With five new teams in the field, we're taking a look at every team and every pool at Nationals!
October 20, 2026 by Laura Osterlund and Alex Rubin in Preview
Ultiworld’s coverage of the 2026 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.
The first pull of the 2026 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.
The ever-shifting landscape of the Mixed Division features a group of teams with a wide variety of storylines: established power programs trying to add to their legacy, the reigning champs looking for a back-to-back-to-back, five new-to-Nationals teams hoping to make their names known, and everything in between. In a division famous for its surprises, there are plenty of teams with the potential to bust brackets.
Upsets and high-flying plays are assured during what’s heralded as the best tournament in the world, so let’s dive right in.
Ultiworld Event Page — USAU Competition Schedule — Streaming Schedule
Pool A | Pool B | Pool C | Pool D
Pool A
New York XIST
Pool Seeding: A1
Power Ranking: #2
Regional Finish: NE1
Overall 2026 Record: 13-2
Against the Nationals Field: 8-2
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. AMP
For the past few seasons, New York XIST have stood on the precipice of winning it all. Although they’ve seen a few podiums, most notably a second-place finish at last year’s National Championships, they’ve never won a main leg of the TCT1. On paper, XIST have every reason to win it all. They have all the building blocks: a roster with the depth and star power to beat, a near-flawless record, and systems that work well.
Roster-wise, they have the epitome of an all-star team. With Sadie Jezierski, Oliver Chartock, Theresa Yu, Jolie Krebs, Ben Katz, Abby Cheng, and Emma Piorier as their ceiling and a non-existent floor, XIST have the ability to run the hell out of just about every given team. Their 14-2 USAU record, not counting their 9-1 run at WUCC, speaks for itself. Despite a loss to their pool-mates, AMP, to open their season at Pro-Elite Challenge East, XIST won the tournament and placed second at US Open, losing to Hybrid in the final.
What’s been holding XIST back? Themselves. Their lack of championship games (compared to Hybrid) prior to last season’s finale seemed to have created a pressure with which they could not keep up. But as we all know, pressure builds to create diamonds, and if XIST can hold on, they will get a nice shiny one to add to a championship ring2.
Likely Ceiling: National Champions
Likely Floor: Semifinals
Philadelphia AMP
Pool Seeding: A2
Power Ranking: #8
Regional Finish: MA2
Overall 2026 Record: 14-3
Against the Nationals Field: 4-3
Against the Pool: 1-0 vs. XIST, 1-0 vs. California Burrito, 0-1 vs. Port Authority
After spending a few years in the middle of the pack of the Nationals field in the mixed division3, Philadelphia AMP appear to have graduated back to the upper tier. This season, they took third at Pro-Elite Challenge East, where they beat their pool-mates, XIST, to open their season. And then they placed second at Elite-Select Challenge. With other meaningful wins against California Burrito and Austin Disco Club, AMP put a nice stamp on their regular season.
They have good reason to look this good; star Lindsay McKenna is at the top of her game. An elite cutter, she’s one of the biggest downfield threats in the game, and her throwing prowess is not something to scoff at either. Chase Rawlins also broke out in the UFA this season with Philly and will no doubt look to do the same in mixed club. The additions of Grace Maroon, James Pollard, and (re-addition of) Paul Owens add additional versatility.
AMP’s regional loss to Port Authority in the first-place game raises concerns, especially if there is any bit of bad weather, as they gear up to face even tougher competition. They also have a habit of playing close games, especially at Nationals, where every opponent will look to bring their A-game. However, one should not get too nervous, as all signs point to AMP bringing it as well.
Likely Ceiling: Semifinals
Likely Floor: Prequarters
San Diego California Burrito
Pool Seeding: A3
Power Ranking: #9
Regional Finish: SW2
Overall 2026 Record: 21-7
Against the Nationals Field: 4-6
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. AMP
For the first time ever in the mixed division, Nationals has a “home team.” After doing everything right last season — adding Khalif El-Salaam, a player who brought the team to the level they needed to be at, and earning their own strength-bid to Nationals — they fell just short of their goal, losing to Arizona Lawless in the game-to-go. So, this season, they made sure to stay in control of their Nationals fate. Not only did they earn a bid again4, but they also added depth in Ava Hanna and Pieran Robert and won the games they needed to for a Nationals berth. This is adding to the undeniable trio of Dena Slattery, El-Salaam, and Marcel Osborne, creating an extra edge that boosted Burrito over the top as a team to look out for in their own city.
Despite their minor, but notable, home-turf advantage, they will be facing an uphill battle. Even though Burrito have a decent ceiling, their offensive depth is not at the level of others at the Surf Cup Sports Park. Additionally, a team’s first time at Nationals can amount to significant pressure to perform well. Their undoubtedly excited crew should nonetheless be up for the task, and one can expect some ready challengers out of Burrito as they hit the fields.
