D-I College Regionals 2026: Mega-Preview (Women’s Div.)

The rubber meets the road as teams across the country vie for coveted spots at the College Championships.

April 24, 2026 by Kiana Hu, Aidan Thomas, Alex Rubin and Edward Stephens in Preview

Ultiworld’s coverage of the 2026 college ultimate season 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.

This is it, folks. This is where the college season officially separates the wheat from the chaff as, over the course of the next two weekends, teams from across the continent compete for their place at Nationals. Between longstanding regional grudges, hopeful potential first-timers, elite teams getting one last live tune-up before the Big Dance, legacy programs trying to hold on, bumrushes at the door to Rockford in select crowded regions, and the sheer unpredictability of the division, it’s always one of the most lively times of the year.

Stick with us as we take you through all the top storylines in each of the ten regions.

Atlantic Coast

• Schedule & Results
• Location: Glen Allen, VA
• Number of Bids: 1
• Expected Qualifiers: #5 North Carolina
• In the Hunt: #23 Georgetown
• Potential Spoilers: Virginia
• Excitement Level: 

Eighth Time’s a Charm

#5 North Carolina Pleiades won the Atlantic Coast region in each of the last seven seasons. Though there are only seven stars in the Pleiades constellation, an eighth regional win in a row seems incredibly likely. North Carolina lost just two games all year (to #6 Tufts and #3 Washington at Queen City Tune Up and Northwest Challenge respectively, though they avenged the Tufts loss at Northwest Challenge too). Relying on the confident abilities of Bella Russell and Alli Reilly, Pleiades have fully shaken off the shock of last season’s Nationals and returned to their place among the elite teams in the division with the poise one might expect of the recent four-time champions.

The Challengers

While Georgetown is higher ranked, Virginia may be the team with the best (albeit miniscule) chance of knocking off North Carolina. Hydra are 10-8 on the season, but regular season success does not matter in a game-to-go where starpower might come into play. In Sydney Mannion, Virginia has a senior playmaker who will do everything in her power to help her team win. But Mannion is not alone; 2025 AC Rookie of the Year Gabby Everett is stepping up even more as a leader in her second season. If they get to the final, Virginia will pose a credible threat to North Carolina once again.

It was, however, #23 Georgetown Huckin’ Foyas who ended the season ranked. On the backs of strong wins over #20 Notre Dame Echo and #25 Georgia Athena, Georgetown is looking like a team that can take down a big threat. Will they have enough to unseat a dominant UNC team? Most likely not, but the answer to that questions is not a definite no.

Postseason X-Factors

Bella Russell (UNC) – Every strong team needs a capable center handler. After biding her time behind accomplished teammates as a younger player, it is now fully Russell’s time to shine. Her backfield poise and diverse array of throws is the perfect skillset for the leader Pleiades need this season.

Sydney Mannion (Virginia) – The former Team USA U-20 star has steadily improved over her five college seasons. Her all-around game is both explosive and centering, helping to elevate the play of those around her. A masterclass from Mannion at Regionals might be enough to get Virginia back for a surprise Nationals appearance.

Lily Johnson (American) – The Grit star in the club division who led the women’s division in goals at the 2025 Club Championships needs no introduction as a playmaker. Asked to do a lot more in the college division, Johnson is rounding into a multi-talented player who can make an impact all over the field – not just in the end zone.

Great Lakes

• Schedule & Results
• Location: Schaumburg, IL
• Number of Bids: 1
• Expected Qualifiers: #20 Notre Dame
• In the Hunt: #21 Michigan
• Potential Spoilers: N/A
• Excitement Level: 

Michigan-Notre Dame, Part III

There’s exactly one storyline in a one-bid Great Lakes, and it’s remained the same all year: #20 Notre Dame Echo versus two-time defending Great Lakes champion #21 Michigan Flywheel. The third-ranked team in the region, Michigan State, lost to both teams at Eastern Great Lakes Conferences, 9-5 to Michigan and 15-3 to Notre Dame.

