two Aggies. But if I know anything about TAMU Spikeball, it’s that when they find promising players they train them hard and grind 3-4 times a week. Although they may not have other fundamentals quite as down, they are very strong servers (no surprise), which will give receiving teams a much harder time getting the ball back to the net due to the No-Hit-Zone. Depending on how pool plays out, we might even be seeing this team genuinely fight for a semis spot on their home ground campus.
6 Persnickety Fits
Luke Marshall & Brian Childs
Tier 3: It's a hot take to put this team at 6th place, but with their current confidence levels it's where they're heading. With the No-Hit-Zone favoring this team the most in their Tier I see this team having the talent to break into the top 4, but it’ll depend on how they feel on the day. Although they are best defensive pairing in their Tier, their serving consistency is questionable. Brian still played very well at TX nationals, giving Coleman and Grant a hard time while playing with Jerm. My prediction is that even though they'll struggle with Matt's lefty serves and Dax’s hard cut serves, their defense and agility will pull through thanks to the rule-change.
7 Knull
Dax O’Hair & Chase Meyer
Tier 3: The TASR Podcast duo…. Dax O’Hair and Chase have been playing much better recently. Coming off a great result at the Spike N’ Spook event last year and his good showing at TX nationals, Dax is feeling more confident about his serving ability. Both he and Chase need to clean up their sets and work on more versatile hitting, especially with the No-Hit-Zone being intact. But I feel that together they have enough talent to pull ahead of the teams below them, putting them at 7th.
8 Lukrightbal
Matt Burrows & Ethan McWhirter
Tier 3: Matt Burrows is actively trying to improve his game, and he showed his progress at the Austin tournament recently. Playing very well with Nick, he almost took out Fred and Josh. Ethan has the agility on defense to support Matt, who tends to play near-net defense. If Matt can keep his head clear and find consistency on his jams and drops, see them fight for a place in the semis. I have them below Dax and Chase by a hair, simply because their chemistry wasn’t as convincing at Texas Nationals. However, with Matt’s great hitting ability and Ethan’s outright athleticism, expect this team to never lose a game in two.
9 Sub 20
Nick Noguez & Seth Searcy
Tier 3: Nick is a great all-round player, and he's gaining more firepower with his serves. Seth hasn't been the most consistent player, but he has his ways of popping off on touches and the occasional butter set. If he's able to attempt more put-on serves, he'll give himself and Nick a chance to shine on defense and fight for 5th or 6th place. Nick's confidence and current form wants to make me put them much higher, but Seth will struggle against this Tier’s serves, so I have them at 9th.
10 Josenji & Aobajosai
Caleb Cummings & AJ Hutchinson
Tier 3: This is also another hot take. Caleb and AJ would normally be much higher, but their lack of finishing ability makes me question how they’ll do with a No-Hit-Zone. We all know they’re very strong servers, extremely athletic, and scrappy on defense. All the more to keep this team in Tier 3, because it’s very likely they could end up with a 5th/6th place finish. I hope they prove me wrong; I am a big fan of this team. I just don’t believe this rule change favors them as much.
11 Freddy’s Prospects
Ryan Canfield & Luke Moran
Tier 4: The next 4 teams fall under the final Tier. At one time, these two players were the branded future of TAMU Spikeball club. But after breeding much inconsistency over the past year, it’s harder to make an argument for them to be in Tier 3. With No-Hit-Zone not favoring this team, the big question for me is: can this team set? I’ve had the joy of seeing these two play at their best, and at that level they could take on anyone. It’ll come down to how much they’ve practiced at this point.
12 Taint Ticklers
Kyle Walsh & Matt Purvis
Tier 4: Kyle continues to improve and had a good showing at TX nationals playing with Trey from AZ. Matt has a surprisingly great serve now, and I'm excited to see how he uses it at this tournament. These two aggies look better and better from their grinding at A&M, and Kyle's consistent jam will cause problems for even the top receivers.
13 Space City Suck
Grayson Wills & Spencer Lee
Tier 4: Grayson has a lot of doubters to prove wrong, and I hope he does at this event. His form has dipped over the past months, despite developing a reverse cut serve. Spencer on the other hand has been grinding at A&M, and he's more used to seeing difficult serves than the team below them. I don't see them having cleanliness and chemistry to overcome Taint Ticklers, but it'll be close. For that reason, I have them at 13th.
