Breaking down every team in every pool heading into one of the tightest women's division Club Nationals
October 16, 2025 by Graham Gerhart and Edward Stephens in Preview
Ultiworld’s coverage of the 2025 Club National Championships is presented by Spin Ultimate; all opinions are those of the author(s). Find out how Spin can get you, and your team, looking your best this season.
Event Page — Competition Schedule — Streaming Schedule
The first pull of the 2025 USAU Club Championships is just days away! To make sure you’re prepared for all the action, we’ve got breakdowns of every team in every pool, as well as projected finishes. Will Fury add another ‘chip to their storied trophy case? How will the pool of death, pool C shake out with Washington DC Scandal, Raleigh Phoenix, and Denver Molly Brown all jockeying for the top slot? Could this be the year New York BENT break into semis, or perhaps Pittsburgh Parcha after a breakout season? Are Riot ready to reclaim their spot in the division’s upper echelon? Upsets and high-flying plays are assured during what’s heralded as the best tournament in the world, so let’s dive right in.
Pool A
San Francisco Fury
Pool Seeding: A1
Power Ranking: #1
Regional Finish: SW1
Overall 2025 Record: 24-0
Against the Nationals Field: 16-0
Against the Pool: 1-0 vs. Schwa, 1-0 vs. Parcha, 1-0 vs. Nightlock
There are only a few instances in the entire history of club ultimate where a team has had the opportunity to pitch a no-hitter. While we’ve seen a few seasons of it in college, it’s almost impossible at the club level… except for San Francisco Fury. This is actually the third time in the last decade1 that Fury have arrived at Nationals with a perfect record. Unfortunately, this precedent comes with a lot of expectations. Anything less than their best will be a disappointment. Luckily for them, they have a straightforward path to the bracket if they maintain the same standard they’ve played at all season.
It’s hard to be fair to the other teams in the pool while also acknowledging Fury’s dominance. Schwa have had an impressive season and appear to be peaking at the right time, but they still lost resoundingly in their only showing against Fury this year so far. That’s the same for the rest of the pool, too. Parcha’s loss was blowout eligible and Nightlock’s wasn’t much better. Fury don’t play with their food. They’re not interested in letting teams stick around. They decisively trounce their competition, and it’s one of the reasons they can go so far into the bracket at Nationals and still seem fresh – their blowout wins mean they don’t put as many miles on their bodies as other teams.
Of course, nothing at Nationals comes easy. Schwa and Parcha both ended their seasons stronger than they started them. Fury aren’t going to win on reputation alone. The team has never had to rely on their reputation, though. They’ve always had the talent to back it up. Just look at their roster – the core of Kirstin Johnson, Julianna Werffeli, Anna Thompson, and Anna Nazarov is already a stronger backfield than any other team in North America. Even if all of them were removed from the team, you’d have a hard time betting against Fury because their depth is just so good. Young talent like Sarah VonDoepp, Olivia Goss, and Rachel Chang are role players that could take center stage on almost any other club. Fury have said before that their practices are some of the most competitive reps they get to play throughout the year. Nationals is the one place where they can be assured that’s not the case, and even then, there’s not much of a case to be built against this team.
Likely Ceiling: National Championship
Likely Floor: Semis
Portland Schwa
Pool Seeding: A2
Power Ranking: #8
Regional Finish: NW1
Overall 2025 Record: 20-3
Against the Nationals Field: 7-3
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. Fury 0-1 vs. Parcha, 2-0 vs. Nightlock
All teams dream of peaking at the right time, and if Northwest Regionals is any indication, Schwa’s dreams are becoming a reality. The Oregon team took down Riot, their regional rivals, with an emphatic 15-7 win in the final that positioned them as a threat for any team with title aspirations. Schwa are dangerous and have a revitalized roster that’s filled with your favorite players’ favorite players. Overcoming Fury would be a challenge, but beyond that, nothing’s off the table for them.
Before anyone gets too excited about Schwa, their losses have to be acknowledged. Drawing the pool with two of the three teams that have handed you a loss all year can’t feel good, especially if one of those teams is seeded below you. But the schedule works in their favor, thankfully, and they get to face Nightlock before tackling Parcha. Getting the first game in against a favorable matchup is important for a team in Portland’s position, and it means they won’t have to assess how hard to push themselves against Fury since it’ll be their final game of the day. Schwa aren’t a team known for taking games off, so their favorable schedule gives them a real opportunity to put their best foot forward during pool play.