Notre Dame is maybe the expected qualifier by ranking and 2026 results, but Michigan has toppled Echo in the past two game-to-go matchups at Great Lakes Regionals. Three years ago, Notre Dame lost a game-to-go to Chicago, so the proverbial monkey on the back has never been heavier, as Echo try to snap a nine-year Nationals drought. Excitement level gets four fire emojis and it’s strictly based off the championship game, which should be a fantastic rivalry matchup with a Nationals berth on the line.

Postseason X-Factors

Vivian Hakimi (Michigan) – One of two star rookies on this Flywheel offense, Hakimi has often operated as QB1 for Michigan. She stepped up in a big way at Northwest Challenge, as Michigan looked much improved. Can the young handler seize the moment in a game-to-go?

Lili Hobday (Notre Dame) – The obvious pick. Echo’s Callahan nominee and 2025 club mixed division BPOTY, Lili Hobday will, barring unforeseen circumstances, play every point of the regional final and touch the disc twice as much as any other Echo player.

Mary Larson (Notre Dame) – A nightmare for opposing offenses, Larson will get layout blocks, run-through blocks, blocks where you didn’t know she was near the disc, and everything in between. She’s a favorite target of Hobday’s on offensive points as well as on the counter.

Safya Biswal (Michigan) – The other part of Michigan’s rookie 1-2 tandem, Biswal largely operates out of the cutting space and is a tremendously difficult cover. Hakimi and Biswal are likely to be stars of the division within a year or two, and whether more of the country will know their name will ride on the first year’s efforts against Echo at Regionals.

Calliope Cutchins (Michigan) – Michigan’s biggest asset is that they’ve been there before. They’ve beaten Notre Dame twice on this stage. On a team headlined by rookies Hakimi and Biswal, Cutchins’ experience is paramount.

Metro East

• Schedule & Results
• Location: Middletown, NY
• Number of Bids: 1
• Expected Qualifiers: N/A
• In the Hunt: Toronto, NYU
• Potential Spoilers: Cornell, Columbia, SUNY Buffalo
• Excitement Level: 

A New Player Has Joined the Game

It isn’t often you see a no.7 seed beat the no.5 seed in the final of a postseason tournament, but Toronto Torontula beat Ottawa 15-7 in the Western NY Conference championship bout. The tournament shuffled the seeding and expectations going into Metro East Regionals: both Canadian clubs thumped Cornell, who was by far the region’s top-ranked D-I team entering the postseason.

While Toronto doesn’t have much stateside track record, they boast a talented core with a well-established background. Alicia Zhang and Zee He both played with Vancouver Traffic, while Jess Gao played with Toronto 6ixers. All have represented Canada on National teams. That’s perhaps more Club Nationals and World Championships talent than the rest of the region combined. They won Canadian University championships, as well. The question is if they can gather the numbers and the top end for the trip to Batavia, and the resources to get to Illinois should they qualify to provide sufficient motivation. They only sent 11 players to their Conferences win, so it could be touch and go for them at Regionals, too.

The Batavia Battleground

Even pointing to a favorite from the rest of the division isn’t an easy exercise. The other Conference champion going into Regionals is no.1 seed NYU Purple Reign, who defeated Columbia 11-7 in the EME Conference finale. Anchored by a deep group of skillful throwers like Izzy Chen, Luxi Zhang, Xuan Feldman, and Wing Huen Shing, they have the ability to win in the challenging conditions that often plague the Northeast. Their speedy roster can make big plays happen quickly and they’ve gotten quality reps at ECI earlier in the season. They’ll get a pool play crack at Toronto to close Saturday, but hard to say how much is on the line with the potential parity in the region threatening the make their bracket paths relatively parallel.

As is typical for the region, there’s a healthy group of teams who see themselves making the final and getting their shot. Reigning champions no.4 Cornell Wild Roses posted a set of results similar to NYU’s at ECI, as well, and nobody will discount the pedigree of a team anchored by backfield duo Jenna Li and Zoe Bishop. Naomi Miller continues to lead the way for no. 2 Columbia Chimera, who will feel like they have unfinished business after getting knocked out by Cornell on universe in semifinals last year.