Likely Ceiling: Quarterfinals
Likely Floor: Out on Day One
Pittsburgh Port Authority
Pool Seeding: A4
Power Ranking: #12
Regional Finish: MA1
Overall 2026 Record: 20-6
Against the Nationals Field: 2-2
Against the Pool: 1-0 vs. AMP
Beep, beep, a new team has rolled into the San Diego station! Port Authority’s season, which included a third-place finish at Elite-Select Challenge, instilled in them the feeling that their season could last a bit longer than regionals. The theme of season was growth. Even with the powers of players such as Alex Thomas and Max Sheppard, others among the likes of Jenna Nold, Haley Young, and Jake Murray have been staples of the team and helped their teammates step up to the next level.
“The team’s been around for four years; I’ve been around for three of those years, seeing some of these people growing steadily through the first two years that I was on the team. But something really happened this year,” said Port captain Kit Asterin. “I’m not even entirely sure myself what it was, but a lot of people just found something in themselves and got their play to the next level. When your floor gets brought up like that, when the people really raise themselves up, then that consistency is powerful.”
Even though a poor performance at Pro-Elite Challenge East foiled their hopes of earning their own bid to Nationals, they did not become discouraged. In a battle through the rain and constant 30-mile-per-hour winds, Port played the game of their lives against AMP in the regional final. In a back-and-forth game, Port used their ability to score upwind when needed and combined with a three-point run to break on an eventful universe point, Port Authority became the first team since 2016 not named AMP or Rally to win the Mid-Atlantic region, securing their spot at Nationals.
Despite being the bottom seed of their pool, Port Authority feel confident they can make some waves as they book their tickets to California, perhaps even taking public transit to get there.
“Watch out,” Asterin said.
Likely Ceiling: Quarterfinals
Likely Floor: Out on Day One
Pool B
Ann Arbor Hybrid
Pool Seeding: B1
Power Ranking: #1
Regional Finish: GL1
Overall 2026 Record: 19-3
Against the Nationals Field: 10-2
Against the Pool: 3-0 vs. shame., 1-0 vs. Mixtape
Although not the one-seed, Ann Arbor Hybrid are considered somewhat heavy favorites to win Nationals. Fresh off a World Club title, Ann Arbor Hybrid now looks to do what few teams have done before: summit the double peak. All season long, Hybrid have demonstrated absolute dominance, sitting in the upper echelon of the mixed division. Despite a bumpier start to the season, due to the losses of Jon Mast and Lina Montenegro — two handlers in their offensive unit — they bounced right back to win US Open and WUCC.
Their loss to Austin Disco Club in the Pro Champs final may have raised some concern with skeptics, but they seem as confident as ever that they will bounce back.
“I’ve been watching tennis documentaries with Serena [Williams], and tennis is a very isolated game. They’ve talked about the journey of enjoyment, and then it becomes your job, and then somehow getting back to the enjoyment,” said Mast, who has transitioned to a coaching role this season. “From a team aspect, trying to take that idea and incorporate it into Hybrid where we enjoy it, we have fun, we take it very seriously with practice and doing the small things well, and now also finding ways to enjoy that whole process so it’s not fun and serious. It’s just together.”
It’s hard to doubt the strengths of the team whose roster has stayed fairly consistent through the past few years. Their offense runs like a well-oiled machine, and their defense is just as powerful.
“It’s cliché, but just being present and enjoying the moment has been the message,” said Mast. “We’ve won back-to-back years, but every year is its own challenge, its own container. This year’s been about forgetting any previous things we’ve done. It’s just about this year, and we can control every practice, every play. It doesn’t matter who the favorites are; we’re just going to show up and play the game of frisbee.”
If they win Nationals this year, they would become the second team in the mixed division to triple-peat and solidify themselves as one of the best dynasties in recent history.
Likely Ceiling: National Champions
Likely Floor: Semifinals
Fort Collins shame.
Pool Seeding: B2
Power Ranking: #6
Regional Finish: SC1
Overall 2026 Record: 14-9
Against the Nationals Field: 5-8
Against the Pool: 0-3 vs. Hybrid
Back competing on US soil after their first-ever trip to WUCC this summer, an experience that gave them meaningful moments to build their mentality, Fort Collins shame. will once again be seeking to make some noise in San Diego.
Skepticism arose after shame. went 2-4 at US Open but beat Sprocket in the quarterfinal to end up finishing fourth overall. They then showed up to Pro Champs with a motley crew (due to multiple injuries sustained at WUCC) and, just like they did a month prior, had another 2-4 record with another Sprocket victory in the quarterfinals and another fourth-place result.
The cards are stacked against them to get far into the bracket this time, as Sprocket won’t be here, but if any team knows how to go on runs for a comeback, it’s shame.. And with Rory Veldman looking in good form, Cole Wallin stepping up to play his best, and Blaise Sevier continuing to hold it down on defense to get superhuman blocks, shame. fans shouldn’t be too worried. The team also knows that the season is all about peaking at the right time.