For Schwa to have any chance to secure an advantageous position heading into the bracket, they’ll need their stars to be in lock step from the start. A lot of attention has been given to the likes of Brenna Bailey, Claudia Tajima, and Morgan Caldwell over the years, but this isn’t the same Schwa of yore. It’s been Rachel Hess, Opal Burruss, and Trout Weybright who have been making plays this season. The club have successfully transitioned towards a younger, faster style of play, and it’s working for them. A lot of credit has to be given to the Fugue-Schwa pipeline. The invaluable reps that Portland’s young stars have earned by playing at the highest level of college ultimate have clearly translated to their club performance. Of course, it may all be for naught if they can’t get out of their pool. They have all the potential in the world, now they just need it to come to fruition.
Likely Ceiling: Semis
Likely Floor: Prequarters
Pittsburgh Parcha
Pool Seeding: A3
Power Ranking: #10
Regional Finish: MA2
Overall 2025 Record: 18-6
Against the Nationals Field: 6-6
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. Fury, 1-0 vs. Schwa
While they don’t have quite the same amount of momentum as they did pre-regionals, Pittsburgh Parcha are still the most refreshing team at Nationals this year by a long shot. After a muted but respectable finish at Nationals last year, they retooled and became the biggest wildcard in the women’s division in the regular season. Wins over Phoenix and Scandal proved this team can beat great teams if given an opening, and that’s exactly what they’ll need if they want to exceed expectations in Pool A.
The case for Parcha is evident. They’re giant slayers. Pool A is the correct pool for that, because there’s no team that looms quite as large as Fury. That might be a little too much to take on for Pittsburgh, but we’ll all know very early on since it’s the first round of the day. After that, Parcha just have to win the sorts of games they’ve won in the past. They’ve been a menace in pool play games already this year, and Schwa have yet to prove they have what it takes to unlock Parcha’s wheeling-and-dealing downfield defense. The matchup between Parcha and Schwa is almost certainly what this pool is centered on. Schwa have had the better season between the two… or have they?
Despite some tough losses, Parcha’s best wins are above and beyond the rest of the three-seeds in any other pool. Not even Molly Brown have had the season-long performance Pittsburgh’s currently boasting. Talent-wise, it’s easy to see why they’re positioned to throw the seeding out of whack. Their stars are among the best in the nation, and their back-end of the roster are defensive hounds that stand their ground and don’t give up easy points. You know the team’s athletic when the likes of Caroline Normile, Annelise Peters, and Sara Liang are getting overshadowed by the downfield dominance of Taylor Conroy, Makenzie Priest, and Linn Bjanes.
The upside for Parcha is entirely built around their ability to run their opponents into the dirt. They’re aggressive, assertive, and built for the moment. There’s no reason to think they can’t pull off an upset in pool play and, with the right matchup in the bracket, they could do it again with their season on the line.
Likely Ceiling: Quarters
Likely Floor: Out on Day One
San Francisco Nightlock
Pool Seeding: A4
Power Ranking: #13
Regional Finish: SW3
Overall 2025 Record: 21-7
Against the Nationals Field: 2-6
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. Fury, 0-2 vs. Schwa
After a year away, Nightlock are back at the Big Dance and have a tough task ahead of them. They have one of the toughest matchups in all of women’s ultimate at the top of their pool, and it doesn’t get much easier for them after that. Schwa have had their number since they first played each other at Eugene Summer Solstice, and while they haven’t faced Parcha, it’s the type of team that can really disrupt Nightlock’s offense. What do Nightlock have in their favor? Well, they’ve got nothing to lose and the chance to play spoiler to some of the most momentous teams this season.
Starting against Schwa isn’t exactly what Nightlock would have hoped for on Thursday, but it’s the right sort of game for them to get a litmus test on their chance at this tournament. They have yet to beat Schwa this season despite two chances, so it’ll be a grudge match for the squad. Nightlock know their matchups and their system, they’ll just have to stop Portland’s offense from getting in sync. Expect to see Jackelyne Nguyen and Kara Hammer leading the charge against Schwa’s toughest matchups. On offense, Nightlock are very system-oriented, which means they’ll need Janelle Lee, Macy Vollbrecht, and other strong handlers to keep the offense flowing after the pull or once they’ve caused the turn. For better or worse, Nightlock don’t rely on a single player to win them a game, which does mean it’s hard to game plan against their offense, but can also mean there are high stalls because no one is forcing the issue on offense.
Nothing will come easily for Nightlock in Pool A, but it would make a victory all that sweeter. At Nationals, one win is all a team needs to make it to the bracket. After that, anything can happen.