Postseason X-Factors

Jenna Li (Cornell) – Reprising her steady role as one of the region’s premier handlers, Li’s steady hands give Cornell a chance against any regional opponent. After helping guide the team to an ME title, Li won’t be interested in settling for less than success.

Alicia Zhang (Toronto) – Assuming she is making the trip — she’s on the tournament roster — Zhang’s explosive movements could be huge for Torontula’s chances of following up their Conferences performance. She can push the pace and shepherd possessions to the end zone in a hurry.

Rylie Shaeffer (NYU) – A 2024 All-Region selection, Shaeffer brings an athletic spark to NYU’s thrower-driven attack. The veteran cutter’s game has rounded into fine form, allowing her to start possessions downfield, facilitate and push the pace, and close out as one of the region’s premier play-finishers.

New England

• Schedule & Results
• Location: Amherst, MA
• Number of Bids: 3
• Expected Qualifiers: #6 Tufts, #16 Northeastern, #18 Vermont
• In the Hunt: N/A
• Potential Spoilers: Brown, Harvard
• Excitement Level: 

Northeastern’s Late Surge Reduces New England Drama

New England Regionals had the potential to be five worth of drama with a two-bid region and #16 Northeastern Valkyries and #18 Vermont Ruckus battling for the second pass to Nationals. However, after a very strong 5-1 performance and second-place finish at East Coast Invite, Northeastern not only secured New England’s second bid, they dragged Vermont inside the top-20 of the algorithmic rankings to earn a third bid for the region. 

That significantly reduces the drama in this region as all three bid-earners should* comfortable hold onto their spots in Rockford.

*Vermont’s Floor

The asterisk above in regards to the bid-earners’ comfort in qualifying is largely due to some questions about Vermont. They’ve been injured and displayed the lowest floor of these three teams, with a loss to unranked UC Santa Barbara and double game point wins over Liberty and California. A similarly shaky effort could see potential spoilers maybe make things interesting. In that case, keep an eye on Harvard (who beat #20 Notre Dame) or Brown (who beat #24 Florida) to try and keep up with Ruckus in a game-to-go scenario, if they can get there.

Postseason X-Factors

Lia Schwartz (Tufts) — One of the best players in the country on one of the best teams in the country, Lia Schwartz needs no introduction. Schwartz is one of the best throwers in the division and should lead EWO to a regional title, barring an upset.

Emma Remien (Northeastern) — A player with Nationals experience from her days at Michigan, Remien is a prolific thrower, and Northeastern showed trust in her constantly firing the disc into the teeth of ripping winds at East Coast Invite.

Ella Monaghan (Vermont) — Monaghan was limited down the stretch, and Vermont needs her to be healthy, having already lost Caroline Stone for the year and with their roster marred by other injuries. A healthy Monaghan should be enough for Ruckus to comfortably hang onto that third bid.

Annabel White (Tufts) – White will probably make at least one or two “how did she catch that” type of catches this weekend, and while we may not see them live, we’ll be looking forward to seeing another few of those at Nationals.

Sonja Lee (Northeastern) – Another dynamic handler for Northeastern who will get a massive share of touches for the Valkyrie offense, Lee can let it rip, but also proved her capabilities quarterbacking a small ball offense at East Coast Invite.

North Central

• Schedule & Results
• Location: Des Moines, IA
• Number of Bids: 1
• Expected Qualifiers: #1 Carleton
• In the Hunt: N/A
• Potential Spoilers: #22 Wisconsin
• Excitement Level: 

Juggernaut of the North Central

This is Carleton’s region and has been for some time. It would instantly rank among the craziest bid-steals of all time if their undefeated season came to an end in Des Moines. That being said, let’s give some credit to #22 Wisconsin Bella Donna, who almost earned the North Central a second bid and was up 8-3 at halftime against #9 Penn. Realistically, this is a one-star excitement level, because this is unlikely to be anything but a Carleton runaway.

But if that wind is gusting, and you wake up on Sunday with a weird feeling in your stomach, maybe just check in to make sure all is going according to plan in the North Central.

