HPU Club Ultimate Heads to Biggest Tournament in Team History

Over the last 7 years, the club ultimate team has evolved tremendously. From originating from a team that was very laid back and focused on more of just the social aspect of the sport, the team has raised their standards of competition in the last few years and is now playing in one of the most competitive regular season tournaments in the country this weekend.

Queen City Tune-Up, held at the Ramblewood Soccer Complex in Charlotte, hosts some of the top teams from around the country. Some of these teams include: UMass, Harvard, North Carolina, Georgia, Notre Dame, Michigan, and now our very own High Point will be in the mix. In the past, this is a tournament that a handful of players could only have dreamed of playing in, and now has become a reality.

High Point's past success has come from player-coach, Michael Ball, a once-captain turned grad student who has seen the team's evolution first-hand. His ability to handle the disc, move upfield, and stellar defense, allows the team move the disc well around the field and force turnovers on defense. Other key players this weekend who should stand out if HPU plans on being successful is sophomore captain, Michael Sellers, sophomore, Jake Heins, junior captain, Austin Morris, and freshman standout, Pete Isler. While these players will tend to stand out and make big plays, the team has seen success during the preseason due to their amount of depth. Plenty new players and returners have began to found roles on the field that will contribute to the team's success.

In pool play on Saturday, the team will face off against Virginia Tech, VCU, Georgia, and Georgia Tech in that order. Sunday will feature bracket play for 1st, 9th, and 17th place depending on their success on Saturday.

-Cam Bellando