14 Guapo
Joseph St Cyr & Logan Miller
Tier 4: Joseph has a better serve and has consolidated lots of experience playing in TX. Expect this team to put up a fight and possibly even top their Tier. Logan is still one to make a name for himself as this team suffered quite a few defeats at TX nationals. For me, their lack of practice of receiving serves in TX puts them at 14th place.
The maroon & white classic is not an official TASR tournament but rather one run by the TASR Community
2020 Texas Majors Preview: College Station
2020 College Station Texas Ultra Major
There is a lot of parity this time around. There will be a lot of emphasis on the 2-6 spots with a clear favorite. Pool Play will be absolutely vital!
Gold
Space City Launch - Noah Beinart & Brian Childs - Bellaire & H-Town - AVG RPR TBD
Brian’s RPR is 86.5 and if Noah plays at that level they’re the second highest AVG RPR in the field. I see Brian playing a lot better in this major as he will have to step up to the plate to support Noah. These are two good defensive players and both play a consistent game. The question will be serve receive. Brian struggled in Houston while Noah hasn’t been put to the test in a full day yet.
Incompetence Bimpompetence 2.0 - Ethan McWhirter & Josh Weinbach - UT - AVG RPR 85
Making big waves by winning the Waco College Tournament. They really weren’t supposed to win that event and it’s a great look. Ethan is accumulating good results despite his blemish in Houston while Josh looks great all around. No matter who Josh plays with he has been a brick wall. He is one of the hardest people to ace and seems to always be on his game.
Negative Nellys- Garrett Hornok and Dax O’Hair - Wyspike & Baylor- AVG RPR 83
If they decide to care about doing well in this tournament then I can’t imagine them doing well. It will be their apathy driving them to a strong finish. Garrett looked great in Utah but hasn’t been in form since returning to Texas. He has multiple lackluster results. Dax/Grant found the magic in Wylie to beat Rahul/Garret if Dax carries that same magic will they have enough to compete?
ORAS Gang - Chase Meyer and Brad Thompson - Baylor - AVG RPR 79
Chase has a new serve that is really challenging. I think this really opens up this team. Brad is a solid defender and they now have a tool for taking some breaks. I can see a good T-5, but I know they’re looking for more.
Crouching Tiger - Matt Cole and Dylan Keen - Baylor & A&M - AVG RPR 77
Dylan is a real mystery. Played poorly in Wylie, great in Round Rock, and HORRIBLE in Houston. Simultaneously, Matt is streaky! Some games Matt is the sauce and the next game his serve % falls 50 points. If neither player is hitting it will be a short day for them. If they find some chemistry and get into a rhythm they will be in the finals.
Hard 90 - Ryan Messick and Blake Henke - Texas A&M - AVG RPR TBD
Well, you’re here. Now win something. These guys have a lot to learn, but tons of athleticism to make something happen. They’re setting will be the only thing keeping them around, they just don’t have the firepower or the serve receive to keep up in this field.
Ηλύσιον - Fredric Hinkle and Rahul Murthy - Texas A&M - AVG RPR 100
The clear favorites and by a colossal margin. Undefeated since last September, both players are in form and winning a lot despite the disappointment in Waco. If a matchup against Incompetence happens expect a monstrous point diff.
LoneStar Implications
Brad Thompson also has a shot at qualifying for LoneStar as the only non LoneStar premier player in the field
Author Predictions
Ηλύσιον
Negative Nellys
Space City Launch
Incompetence Bimbompetence 2.0
Advanced
The top 2 teams in the Advanced Division will earn a Gold qualification for future majors!
This Advanced Division is starting to thin out
The talent pool is graduating up to Gold
Timing is convenient with the season about to end
Runners Up - Brian Jennerich and Jack Granger - UT & Baylor
The most experienced team in the field. Jack has a thirdish with Matt Cole in Wylie. Brian is getting better and putting the pieces together. They handle their club’s counterparts well, we’ll see if they have all the pieces they need to get the job done though.
Unoriginal - Parker Jackson and Luke Reed - Texas A&M
Parker Jackson has the ability to hang in any game. He’s a natural athlete with tons of power. He would hang just fine in a premier game. Luke Reed is putting the pieces together and if he stays disciplined throughout the day this team will stay competitive. The burden will lie on Parker’s magic serve. If he catches fire nobody in the field has the tools to receive his blasts.