Postseason X-Factors

Chagall Gelfand (Carleton) – Duh, part one. This whole list could just be Carleton players, but we’ll try to look beyond the Syzygy roster. But Gelfand is virtually the consensus top player in the division right now, so safe to say she’ll make a difference at regionals.

Chloe Hakimi (Carleton) – Duh, part two. Another part of Carleton’s dynamic trio. There’d be days you might be willing to bet on Carleton scoring on offense playing 3-v-7 with a Gelfand-Hakimi-Fina dominator.

Naomi Fina (Carleton) – Duh, part three. Another player who has a case to be a top-10 player in the country, Fina is as athletic of an handler as you’ll see in the division.

Sydney French (Wisconsin) – Bella Donna’s top handler, French can go every other as needed and will get a lot of touches for Wisconsin this weekend, as Bella Donna attempt to do the unthinkable.

Ally Adair (Wisconsin) – Let’s give some love to a little-known rookie in Ally Adair, a first-year that handles the disc with confidence for Wisconsin. Adair is reflective of the overall depth Bella Donna boast, evident when they took third at the extremely windy East Coast Invite, nearly upsetting Penn in the semifinals. If Adair and other depth pieces are clicking, Wisconsin becomes a deep and dangerous team, not fun to face in a windy, one-bid regional.

Northwest

• Schedule & Results
• Location: Burlington, WA
• Number of Bids: 5
• Expected Qualifiers: #3 Washington, #4 UBC, #11 Western Washington, #12 Victoria, #13 Oregon
• In the Hunt: Utah
• Potential Spoilers: UBC-B
• Excitement Level: 

Run It Back

The Cascadia Conferences may very well have been the de facto regionals, given the attendance of all five bid-earners: #4 UBC Thunderbirds, #3 Washington Element, #11 Western Washington, #12 Victoria Vikes, and #13 Oregon Fugue. These teams will be the heavy favorites to cash in their tickets to Nationals, but the exact placement is up to anyone’s call. The Thunderbirds avenged their Northwest Challenge loss to Element with a comfortable 15-12 margin in the Conference final, but played a closer-than-expected match with a volatile Fugue team in pool play.

Neither UBC nor Washington have dropped a game to any other in-region opponent, and based on how deep both teams have been playing all season that seems unlikely to change at Regionals. On the other hand, the back-half of the qualifying hopefuls are in something of a dead heat (or as some like to call it, a circle of suck): Oregon has a pair of flipped universe results against Western Washington, who has two wins against Victoria including a 14-6 blowout, and Victoria managed to stay ahead of Oregon in their repeated encounters at Conferences.

Returning a whole contingent of elite-caliber players such as Trout Weybright, Syris Linkfield, and Miko Magnant, Fugue have had an admittedly slow start but have shown glimmers of brilliance as they’ve started to put offensive pieces in place. Both the Vikes and WWU Chaos have proven themselves to be a tier higher than pundits forecasted in the preseason, owing to veteran cores in Mari Nielsen, Ericka Edgell, and Lucy Robertson for UVic, and Alexa Coca, Amaya Krutsinger, and Amaya Shean-Jones for Western. It’s anyone’s tournament to shine, and definitive wins for one of these teams over the other two would make a strong case for their bracket potential at Nationals.

Where No B-Team Has Gone Before

The British Columbia B-team, Thunderwolves, have put together an extremely impressive regular season, going nearly undefeated at Stanford Open¹, and taking out a slew of ranked D-III teams en route to a 6-0 record at the at the D3 Grand Prix. They finished the regular season 30th in the projected rankings, a spot above Utah Spiral Jetty, who find themselves on the outside looking in after two consecutive trips to Nationals in 2024 and 2025.

If this had been a six-bid year for the Northwest, we’d have to start asking all sorts of questions²: Are schools allowed to send two teams to Nationals? Would UBC allow two teams to compete? What happens if the UBC teams have to play each other? Has a B team ever made D-I Nationals before? Sure, they might just be hypothetical right now, but the Thunderwolves have given us a real reason to consider the implications of such an outcome — if not now, then certainly in the near future. As it stands, they would have to make it past a seasoned big-stage team in Oregon, Victoria, or Western Washington, which is a tall but certainly not impossible task.

