The classic 1v2 matchup is also a rematch of last year's final!
May 25, 2026 by TJ Lee and Kiana Hu 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.
ROCKFORD, IL — Grab your popcorn and settle in, folks. We’ve played the games, we’ve had our fun, and now it’s time for business: the no.1 vs. no.2 rematch of last year’s instant classic between Carleton and UBC. The Thunderbirds secured their second-ever title in a hotly contested back-and-forth bout, and Carleton was left biding their time for another chance to strike. Now is that time.
Carleton Syzygy
How They Got Here
- Def. Georgia 15 – 4
- Def. Colorado 15 – 12
- Def. UCLA 15 – 7
- Def. Victoria 15 – 4
- Def. Oregon in quarters 15 – 13
- Def. Tufts in semis 15 – 14
Statistical Leaders
- Chloe Hakimi – 7 Goals, 36 Assists, 5 Blocks, 23 Turnovers
- Naomi Fina – 14 Goals, 8 Assists, 4 Blocks, 12 Turnovers
- Helen Burruss – 6 Goals, 17 Assists, 5 Blocks, 17 Turnovers
- Audrey Goeddeke – 4 Goals, 5 Assists, 9 Blocks, 12 Turnovers
Entering the weekend as the top seed, #1 Carleton Syzygy have yet to lose this season and have been the de facto team to beat after adding the most stacked rookie class in the history of women’s college ultimate. We heralded the start of their dynasty at the very first tournament of the season, and thus far, they’ve given us little reason to question that call. Their three regular-season titles against the most competitive fields, and the fact that they allowed only 10 points across 11 games at Conferences and Regionals, underscore the dominance of this Syzygy outfit.
Carleton has been a bit more tested in the Nationals bracket, narrowly besting Oregon in a tight 15-13 quarterfinal and making it through the semifinal against Tufts EWO 15-14 by the teeth of their skin. Having to bounce back as a team from several serious injuries this season, Syzygy have had to adjust to different personnel and strengths at each tournament, and their ability to close out all of these games speak to their resiliency and adaptability. It’s much easier to do that when you have a deep, talented roster: their O-line is chock full of speedy cutters who are just as comfortable behind the disc, and their D-line is as disciplined as defenses get on a turn. If for some reason that isn’t enough, they’re all more than capable of making highlight-reel plays.
British Columbia Thunderbirds
How They Got Here
- Def. UNC 15 – 7
- Def. Michigan 15 – 6
- Def. Cal Poly-SLO 15 – 3
- Def. Western Washington 15 – 7
- Def. Colorado in quarters 15 – 8
- Def. Stanford in semis 15 – 11
Statistical Leaders
- Claire Weng – 17 Goals, 9 Assists, 8 Blocks, 12 Turnovers
- Ella Bolan – 6 Goals, 16 Assists, 2 Blocks, 15 Turnovers
- Amelie Marshall – 6 Goals, 16 Assists, 1 Block, 20 Turnovers
- Mika Kurahashi – 10 Goals, 12 Assists, 1 Block, 4 Turnovers
#3 British Columbia Thunderbirds have similarly battled injury all year, and even now there are question marks around some of their roster. Mika Kurahashi has sat out multiple weekends during the regular season, and even now is still not 100%. Ella Bolan took a hard hit during the semifinal against Stanford, and will not return for the final. But this is far from a two-person show. Amelie Marshall and Claire Weng both have a nose for scoring, and Lauren Szeto-Fung has proven to be one of the best lockdown defenders at this tournament.
While British Columbia has had an up-and-down season with close wins and losses, they have been in clear control in every game they played at Nationals so far. Stanford is the only team to score double digits on them this weekend, and that only happened in the semifinal, where they led wire-to-wire. The Thunderbirds did go from leading 6-2 to giving up four straight, and will need to clean up some mistakes. But this team is ready to go back-to-back.
British Columbia is 0-2 against Carleton this year, but they went from losing 12-10 in Santa Barbara to losing on universe at Northwest Challenge.
It’s really anyone’s game tomorrow. Carleton will look to keep UBC on its toes with a variety of set plays and creative throwing. The Thunderbirds will do best if they can lean into their fast-paced, quick-throw motion, which has been incredibly effective all weekend. Both teams have extremely deep rosters that will look to build defensive pressure with their field smarts and their legs. This is a showdown of greats that you won’t want to miss.
Tune in tomorrow at 12 p.m. CT / 1 p.m. ET on ESPNU to catch all the exciting action.