Likely Ceiling: Prequarters
Likely Floor: Out on Day One
Pool B
Boston Brute Squad
Pool Seeding: B1
Power Ranking: #3
Regional Finish: NE1
Overall 2025 Record: 18-5
Against the Nationals Field: 12-5
Against the Pool: 2-0 vs. Flipside, 1-0 vs. 6ixers, 1-0 vs. Iris
Topping Pool B is what would be expected from a team like Boston Brute Squad, although their path to the top this season has been filled with obstacles. That’s not going to change on the first day of Nationals, either. Flipside, 6ixers, and Iris are all formidable opponents, and while Boston have beaten all of them throughout the season, nothing is certain in San Diego. Still, Brute Squad have a proven track record – 10 consecutive trips to (at least) semis, and counting – and a roster that rivals the best teams in the nation. If everyone’s healthy and contributing at their best, Boston have every chance to emerge unscathed from pool play.
Seeing how they handle 6ixers in their first game will be telling. It’s not a given that this will be another simple Brute Squad win. The team will need to maintain focus and win on defense, as Toronto’s bolstered defensive unit is almost certainly going to be able to cause turns of their own. Iris are maybe a little more comfortable a matchup for Boston – at least, according to the 15-8 Boston win at Northeast Regionals – but they end the day against Flipside, who are a tough out for any team. Flipside just posted the highest tally of any team against Fury at Regionals, and may very well have enough of the same magic left in the tank for their game against Brute Squad. More than ever, Boston will need players to step up to secure them the bye on Friday.
Trying to poke holes in Brute Squad’s roster is an effort in futility, as is focusing on their top-end talent. The truth of the matter is that they have a balanced downfield attack and a relentless defense, no matter which line they send out on any given point. A few players in their backfield have tended to take on more responsibility this year, though. It’s become overly apparent that Tulsa Douglas and Lia Schwartz have become focal points for the offense when Brute Squad need to reset tempo. Both are excellent distributors and can stretch the field with their throws. Liv Player and Levke Walczak have played hybrid roles, disrupting traditional offensive structure to throw off defenses and set up easy goals for their team. Somehow, though, it’s the wily veterans on defense that have stood out this season. Angela Zhu, Becky Malinowski, and Liên Hoffmann have all had moments of defensive brilliance that top anything shown by the rest of their team, and adding an additional wrinkle on offense when the team requires it. Brute have never lacked for talent, but this year still feels special, somehow.
Likely Ceiling: National Championship
Likely Floor: Semis
San Diego Flipside
Pool Seeding: B2
Power Ranking: #7
Regional Finish: SW2
Overall 2025 Record: 14-10
Against the Nationals Field: 6-8
Against the Pool: 0-2 vs. Brute Squad, 1-0 vs. 6ixers
It has been an uneven season for Flipside, who have as many baffling losses as they do statement wins. Whether through injury or travel, they’ve played without some key pieces all season, and it really only seems that it wasn’t until Southwest Regionals that they showed their full strength against Fury in the final. Even then, it still resulted in a loss, which is something Flipside cannot afford in as deep a pool as they’ve drawn this year.
Their competition won’t make it easy on them. A first round match against Iris might help build confidence if they’re in lockstep together, but then it’s immediately into the gauntlet of 6ixers and Brute Squad. Flipside already have a win over Toronto despite being underhanded, so there’s plenty of reason to expect they can win again. Of course, like so many games from the regular season, the matchup between the two teams was missing many key players, so the game at Nationals will be somewhat of a reset. It’s hard to make any prediction on the game based solely on one Pro Champs game. On the other hand, a loss at both Pro Champs and the US Open might be a little more telling. Brute Squad have had the edge over Flipside all season, and it’ll take heroics from Kaela Helton, Kristen Pojunis, and Kaitlyn Weaver if they are to triumph and take their pool. They’re capable of winning outright on Thursday, but it will take a level of cohesion we haven’t seen from this team as of yet this season.
Flipside’s top-end talent is undeniable. Helton, Weaver, and Pojunis are known quantities at this point. The difference maker for this team will come down to how much value they can get from their role players. They’ll need a little more from Laura Blume, Megan Maxfield, and Avery Jones to fend off the rest of the teams in their pool. Despite being a home team, Flipside aren’t using the fullest depth of their roster limits, which means they’ll rely a lot on a smaller set of players overall. While they’ve run tight lines in the past, that won’t work on the biggest stage. It will require heroics from everyone on the team to get Flipside in a position to dominate their opponents.