Postseason X-Factors

Anna Pettis (Washington) – Element have had success when their offensive star power shines in their one-on-one matchups, but they’ve looked the part of a title-contender the most when their defensive line can put the clamps on. There’s no better player to look to than Pettis, who is seen countless times making highlight layout blocks, but better yet uses her speed and high field IQ to prevent initial passes and often pressuring the most challenging match-ups for Washington.

Amelie Marshall (UBC) – We always say defense wins games, but in order for that to be true, you need a good D-offense. UBC’s D-line doesn’t just good offense, they can be a great one, and right in the middle of it all is Marshall. She has perfected the small-ball style that UBC utilize to great effect, and is more than capable of making gravity-defying plays to keep their possessions stingy.

Lily Terpstra (Utah) – This hasn’t been the best year for Spiral Jetty, and that’s at least in part because of Terpstra’s absence due to injury. However, her all-around playmaking and disc savvy-ness will be what Utah needs to stay in the later stages of Regionals, and maybe catch some teams by surprise.

Ohio Valley

• Schedule & Results
• Location: Leesport, PA
• Number of Bids: 1
• Expected Qualifiers: #9 Pennsylvania
• In the Hunt: Ohio State, Penn State³
• Potential Spoilers: Pittsburgh
• Excitement Level: 

Buttoned Up

There is a large statue of a button that sits as a landmark on the Penn campus. While some hold to a legend that a button from Ben Franklin’s vest fell off and split near this spot, it might as well symbolize Ohio Valley Regionals; Penn has this one buttoned up. Losing just to #5 North Carolina and #6 Tufts this season, Venus have amassed a 21-2 record with three times as many blowouts as one-score games. While Grace Maroon will be very high on our Top 25 player rankings, Penn is more than a one-person team; Sydney Neal and Poppy Wagner have both enjoyed standout seasons. At the end up of the day, it would be a shock to see any team other than Penn advance to Nationals – the real question is how far Venus can get into the Nationals bracket.

Battle of the Conferences

Below Penn, whose place at the top of the region is unlikely to be questioned, there are two conferences worth of teams who have yet to play each other this season. West of the Allegheny Mountains, Ohio State Fever have seen the most success. In Pennsylvania, Penn State Crisis seems to have overtaken Pittsburgh Danger as the primary challenger to Penn. Of that group, Ohio State has the best win this season (11-10 over #20 Michigan back in February) and finished ranked the highest, but nobody has seen the Ohio teams play the Pennsylvania teams yet this year. Fever will be favored to represent the field in the Regional final, but the battle of the state line will be fun to watch no matter who comes out on top.

Postseason X-Factors

Grace Maroon (Pennsylvania) – Maroon is blossoming into one of the biggest stars in the division. Her throwing ability gives Penn a credible threat to score from anywhere on the field and allows the team to play consistently through any adverse conditions.

Sydney Neal (Pennsylvania) – The graduate transfer added a very solid playmaker in the Venus backfield. With Neals ability to churn out resets and consistently move the disc upfield, Penn has a two-headed monster in their backfield that is near impossible to defend against.

Taylor Conroy (Pittsburgh) – While Pitt is a bit of a dark horse at Regionals, they do have the player who finished third in women’s division in goals at 2025 Club Championships. Conroy’s athleticism and ultimate IQ stand out among her peers and will elevate Pitt’s potential significantly this weekend.

Gwen Evans (Penn State) – While Penn State’s regular season was unremarkable, they do have exactly the kind of high-flying skillset that makes them a scary bracket opponent. They are tall and athletic, and triggering their attack is handler Gwen Evans. Capable of boosting the disc from a standstill, she has ample targets, and if she’s hitting, even good defenses might find themselves shaking their heads.