Certified Gold- Andrew Christmas & Friend - UTD
Christmas is solid. Andrew should qualify for gold. I’m not really sure who his friend is, but Christmas will be the significant player and all the magic. If his partner is competent they’ll qualify.
Ain’t No Ting - Trent Patterson and Josiah Dombach - Texas A&M
The favorites. Josiah has the smoothest most refined game of all the A&M Freshman. He is legitimately a complete player and ready for Gold. Trent Patterson puts on a ton of serves, plays solid defense, sets consistently, and kills the balls that he should. Trent won’t have to work hard to support Josiah on their quest for Gold.
Author Predictions
Ain’t No Ting
Unoriginal
Certified Gold
Runners Up.
2020 Texas Majors Preview: Houston
2020 Houston Texas Major
by Fredric Hinkle
A wild range of teams and dispersion of players that we
don’t often see. There are strong teams and very strong teams.
This will be another strange Major of mashups going into
the last two Majors of the season.
Gold
WySpike ButterFingers - Garrett Hornok and Colton Mowry - WySpike- AVG RPR 91.5
This is the strongest WySpike team ever put forward. This is the best combo of their highest ceiling players. These two play very well together. This team has many specters lurking all around them, they’ve beaten them in the past separately, never together. No pure WySpike team has ever won a tournament featuring a top-flight A&M team. Saturday ButterFingers will try again.
Red - Bradley Thompson and Caleb Cummings - Baylor- AVG RPR 84.25
5th in Wylie, 5th in Round Rock, 5th in Houston? This team hasn’t put it together. Caleb has to feel good about himself after beating the Tweener Twins with Matt Cole. I have so many questions regarding Brad. He’s had national success. He won in the Wylie KOTP, but we haven’t seen any other strong results from him in TASR events.
Zoinked - Luke Mowry and Josh Weinbach - WySpike & UT - AVG RPR 90.5
Maybe this works. One of the stronger serve receive combos that can be put forward in Texas. They play solid defense and it looks possible. The question will be the mental game. Luke coming off of a 3rd in Round Rock has some momentum to ride.
ProudFathers - David Louis and Brian Childs - WySpike & Houston - N/A
David is coming off of his 4th in Round Rock and Brian off of a very successful LoneStar day, where he made the finals in both hat tournaments. The looming question will be fitness. Can David and Brian finish an entire day of roundnet. I don’t know. They were both in rough shape at the end of a short LoneStar day.
The Imposters - Luke Marshall and Dax O’Hair - Texas A&M and Baylor - 76.5
S - Tier team name. Dax is well improved as a server and serve-receiver, but really struggles to put the ball away. I foresee a lot of hitting on two by Luke Marshall. Luke has been serving extremely well recently, and I hope to see him bring that in the tournament setting. Dax has a very strong mental game and should be able to help support Luke in that regard. I just don’t think this team has enough consistency to get the job done.
This is Not Butter - Fredric Hinkle and Ryan Canfield - Texas A&M - 83
Ryan has made so much progress as a player. When he plays with confidence he is a special server. He will have to find confidence to beat players he isn’t used to keeping up with. If we get Ryan the magic server then this team will crush souls all day.
Carrying to Finals - Ethan McWhirter and Dylan Keen - UT & Texas A&M - 83
These two have a complete hodgepodge of results on the season. When they play with people worse than themselves, they STRUGGLE. When they play with people better than they are, they excel. Ethan’s serving has finally developed into what he wanted, and with the consistency he lacked. Dylan’s serve is lower than ever and looks really comfortable. They both love to play defense and this team could do great, or they could completely collapse mentally.
DarkFather - Grant Laughlin and Rahul Murthy - Texas A&M - 96.5
This team turned heads in Chicago with monster serves. I don’t say it often, but this combo is NASTY. The poster boys of power serving and crazy highlights. These guys might set a single day ace record. Grant and Rahul have been grinding away at their Reverse and have both made significant strides. Rahul has developed into one of the strongest recovery setters around and Grant is still the undisputed craziest hitter in Texas. These two have garnered tons of respect for Texas and a loss here could only be disappointing.
LoneStar Implications
Brad Thompson also has a shot at qualifying for LoneStar as the only non-LoneStar premier player in the field
Author Predictions
DarkFather
WySpike ButterFingers
ProudFathers
Advanced
The top 2 teams in the Advanced Division will earn a Gold qualification for future majors!
This Advanced Division has a lot of parity. There are some hungry high school teams sprinkled in with the usual suspects from around Texas. There is again, a clear favorite.