Likely Ceiling: Semis
Likely Floor: Prequarters
Toronto 6ixers
Pool Seeding: B3
Power Ranking: #11
Regional Finish: GL1
Overall 2025 Record: 12-7
Against the Nationals Field: 2-7
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. Brute Squad, 0-1 vs. Flipside. 2-0 against Iris
There are a lot of questions Toronto will have to answer before oddsmakers change the betting lines in their favor, but they are still the type of team bred to play spoiler on day one of Nationals. Granted, they’ll have to do it without their best player, as Britt Dos Santos remains sidelined due to injury. Beyond that, they’re integrating international talent. Aurora Lešnik is a household name in Europe and is bringing her talents to the Canadian team again this year. Still, if everything comes together, how can you deny a roster led by Sarah Jacobsohn, Lauren Kimura, and Molly Wedge?
Getting out of Pool B remains a daunting task, especially after the season 6ixers have had. Their only wins against teams attending Nationals have been against Iris, and they went winless at Pro Champs. For a team that’s been in the mix for a semis spot in the past, it’s hard to see an easy path for them to make it that far in 2025. A good first step would be wins over Brute Squad or Flipside. Brute are the 6ixers’ kryptonite, but they’re also the quality of team that have to be overcome if Toronto is to be taken seriously as title contenders. A win over Flipside would also be a boon – Flipside handed them their biggest loss of the year back in August. The odds are undoubtedly stacked against them in these games, but they’re as close to a ‘wildcard’ as any team at Nationals this year. The level of variance when trying to set their lines is impossible to pin down.
Part of what makes Toronto so hard to judge is their playstyle. They have the same level of athletic ability and offensive discipline as any team seeded above them. Being short-handed all year has made their lines harder to parse out, but they’ll assuredly have those sorted by Nationals. The problem for Toronto is how they respond when the tide turns against them. Their secondary offensive line doesn’t loom quite as large as their primary, and they’ve given up breaks in sets all throughout 2025. If their defense can alleviate the pressure on their offense to perform, they have as strong a chance as anyone to make it deep into the bracket.
Likely Ceiling: Semis
Likely Floor: Out on Day One
Québec Iris
Pool Seeding: B4
Power Ranking: #15
Regional Finish: NE3
Overall 2025 Record: 13-6
Against the Nationals Field: 1-6
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. Brute Squad, 0-2 vs. 6ixers
There aren’t many bottom seeded teams at Nationals as feisty as Iris. Of all the teams in their position at Nationals, they probably would be the betting favorite to make it to the bracket based on their talent alone. Unfortunately, they’re stuck in an immensely talented pool of equally impressive teams, and they’ll have to pull a rabbit out of a hat to earn a win on day one.
Iris aren’t known as magicians, but they do a few tricks up their sleeve. Florence Dionne is an elite talent that continues to get better, and Maude Samson isn’t too far behind. Couple that with up-and-coming stars like the Lyonnais sisters, Emma Urness, and Lilaya Henriquez and you’ve got a team that’s on the rise in a dramatic way. This might not be Iris’ year to dominate, but the growth from their young core might still be enough to earn them a win or two.
One kernel of promise for Iris is their season record. Yes, going 1-6 vs. the field of Nationals attendees isn’t the most impactful record one could ask for, but it’s their win that matters. Back in June, they beat Parcha, who are a heat check away from becoming tournament darlings thanks to their regular season performance. Iris had an emphatic win over Pittsburgh, and that’s relevant because the 6ixers don’t have a similar success story. While Toronto have wins over Iris, they haven’t yet shown an ability to punch above their weight class… something Québec seems more than ready to do.
Likely Ceiling: Prequarters
Likely Floor: Out on Day One
Pool C
Washington DC Scandal
Pool Seeding: C1
Power Ranking: #2
Regional Finish: MA1
Overall 2025 Record: 17-6
Against the Nationals Field: 8-5
Against the Pool: 2-0 vs. Phoenix, 1-0 vs. Molly Brown
In most instances, sitting atop a pool, any pool, at Nationals holds a level of job security. For a team like Scandal, they’ve had one of the best seasons of any team and should be rewarded accordingly. But that’s not how it shook out this year. On the contrary, no team at the tournament looks less secure in their position than Scandal. Welcome to Pool C folks, the Pool of Death™. Despite a regular season record most teams would kill for, DC will have to claw past some of the toughest teams at the tournament to earn their bye into quarters.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Scandal. They already have regular season wins over the two major teams they’ll have to beat to get out of pool play unscathed, having beaten Phoenix in both July and September, and Molly Brown in August. None of those wins were particularly assertive, but they weren’t skin-of-their-teeth wins, either. Scandal won soundly and was in the driver’s seat for all of those games. This is a team that won’t dig a hole for themselves. They let off the occasional break, but teams don’t go on runs against them2. Despite the pedigree of their opponents, Scandal are still the team to beat in Pool C, and they’re going to do everything in their power to get to the bracket.