South Central

• Schedule & Results
• Location: Colorado Springs, CO
• Number of Bids: 1
• Expected Qualifiers: #8 Colorado
• In the Hunt: N/A
• Potential Spoilers: Texas, Washington University
• Excitement Level: 

Quandary’s World

To understand why the South Central is a one-bid region for the second straight year, you have to look to the west. To Stanford Invite, that is. That’s where Texas, ostensibly a Nationals-level team, stumbled their way into bad losses against Northeastern, Virginia, and Wisconsin to slither back out of bid range. The upshot is that we are 99.99% likely to see #8 Colorado Quandary cruise to a berth at Rockford.

What that means in practice is that we’ll likely see them continue to hone the many-hands-make-light-work approach they took to the regular season. Emma Williamson and Simone Pierotti ably take on a lot of the O-line handling. Beyond that, it gets pretty fluid. Quandary are spreading the play and the touches liberally between another dozen or more players, from established names like Fiona Cashin, Emma Smith, and Faye Burdick on down to several promising underclassmen. They can likely treat South Central Regionals like one more prime development weekend, knowing that in the unlikely event of trouble they can tighten up their lines and push through to Rockford.

Best of the Rest

It’s a shame about that second bid, too, because there would have been a sporting fight for it. Texas is a Nationals-level team without a Nationals-level strength bid. Standouts Karalie Morrison and Advika Kamatar continue to shine at the forefront of a relatively deep overall Melee roster. WashU, meanwhile, put together a sturdy season as well. (They always seem to put together a sturdy season, don’t they?) Led by a few upperclassmen who suit up with Stellar in the club season and a pipeline of New Jersey YCC prospects, they were competitive against the top level of non-Nationals teams all season long. They’re exactly the kind of team who would have pushed Texas. Alas, perhaps 2027 gets the South Central back to multiple bids.

Postseason X-Factors

Simone Pierotti (Colorado) – Batterymate Williamson, who has been at it a little longer, gets more attention, but don’t sleep on Pierotti, who has raised her game in a major way in 2026. Her throws are bigger and sharper, and she has become more confident demanding the disc (as well as more adept in getting it). More than a few Quandary scores are going to pure Pierotti creations.

Advika Kamatar (Texas) – Kamatar’s season of experience with Austin Disco Club last summer and fall has translated into her becoming a linchpin for her college outfit. She never loses poise when the offense breaks down, but keeps offering available looks and incisive throws to keep the ship steady in a storm.

Georgia Hansen (Kansas) – Kansas Betty are not likely to push toward a South Central title in 2026, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a big-time player. The second-year Hansen has all of the earmarks of being one of those college stars who ply their trade just outside the national spotlight, including major playmaking and an indefatigable spirit.

Southeast

• Schedule & Results
• Location: Decatur, AL
• Number of Bids: 1
• Expected Qualifiers: #25 Georgia
• In the Hunt: #24 Florida
• Potential Spoilers: Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Emory
• Excitement Level: 

Florida Georgia Line

No, we’re not talking about the chart-topping musical duo.⁴ We’re talking about the thin veil separating the two teams head-and-shoulders above the rest of the competition at Southeast Regionals: #25 Georgia Athena and #24 Florida FUEL. Athena wrested control of the region from Fuel in 2019 and haven’t looked back since, taking every title for six straight years. Is the balance finally going to tip back toward Florida?

It might if Jia Johnson has anything to say about it. She has been on a mission in 2026, driving Florida with an iron will. Between her determined play behind the disc and a fleet of athletic cutters (including the excellent Hannah Palka) chasing it down, Florida have been notching victories that had seemed elusive in recent years. Remember, they won Centex over a heavily favored UCLA. FUEL have a great shot.

They also have a great opponent in Georgia, who have been doing everything they can in 2026 to diversify their attack and train up more of the roster to be in top-flight shape for the postseason. Georgia have faced other seemingly ready challengers during their six-year Nationals run, and their closest Southeast final in that span was 15-9. And with superstar Quincy Booth in her senior year still tossing dimes like she’s at a payphone, the odds are fairly good they’ll tack on a seventh. Look for Keely Baker, Jemia Johnson, and Tristan Thompson to be among the many non-Booth names Athena have been training up for the big moments, too.