Short Kings Requiem- Adrian Garza and Addison LaRue - Round Rock Hub
These kids are back and looking for gold again. They missed it in Dallas, came up short in Round Rock, and now maybe Houston is their day! It’s hard not to root for this team, especially with Adrian’s ridiculous celebrations and eagerness to compete. This team will probably have the most fun on the day.
HardStuck Adventure - Trevor Hoogendoorn and Brian Jennerich - Baylor and UT
This team makes a lot of sense. They can both put serves on and set. They can both play defense. They’re decent hitters and they’re both looking for gold. This team could very well win the tournament. A lot will come down to defensive chemistry and mental game.
Chicken Nuggies - Austin Tran and Nathan Wright - Friendswood High School
Serveball. Get ready for serveball. Austin Tran has some serious thump. This team will have to take tons of aces if they have any chance of winning. Lucky for them, they can do that. I’m not sure what state their serve receive is in, but they have some serious serves of their own. This is going to be at worst a great learning experience and at best a podium finish.
BANG!!! - Nick Rushing and Jack Granger- Texas A&M Corpus Christi & Baylor
Nick is, hands down, the best player in this division. He should wreck people all day with his blistering serve. Jack Granger will just have to keep up for them to qualify for Gold. I’m really not sure how well this team will do if they play teams that can handle serves and hit. There are a few of those teams in here, but this team should have a lot of aces to help their cause.
Dengatang - Daniel Wong and Owen Zhang - Bellaire High School
Daniel and Owen are not well known in the Spikeball community. Even though they have been playing for some time, this is their first official TASR event. Daniel has some solid serves. They will be tested on their serve receive. If they can stay consistent with their setting and hits they could surprise some teams in the advanced bracket.
Hard 90 - Ryan Messick and Blake Henke - Texas A&M
Easily the most athletic team in the field and likely the most confident team in the field. They can both serve, receive, set, and play defense; it’s that hitting part that they will have to be clean on. This team is so exciting to watch and so frustrating to play. I absolutely love the confidence these two carry with themselves.
“I set freaking dimes” -Ryan Messick
Duongers - Jamey Duong and Sam Yifrach - Bellaire High School
This team will have to figure out serve receive fast if they are going to have success. There are teams in this field running with strong serves and these guys might not be accustomed to this level of serving. However, they play solid defense and love to dive. I’m just not sure they are disciplined enough to win yet.
Ambidextrous - Colby Medina and Josiah Dombach - Texas A&M
Coming off of a disappointing result in Round Rock, Colby will look to bounce back with a new partner. Josiah has been grinding and it shows. Featuring a full serving arsenal with solid support, this team will only be a question of consistency.
Cuttage - Spencer Lee and Luke Moran - Texas A&M
This team is the clear favorite. Luke Moran is taking a victory lap in Houston’s Advanced field. I can see this team losing, but they shouldn’t. Spencer and Luke are both solid all-around players that haven’t pushed themselves against the strongest Gold talents yet. They have plenty of room to improve, but this should be a gimme.
Author Predictions
Cuttage
Hard 90
BANG!!!
HardStuck Adventure
2020 Texas Majors Preview: Round Rock
2020 Round Rock Texas Major
by Fredric Hinkle
This Major is filled with mashup teams.
There aren’t many official teams in this one.
It will be interesting to see which team meshes best.
Gold
Magic from Six - Grant Laughlin and Colton Mowry - Texas A&M and WySpike
Colton seemed to have played well with the cramping Hornok in Wylie while Grant was an RPR leader in the field. It would be a horrific disappointment if this team loses. The only way I see that happening would be an absolutely spectacular performance from their opponents combined with both of them going cold.
Red - Bradley Thompson and Caleb Cummings - Baylor
Rough day for the overheating Caleb in Wylie. This team ran into one of Rahul’s strongest performances we’ve seen. Brad turned around and won the Wylie KOTP featuring many top WySpike players. Who knows what to expect from this team.
WySpike CrossBearers - Luke Mowry and Nick Noguez - WySpike
Luke Mowry looks to be playing more confidently than ever before. He played great in the Wylie Major and WySpike KOTP. Nick took Second in Wylie but struggled in the KOTP. It would be a poor showing for this team not to podium
WySpike Coconut - David Louis and Matthew Burrows - WySpike
David Louis won Gold League and got 2nd in Wylie, but somehow missed the finals in Wylie KOTP. Burrows played well getting 2nd in Albuquerque then struggled in the Waco KOTP and sat out of Wylie due to injury. It is very hard to tell where Matthew really is as a player.