Their job gets a whole lot easier with the return of Claire Trop. It’s hard to assess just how strong Scandal is this season thanks to an extended absence from their best player at some of their biggest tournaments. Trop warps the field whenever she’s on it, and she’s on it a lot. The team does not use her sparingly. Missing Trop has meant that a few more players have had a chance to shine, though, and might see an oversized impact at Nationals because of it. Marie Périvier’s rise has been the narrative that everyone saw coming, but Amanda ‘Beans’ Murphy becoming Trop’s understudy/successor has been a welcome surprise. Murphy’s ascendance from a defensive specialist to a do-it-all playmaker has kept Scandal going in tight games. In her place, Avery DeOcampo and Sarah Combs have filled in as defensive forces despite being new additions to the team, which has bolstered Scandal’s defensive unit. Combs and DeOcampo are exceptions on DC’s roster because the team really didn’t have a lot of turnover from 2024 when compared to the rest of the league.
Scandal clearly have a lot of buy-in and with the return of Trop and the additional playing time for the broader range of their roster, they’re still in line to make it to the final and maybe even hoist the trophy they’ve been chasing for three seasons now.
Likely Ceiling: National Championship
Likely Floor: Semis
Raleigh Phoenix
Pool Seeding: C2
Power Ranking: #4
Regional Finish: SE1
Overall 2025 Record: 17-7
Against the Nationals Field: 4-7
Against the Pool: 0-2 vs. Scandal
Raleigh sit in an interesting position this year. They technically have the worst record against the Nationals field of any team on the second line across the tournament, and have losses against pretty much every team with a chance to make semis. So why is everyone so high on them? The reason to hop onto the Phoenix bandwagon now has nothing to do with their losses and everything to do with their wins. Well, one win in particular, really. By beating Brute Squad at Pro Champs, Phoenix have proven that they can do what most teams can’t: beat one of the top seeded teams at Nationals.
Granted, they’re not in Brute Squad’s pool. Rather than drawing a team that they have a mental edge over, they’re facing off against Scandal, a team who have had their number all season. It doesn’t help that many of the players they’re facing are friends and previous teammates. Audrey Lyman and Sarah Combs jumped ship to join Scandal this year, and there are plenty of other ex-Raleigh players like Amanda Murphy, Tyler Smith, and Kami Groom. Raleigh not only need to beat a team that know their players, they’ll need to beat a team that knows their playbook. They’re ready for it, though. Aside from the return of Lindsay Soo and Sarah Meckstroth, the additions of Ellen Yu and Natalie Baumgarten have really helped showcase the defensive depth of the Phoenix roster. Raleigh might have had a few of their feature names move north, but they’re more than ready to show what the next generation is capable of in San Diego.
Scandal aren’t the only hurdle for Phoenix, though. Lurking just behind them are Molly Brown, a team they somehow have not faced all year. Molly Brown are a vicious conquering force disguised as a pool-three at Nationals, and Phoenix stand directly in their warpath. The matchup between the two teams might not be a proverbial bloodbath, but you can bet it’ll be a chess match that’s determined by which team is more prepared for the other. With the firepower on Denver’s roster, it’s a fair assumption that Dawn Culton, Jenny Wei, and the aforementioned Sarah Meckstroth are going to have an oversized impact in this game.
Being the middle child is never easy, and being sandwiched between Scandal and Molly Brown sounds even less fun. Still, if any team is capable of handling the rigors of Pool B and coming out ahead, it’s Raleigh.
Likely Ceiling: Finalist
Likely Floor: Quarters
Denver Molly Brown
Pool Seeding: C3
Power Ranking: #9
Regional Finish: SC1
Overall 2025 Record: 11-7
Against the Nationals Field: 2-7
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. Scandal
It’s all but a guarantee that no one on Molly Brown would say this season has gone as they’d like. An uneven showing at the US Open and a rough Pro Champs is hardly the tone a team with the pedigree of Molly Brown would like to set. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the monkey’s off Denver’s back. There aren’t great expectations for this team as there have been in seasons past, so now they can embrace their underdog status and get to the fun part of competitive ultimate: pulling off upsets and ending opponents’ seasons. They’re in the right pool to set about doing this, too. Both Phoenix and Scandal conceivably have a shot at making the final, so beating them on Day One would cause a stir in San Diego.