And Yet I Wonder…

There are a few dark horses lurking in the stable, in the form of Georgia Tech, Emory, Tennessee, that have some potential to interrupt the expected Georgia-Florida showdown. The case for Tennessee is easy to see: a 17-1 regular season record. They were actually sitting on a strength bid until some second order effects and a couple of less-than-ideal results (a close win over Appalachian State and a loss to St. Olaf) knocked them down the rankings. They have a few stalwart seniors, and a pair of underclassmen in Abby Deeter and Cate McAfee who could be opening a new chapter for B.O.S.

Georgia Tech and Emory, in comparison, didn’t do nearly as much with their regular season. Georgia Tech’s Katie Sanders gives them one of the region’s most fearsome players, while Emory topped Tennessee a couple of weekends ago. Never count out stars in the postseason, a piece of wisdom at least partially justified by the fact that they both leapfrogged Tennessee at Southern Appalachian Conferences. Still, a run to the Southeast final by either of them would be a stunning development.

Postseason X-Factors

Jia Johnson (Florida) – Perhaps no player has put her personal stamp on Southeast women’s this year more than Johnson. She is the end-all, be-all of the Florida attack. Stoic in the handler space and merciless when she spies a chance to reach the disc on defense, count on her to keep whipping up the entire FUEL team to their highest potential.

Tristan Thompson (Georgia) – Let’s peel our eyes off of Quincy Booth for a moment to take stock of one of her up-and-coming teammates. Thompson, a rookie, has found her footing in college ultimate well so far. She brings a top-level quickness to the field that has served her well on both offense and defense so far, and she appears to be getting more comfortable taking command of possessions. Bookmark the name now.

Maia Mikulcik (Central Florida) – Small roster, killer zone, incredible conditioning, and 1-2 dynamic offensive players has been the Sirens’ formula for more than a decade. Maia Mikulcik is the latest central piece to develop within that mold. She’s a nightmare on defense and will heft the entire weight of the UCF offense to scores (and potential scares for opponents) all weekend. She’ll be one of the higher-touch individuals at the entire tournament.

Southwest

• Schedule & Results
• Location: Bakersfield, CA
• Number of Bids: 5
• Expected Qualifiers: #2 UC Santa Cruz, #7 Stanford, #10 UC San Diego, #17 UCLA, #15 UC Davis
• In the Hunt: #14 Cal Poly SLO, UC Santa Barbara
• Potential Spoilers: Southern California, California
• Excitement Level: 

When the Dust Settles

Remember when we said last year that there were one too many bids for things to be interesting? Well, USAU clearly heard our call and capped bids at five per region, forcing the slew of top Southwest teams to duke it out in Bakersfield. The “expected qualifiers” label is a misnomer⁵: after #2 UCSC Sol and #7 Stanford Superfly, there’s no rhyme or reason to who we might see rise above the mayhem.

On paper, #14 Cal Poly SLO Motion is the first team out, even if their 17th position in the projected rankings would ordinarily be good for another bid. This up and coming SLO Motion team has rounded into really nice form as the season progressed, topping it off with an undefeated Conferences and a 15-6 whooping of #17 UCLA BLU in the final. Lia Romeo and Zsa Zsa Gelfand are extremely capable quarterbacks in high-pressure scenarios, and if their recent results are any indication, Cal Poly might just find themselves comfortably ahead of the game to go.

Will it be #10 UC San Diego? Dragon Coalition have shown an incredibly high ceiling all season long with their ability to push the pace, but had a disappointing Conferences showing. They suffered losses to unranked UCSB Burning Skirts and Cal Poly SLO Motion, though they rebounded in their second match against the Skirts to settle for third. D-Co will look to Sanam Rozycki-Shah, Mars Bau, and Dylan Mullaney stretching the field to reassert themselves as the best of the SoCal squads and avoid any down-to-the-wire Sunday situations.

What do we make of #15 UC Davis? Rogue has had an infusion of young handler talent in Julia Segre and Ally Duff, who have stepped in seamlessly to an experienced core with Morgan Strong and Kasey Zeng to take down the likes of #8 Colorado Quandary and #11 Western Washington. They have a favorable Regionals pool play match-up against UCLA, whom they most recently overcame at Stanford Invite 13-7. Davis will need to draw on their previous big-game experience if they find themselves once again in the game to go.