SFX - Fredric Hinkle and Ethan McWhirter - Texas A&M and UT
Ethan’s performance was lackluster in Gold League and in Waco KOTP. He played very well in the Wylie Major to beat Dylan and Rich. If ever there is an opportunity to post a big result it’s with Fredric. Fredric had one of his worst Texas performances ever in Wylie and is looking to rebound in a big way. These players both have something to prove.
Dye Up - Dylan Keen and Rahul Murthy - Texas A&M
Who knows where this team came from. Rahul has had some very awkward results recently, with his double forfeit win in Wylie and his loss to Bubble Boys in Huntington. He also won a tight Gold League finals. Dylan had one of his worst outings in the Wylie Major with a loss to Ethan McWhirter and Josh Weinbach. If we know anything about Rahul though, never count him out. It is certain that he will be looking for the big recovery win.
LoneStar Implications
Luke Mowry is looking to qualify for LoneStar with a podium finish, he’s playing confidently and he should be able to make it happen.
Brad Thompson also has a shot at qualifying for LoneStar as the only other non-LoneStar premier player in the field
Author Predictions
Magic from Six
Dye Up
WySpike Coconut
Advanced
The top 2 teams in the Advanced Division will earn Gold qualification for future majors!
There are a handful of Gold Players in Advanced
and this is a very strong advanced field
The A Team - Adrian Garza and Addison LaRue - Round Rock Hub
The home team will attempt to defend their hub from all the other Texas teams coming in. 2 Short Kings taking on the rest of Texas’ advanced teams. These two are hardcore on the grind in the Round Rock Hub and hungry to qualify!
Oso Smooth - Chase Meyer and Alli Jennerich - Baylor
Alli was unsuccessful in her quest for Gold in Wylie. She is back with a Gold partner in this attempt. If Alli can hold consistently this team will win. Chase will no doubt be absolutely wrecking people with his newfound consistency on the lefty serve!
Flat Earther - Trevor Hoogendoorn and Katie Parker - Baylor
“Trevor Hoogendoorn is a certified noobstomper.” - Matt Cole
We saw this well demonstrated in his third at 2019 Fall Sectionals and his 3rd in the Origin winter KOTP. Katie Parker played terrific defensive roundnet in Albuquerque. She is lining up her challenge as the top female player in Texas.
Hard 90 - Ryan Messick and Blake Henke - Texas A&M
They showed well by beating Kyle Walsh and Matt Purvis in the A&M Intrasquad tournament. This team features thunderous serves and spectacular athleticism from each. This is the first major for each and they come in with high hopes.
BareFoot Spike - Parker Jackson and Isaiah Saucedo - Texas A&M
Likely the most athletic team in the field. Expect defense, defense, and more defense. If you struggle with shot selection, you will struggle against this team. They’ve beaten Hard 90 and challenged other A&M Advanced teams. If they have enough energy to play the whole day they could make gold happen.
Body Shots - Colby Medina and Sebastian LaCouture
Sebastian has had strong results in the past. Colby is newer to the scene and is improving fast. If they can combine that experience and serveball nature, this team will have a good day. The only question will be serve receive.
Freddy’s Prospects - Ryan Canfield and Luke Moran - Texas A&M
RIP to the rest of the Advanced field. This is Luke Moran’s first tournament in 11 months and he is a much better player than last time. This team had been making tremendously huge progress last fall, and I expect it to resume. Ryan is the most established player in this field and by far the best serveballer while Luke is the best at every other skill.
Author Predictions
Freddy’s Prospects
Hard 90
Flat Earther
Barefoot Spike
Go team.
2020 Texas Majors Preview: Wylie Major
2020 Wylie Texas Major
This is the first Major in 5 months. This is a clean slate.
Many players have been honing their game for months,
While others have travelled and found national success.
The fight for the top 15 Texas spots is vicious with only a month
before the summer TT100 release everyone is desperate
for a coveted Major success on their resume!!!
Gold
M.D. - Zach Danyla and Luke Mowry
Danyla hasn’t played a tournament in……. Awhile. Don’t discount the former LoneStar Member. This guy can play scrappy defense and he knows how to win, having won numerous tournaments before. The hiccup will be serve receive. Luke will have to be the magic maker with critical recovery setting and finishing!