If Molly Brown are to stand a chance, they’ll need their stars to step up. They’ve had a season developing the depth of their roster, but it’s also shown that, at the end of the day, it’s their top-end talent that skyrockets them from being good to being great. They’ll have plenty of motivation, too. It’s easy to make a case that Denver’s stars were snubbed in the Top 25 Player Rankings and its surrounding discourse. This season might not have showcased them at their best, but does anyone really want to count out Claire Chastain, Valeria Cárdenas, and Clil Phillips? Molly Brown’s status as a ‘veteran team’ has been a knock against them so far this season, but Nationals is where those veteran players come alive. We’ve seen Lisa Pitcaithley, Manuela Cárdenas, and Alika Johnston perform at their best in San Diego before, does anyone actually want to bet against them?
Regardless of public perception, Molly Brown’s performance on Thursday is going to answer a lot of questions about this team. Good wins or even close games against Phoenix and Scandal could jump them back into contender status, but a less-than-stellar performance could just affirm all the doubts that have plagued this team since their season started. It doesn’t help that their schedule is working against them. Starting the day against Scandal doesn’t give them any room to ramp up, and facing Phoenix immediately after forces them into back-to-back heaters without relent. Assuming everyone’s healthy and preparation has gone according to plan, though Molly Brown have everything they need to win those games. They’re the one team from pot three with the tools and the pedigree to make it all the way, they just need to put it all together.
Likely Ceiling: Finalist
Likely Floor: Prequarters
Madison Heist
Pool Seeding: C4
Power Ranking: #22
Regional Finish: NC1
Overall 2025 Record: 15-10
Against the Nationals Field: 0-4
Against the Pool: 0-0
Heist have the unfortunate position of being the lowest ranked team at the tournament and being thrust into the toughest pool. The collection of DC, Raleigh, and Denver seeded ahead of them puts makes them the team on the outside looking in. Their chances of making the bracket are slim. However, Heist have been underestimated before.
It wasn’t that long ago that Heist weren’t even being considered for a chance at making Nationals. Ultiworld’s staff shorted them at regionals in favor of Pop, their longtime rivals in the North Central. There’s a word for pulling off a brazen theft of a precious bid like that, but I just can’t quite remember what that word is. Regardless, Heist have their work cut out for them at Nationals. While they were the underdogs at Regionals, they’re now the UNDERDOGS in San Diego. Pulling off an upset over any of the teams seeded above them would be potentially the largest upset in Nationals history. So how would Heist even do it?
Madison’s chances come down to their offense playing near-perfectly and their defense converting on the few chances they’ll be given by their opponents. No matter the outcome, expect big games from Eileen Bequette, Erynn Schroeder, and Cassandra Doody. Schroeder, in particular, will be instrumental in giving their team the firepower they need to play tight with all of the teams in their pool. Madison don’t need to win every game, they just need to focus on winning one, but that’s still easier said than done. None of their games will be easy, so they’ll know pretty early on if they stand a chance of making it to the bracket. If Heist are ahead at half against any of these teams, it immediately turns into a must-watch game at the tournament.
Likely Ceiling: Out on Day One
Likely Floor: Out on Day One
Pool D
Seattle Riot
Pool Seeding: D1
Power Ranking: #5
Regional Finish: NW2
Overall 2025 Record: 18-7
Against the Nationals Field: 8-6
Against the Pool: 1-0 vs. Grit
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
Scholars say that when William Faulkner wrote these two sentences into his 1951 novel Requiem for a Nun, he had Seattle Riot in mind. So let’s talk about Riot’s past. For 18 years, they were Fury’s top rival, winning two championships, reaching eight additional national finals, and playing in semis every other year in that stretch save one: a shocking quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Atlanta Ozone in a Worlds-qualifying year.3 They were at the tippy-top. And then, suddenly, they weren’t. Another eye-popping quarterfinal defeat in 2019 paved the way for a new, less glamorous era. At their low point in 2022-2023 they were bowing out in prequarters without putting up a fight. Were they done as a world-class program forever?
Obviously not. The youth scene was exploding behind the heavy shadow of poor club performance, and it was only a matter of time before it would bring about the glorious Riot of old. All of a sudden, they are back in a huge way. They reached the final at both the US Open and Pro Champs to establish themselves at the front of every team not named Fury, and they were competitive with Fury in those games on both occasions. What a comeback for a club that, by the standards of the women’s division, had fallen almost completely out of sight.