UCLA BLU have to be the darlings of the 2026 season, having been snubbed in the preseason power rankings and immediately proving their mettle with statement wins over regional rivals UC Davis, UCSB, and Cal Poly SLO. BLU have also played close with the likes of UC San Diego 12-11 and UCSC 12-10, the latter of which may have been their best result of the season given the strength of the Sol side. Sabrina Belkin and Mya Mitchell may be the most potent duo in the region, and when they’re cooking, there’s no reason to believe that UCLA will be in a tough spot come Sunday.

The UCSB Burning Skirts haven’t missed Nationals in seven years, but the quest for an eighth straight appearance is an uphill battle. Nevertheless, the Skirts might be better equipped for that battle than previously thought, with a 15-11 win over UCSD at SoCal Conferences. Graduating program legends Laura Blume and Devin Quinn might easily have been a death knell, but UCSB have had marked success honing team-grown talent in players such as Aya Smoot, Cindy Yang, and Gabby Wang. It’s not too hard to imagine the Burning Skirts blazing their way to the game-to-go, and in that situation, no team can be at ease.

Game of Thrones

Stanford Superfly and UCSC Sol have been a step ahead of the rest of the region all season, and there’s really no sign that that will change this weekend. Among themselves, however, a fierce battle rages for the Southwest regional title. After falling to Sol in three separate match-ups, Superfly seemed to have found the secret sauce (mixed in with a splash of home turf advantage and inclement weather conditions) to push UCSC to universe point at NorCal Conferences.

While they ended up just short at 11-10, the second time proved to be the charm. The Stanford D-line, led by Esther Filipek and Nicole Lambert, came out firing in the final after going down 8-4 in the first half, managing to eke out enough mistakes from Sol to seal the deal at 14-13. To their credit, UCSC has looked and played the part of a National semifinalist all season, with players such as Alexandra Lehrer, Paige Jenkins, and Lexie Buckley rising to the occasion and distributing the highly-productive workload for Sol. Despite the Conferences title defeat, they’re still 4-1 against a similarly strong Nationals contender in Superfly, and have more than a convincing case to be the best of the West.

Postseason X-Factors

Sabrina Belkin (UCLA) – Belkin has put the whole division on alert with her absolutely dominant performance for a BLU team that wasn’t really on anyone’s radar. And even though by now everyone knows she’s the player to stop, few can do it. She can churn out every-other cuts if need be, but usually she’ll just settle for putting up dots that ask very little of the receiver except to run straight onto the disc.

Margot Nissen (UC San Diego) – Even in the early season, Dragon Coalition held their own against the top of the top, matching them blow for blow with clean, high-precision possessions. More often than not it’s Nissen driving those possessions, with a wide range of throws that can stretch the field and an ability to set a rapid-but-not-rushed tempo against zone defenses.

Lucy Mertz (UC Davis) – Rogue have had some high variance results in the season, but one thing that hasn’t changed is Mertz’s role as the core connective tissue in their offense. She has plenty of experience winning the deep game but can also dictate with her throws as an initiating cutter, making her a capable release valve anywhere on the field.

Kai Agueros (UC Santa Cruz) – Agueros has been a cheat code for UCSC in some of the most competitive games during the regular season, with their uncanny ability to bait blocks and the even more uncanny ability to repeatedly elude the attention of defenders to give their teammates wide open deep shots. Sol will look to take advantage of Agueros’s two-way playing to reclaim the number one spot in the Southwest.

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1. They lost only to UCSC Sol, who had to earn their way to Stanford Invite after some logistical mishaps ↩

2. Someone out there probably knows the answer to these, but I certainly don’t off the top of my head ↩

3. We received word post-publication that Ohio will not be attending Regionals, as it overlaps with graduation ↩

4. Anytime anyone wants to talk about any chart-topping musical duos, though, hit me up. Love duos. ↩

5. to avoid any responsibility for these takes, I opted to go with the bid earners ↩