Final Placement: T-9
Red - Caleb Cummings and Brad Thompson
Brad and Caleb are making their return to Texas Roundnet. We haven’t seen Caleb in Months. Brad played the Gold League, but this will be a far more competitive field. Caleb has improved a great deal during his time in California. Brad could be the consistency that Caleb needs with him. I know both want to make a BIG move into the TT10! With a podium finish, they very well could.
Final Placement: T-5
Etcetera - Grant Laughlin and Matt Cole
Hotter than Hot or Colder and Cold? These are two of the most dangerous servers in Texas. The Laugher needs no introduction. Matt Cole has steadily been climbing the ranks since his establishment as a solid player last fall. A strong showing here could solidify him as another forceful Texas player. If neither player is putting on serves, I could easily see a disappointing result.
Final Placement: T-5
Knull - Dax O’Hair and Chase Meyer
Baylor is excited about the improvement these two have made. These two players will be pushing for that 4th spot on the Baylor squad all year. This team shouldn’t have a terrific showing, but after their 4th place showing in Albuquerque, maybe they have what it takes. T-5 would be a good finish, but a semis showing could be huge for them and their confidence.
Final Placement: T-9
Carnage - Rahul Murthy and Luke Marshall
The most hyped Texas team of all time is back. Rahul is coming off of an absolutely prodigious summer filled with wins over notable players and top level finishes. He won KOTP at Baylor last week and is in the Gold League Finals. Luke has been playing steadily in Texas all summer. Luke and Rahul have always played very well together and this will be their first tournament together in months.
Final Placement: 3rd
WySpike Butterfingers - Colton Mowry and Garrett Hornok
Undeniably the second-best team in Texas. Colton and Garrett play great together. The defense they showed at Heatwave was exciting and forced errors from others. They both serve well and Colton is magic from 6 while he is always empowered by Garrett. Garrett with his apathetic mental state seems to calm Colton’s competitiveness. I look forward to seeing these players continuing to grow as serve receivers against more and more dangerous servers outside of Texas.
Final Placement: 2nd
WySpike Triple Threat - David Louis and Nick Noguez
They won at Strake Jesuit, but that field was softer. They made Carnage look bad in a stronger Waco field. David has been showing his age recently though. He’s been cramping and struggling to finish events. The question for this team isn’t the quality of play, which is undeniable. The question will be stamina. If David plays top-notch roundnet all day this team should podium. Nick Noguez will have to step up his play early to support David and let David save his legs for the later rounds.
Final Placement: T-5
Incompetence Luke Marshall - Ethan McWhirter and Josh Weinbach
Josh is likely the most improved player in Texas since the Waco Major. He’s grown in every aspect and is looking to make a big push up the TT100. Ethan will need a good performance to salvage disappointment in the Gold League. The problem for Ethan hasn’t been the serve quality, it’s been the consistency. I believe this team can pull some big upsets, but McWhirter will need to find the magic from the 6 foot line.
Final Placement: T-5
I Speak for the Trees- Dylan Keen and Rich Tarpey
Interesting results from this team. Dylan struggled last week at King Of The Park while Rich flourished. Rich has not been practicing a ton while Dylan is back in College Station playing heavily. They beat premier teams at Maroon & White Classic this year and they’ll be looking for another one of those staple wins. This is a good opportunity to make themselves look terrific.
Final Placement: 4th
We Throw Stuff - Fredric Hinkle and Kevin Bailey
Kevin is coming off of a HUGE Huntington Beach win in a very strong field. Kevin has also been living in the SpikeHouse and playing heavily with Preston, Ryder, and other monsters. Fredric off of second place in HB with the big win over HTR. These two players are both in form and looking like some of the best serve receivers in the SRA. These power serving Texas fields will be an exciting challenge for Kevin, if he can handle the heat (Editors Note: it’s going to be HOT) this team will win.
Final Placement: 1st
LoneStar Implications
Luke Mowry is looking to qualify for LoneStar with a podium finish, it’ll be tough in this stacked field.
Author Predictions
We Throw Stuff
WySpike ButterFingers
Carnage
Advanced
The top 4 teams in the Advanced Division will earn a Gold qualification for future majors!
Author Predictions
B&B Phenoms
SA Pinnacle
‘Merica
Taco Bell Surprise
P.S. Go Body Shots