How have they done it? Certainly a huge share of the credit goes to Kate Lanier’s and Carly Campana’s buoyant leadership and incisive play at the head of the O-line. (In a former life, as teammates on Carleton Syzygy, the two of them were positioned to stop UNC’s college dynasty before it ever started. Covid-19 interrupted that destiny.) As the primary handler and initiating cutter, they’ve bent defenses to their will. Flanked by fantastically talented teammates like Abbie Abramovich, Chloe Hakimi, Steph Phillips, Shira Stern4, and, sometimes, the captivatingly fearless and speedy high schooler Nora Luloff, they’re both more potent and more consistent than they have been in years.
The D-line, meanwhile, bring three tremendously effective qualities to the mix. The first, and most easily noticeable, is 2025’s most devastating zone. It’s an old-school cuppy style, and the way it forces offenses into uncomfortable positions is the perfect bridge to the team’s next great defensive asset: a stable of on-disc playmakers unmatched by any of the non-Fury teams. This group includes Meg Manning, Lauren Page, Lauren Goddu, Jamie Eriksson, Anna Pettee, and Savanna Tucker, all of whom are liable to bid for a block the second the offense thinks the lane is open. Completing the trifecta: several powerful throwers – Ikran Elmi, Nora Landri, Emily Decker, Eriksson – adept at cashing in breaks, even in adverse throwing conditions, and even against the most fearsome O-line defenses (read: Fury) in the game.
With wins over nearly every other – they’re 0-3 against Fury, but that’s just life this year – team in the top 12, what’s stopping us from inking them into semifinal Saturday right now? A headscratcher of a 15-7 loss in the Northwest Regional final to Schwa. That raises the question of whether this young group are as focused in crunch time as they’ll need to be to realize their lofty ceiling. Should they stumble against a formidable BENT side in pool play, it has the potential to set up a prequarterfinal rematch against the Schwa team who, more so than even mighty Fury had done, were able to bring this rejuvenated and brilliant Riot squad to their knees.
Likely Ceiling: National Championship
Likely Floor: Quarters
New York BENT
Pool Seeding: D2
Power Ranking: #6
Regional Finish: NE2
Overall 2025 Record: 19-5
Against the Nationals Field: 7-5
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. Riot
BENT’s ascendancy has been somewhat more measured than Riot’s abrupt return to the top, but it’s no less distinct. The proof of it is that they start Nationals at their best ever position, with a legitimate path both to quarters, which would match their best-ever 2023 finish, and even to semis, which would surpass it. To say that New York’s scene is hot right now would be an understatement, and BENT hitting the heights of their considerable ceiling then that consummation, taken with the city’s already established A-level sides in mixed and men’s, would allow it to rival Denver and Boston for the best interdivisional lineup in the country.
There are a few key differences between this year’s BENT and the 2024 iteration that pushed Molly Brown to the brink in prequarters before ultimately falling short. Chief among them are Samiya Ismail and Amy Zhou, both poached from regional rivals Brute Squad in the offseason. Ismail’s trademark gorgeous deep throws (when she has been healthy enough to play) have translated perfectly to BENT’s offense. Zhou, meanwhile, has a reputation for being one of the most effective defenders in the division – but at the US Open she slotted in without a hitch as BENT’s center handler in the absence of Yina Cartagena (resting for World Games) and Abby Hecko (injury). Those major pickups, as well as Zoe Hecht’s phenomenal pulling and Nina Finley’s hard-nosed front-of-stack play for the offense, have added depth and variety to BENT’s previous strengths.
Some of the changes have cut the other way, though. Ximena Montaña traveled the opposite direction along the 2025 Brute-BENT superhighway, taking her dynamism and World Games chops with her. More upsettingly, All-Universe cutter Genny De Jesus suffered a season-ending injury. BENT will dearly miss both of them.
It might not matter though. In their most demanding tournament of the year, the US Open, BENT made semis and put up double digits there against Fury despite arguably lacking more firepower – Hecko, Cartagena, and Ismail were all out for the bracket there – than most other teams at the tournament.5 Between Zhou, Finley, and intrepid cutter Ella Juengst on offense, and Chris Nelson and Cassie Brown ready to punch in breaks on defense, they proved that they can achieve results with a hand tied behind their backs.
It’s no good anointing them among the division’s ruling class just yet. The fact that they’ll have to contend with a more proven Riot side, as well as the fact that they haven’t yet cleared the Brute Squad-shaped hurdle at Northeast Regionals, should temper expectations a little. But for the first time ever, the upper echelon is truly close enough to touch. Let’s see if BENT can actually make contact.
Likely Ceiling: Semis
Likely Floor: Quarters
Vancouver Traffic
Pool Seeding: D3
Power Ranking: #12
Regional Finish: NW3
Overall 2025 Record: 11-8
Against the Nationals Field: 3-8
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. Riot, 1-1 vs. Grit
Traffic have spent much of 2025 out of the USAU club spotlight. The reason they’ve been so scarce is the same one that crops up every olympiad: shifting their season focus from peaking at US Club Nats to earning a WUCC bid by getting one of the top spots at the Canadian Ultimate Championships. And, just as you’d expect from a club who (unlike their competition) weren’t missing any key players at the coinciding World Games, they qualified easil…
Wait.
Wait, no, that can’t be right.
It says here that Traffic not only failed to reach the final, falling in semis to an Iris team lacking star Flo Dionne, but also couldn’t even manage to get third-place against a first-year group of younger British Columbia players6 calling themselves Sea Cows? This is madness.
Madness or no, it perhaps represents a new reality for Traffic. They failed to pick up a single FMP from the dissolution of the young-player-heavy mixed squad Red Flag, and they’ve only managed to recruit a few of the area’s best college players, like Victoria’s Brynn Freeland, Ericka Edgell, and Alicia Brolly. The future of the long-tenured program – they’ve qualified for US Nationals every year for almost two decades – is suddenly uncertain.
The present is no more certain either, even as they trot out the same brilliant players from yesteryear to have another run at the mountain. Longtime fans will recognize one of the world’s all-time greats Catherine Menzies, as well as downfield dynamo Sarah Norton, the always game Marie-Ève Beauchemin, Laurel Jay’s tremendous defense, and a returning stalwart in Terri Whitehead. It’s not clear whether it will be enough to get them into Friday play over a Grit program on the rise. They could use an athletic x-factor. Someone like, say, Lauren Roberts, who played with them earlier in the year but, sadly, isn’t on the postseason roster.
But between the bona fides of the veteran stars – Daisy Lin, who didn’t get a mention in the paragraph above, was on a heater at CUC – the promise they showed in an early season win over Riot, and a surprisingly tranquil journey through Northwest Regionals past a few other challengers, there’s enough evidence to believe they’ve still got a chance to make some magic happen.
Likely Ceiling: Quarters
Likely Floor: Out on Day One
Washington DC Grit
Pool Seeding: D4
Power Ranking: #14
Regional Finish: MA3
Overall 2025 Record: 13-12
Against the Nationals Field: 1-2
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. Phoenix, 1-1 vs. Iris
Like poolmates Riot and BENT, Grit are on the brink of hitting new heights as a program. It’s never easy being a city’s second Nationals-level team, but like Raleigh-Durham United in men’s and Sprocket/Slow7 in mixed, Grit have successfully established themselves as a consistent presence in the field.
Now it’s time to make hay with what is likely their best roster to date. Tayara Romero Peña and Emma Jones have used a few years together to create excellent backfield chemistry. Eliana Harnage, who has been with the team since the first year of their post-pandemic glow-up, is a straight-up menace. Lily Johnson is starting to put together her game in a way that could mean she becomes a force in the long-term. Jordan Sorensen, meanwhile, has been one of the most impressive players in the division this year, full stop. (If Grit don’t end up on many streams at Nationals, be sure to check Sorensen out with Team USA at Beach Worlds next month.) The D-line have been somewhat more anonymous and amorphous than the star-studded O-line, but you should still expect big things from Adilina Malave and Elizabeth Wu.
To reach the bracket for the first time in three years, though, they’ll likely need to wrest a final round matchup from Traffic, who have the benefit of being able to draw on a much deeper well of experience. (Wins over BENT or Riot are longshots, but they aren’t entirely out of reach.) Assuming they do, they’ll have a prequarter against one of Schwa, Parcha, or Nightlock, all of which are fully in the realm of winnable for them. How can we be so sure that’s a possibility? For starters, because Grit beat the even more established Flipside at US Open and have taken Parcha to universe point. More importantly, though, because they genuinely pass the eye test of a quarters-contending team.
Likely Ceiling: Quarters
Likely Floor: Out on Day One
2021 and 2022, though the latter is true only if you don’t count the WUCC final loss to Revolution ↩
unless those teams happen to be called Boston Brute Squad or San Francisco Fury… ↩
After an extra bid to the 2018 tournament fell into their hands, they won their third world club title in five tries anyway. ↩
Stern is one of the crucial holdovers, along with Julia Snyder, from Riot’s former greatness. ↩
Only Molly Brown were clearly missing more top players. ↩
you’ll see a lot of crossover from the UBC rosters ↩
Co-first teams, really ↩