“Looking to play our best at the two main tournaments that matter means other tournaments have been more focused on development,” said shame. coach Marvin Vuong.
Having caught the injury plague, the big preparation shame. are doing to prepare for the Big Dance in San Diego is trying to get their players healthy in between ironing out their systems and adding refinement to get the best out of all of their players. Additionally, they’re “enjoying Balloon Fiesta” and “playing a lot of MapTap,” according to Vuong, which surely will keep them locked in throughout the weekend.
Likely Ceiling: Semifinals
Likely Floor: Prequarters
Los Angeles Lotus
Pool Seeding: B3
Power Ranking: #15
Regional Finish: SW3
Overall 2026 Record: 21-10
Against the Nationals Field: 4-6
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. Mixtape
In their seven years of existing as a team, Los Angeles Lotus have seen quite a few bests and firsts. They finished fifth at PEC West, beat three top-16 teams (Drag’n Thrust, Tower, and BFG), earned their own bid to Nationals, and soundly beat Mischief to keep it. They entered that Southwest game-to-go determined, as they had lost to Mischief on universe the day before. From the opening pull, Lotus put the clamps down on defense to generate turns and kept their offense moving quickly. They gained a 9-1 lead and never looked back.
“This gives our team a new sense of belief about what we are capable of when we are locked-in from point one. I can’t wait to take this new confidence into not only Nationals but the future of Lotus as a program. We’ve had to earn everything to get to this point, and I’m so proud to be a part of it,” said Lotus captain Jesse Cohen. “That said, the season is not over and we will continue to work to achieve the remaining goals we set at the start of the season together.”
Like most newcomers to the Nationals scene this year, Lotus’ eager optimism and relatively unknown quantity keep them a wildcard among their competition. They plan to take a business-as-usual approach to Nationals and focus on the players (past and present) and systems that have gotten them this far.
“Everything that we’ve done to get to this point will be the same things that propel us to new heights in the future,” Cohen said.
Likely Ceiling: Quarterfinals
Likely Floor: Out on Day One
Seattle Mixtape
Pool Seeding: B4
Power Ranking: #13
Regional Finish: NW2
Overall 2026 Record: 12-10
Against the Nationals Field: 1-5
Against the Pool: 1-0 vs. Lotus, 0-1 vs. Hybrid
Another year, another victory against BFG in the Northwest game-to-go. Except this time they did it a bit more convincingly. Despite mainly losing to teams in the Nationals field, Mixtape have held their own in every game they’ve been in, making sure the score remained (relatively) close. They had a promising start to the beginning of their season, with a fourth-place finish at Pro-Elite Challenge West that included one win over LA Lotus in the quarterfinal, but their season only struggled from there as they failed to make the brackets at US Open and Elite-Select Challenge.
They’ve got the young guns with a few years under their belts in Zepplin Raunig, Lucy Tanner, and Marc Munoz balancing out the handful of old guard who remain, as well as Rachel Joy-Rocha and Ocean Hines added to the mix, to really bring in the heat.
Likely Ceiling: Quarterfinals
Likely Floor: Out on Day One
Pool C
Sacramento Tower
Pool Seeding: C1
Power Ranking: #3
Regional Finish: SW1
Overall 2026 Record: 19-3
Against the Nationals Field: 9-1
Against the Pool: 1-0 vs. Polar Bears, 1-0 vs. Scorch
For the past few years, Sacramento Tower have been overlooked and their ceiling underestimated. Casual fans rarely look past the team’s star players, namely Robyn Fennig, who is ranked fourth in Ultiworld’s Top 25 Players this season. Both years they’ve competed at Nationals, they’ve placed much lower than their initial seed. But this season looks a little bit different. In all of the struggles in seasons past, Tower have been slowly improving, growing stronger, and have now become a top-four-level team that can compete at the highest level.
The first sign: their Elite-Select Challenge win. By setting the tone right away and competing with intention, it allowed the team to take the step forward they needed. Another difference maker: their mental game. The team’s captains and coaches helped their players work on their performance goals, confidence, and mindsets to make sure they were set up for success.
“I am a huge Brewers fan, and I feel so seen in the team culture the Brewers cultivated over the past two seasons. When I hear the guys in interviews, they talk a lot about being relentless,” said Fennig. “The thing about being relentless is that you can’t just decide to be relentless. It requires the body of work to truly be unyielding. It’s a stubbornness to not give up that comes without ego, and that only exists when you truly believe in your teammates and their ability to shine.
“We added depth and raised our floor considerably by some new roster additions (Kat Harper, Tanner Marshall, Carson Crouch, Jacob Miller, Cori Bigham) and the returning players really putting in a ton of work (Sam Burns, Kyle Glanzman, John Butler, Kris Weyenberg, Katie Angstadt-Leto, Colin Smith),” she continued. “I am not shocked we got the type of folks we added or grew significantly this year, because good team culture attracts the energy it puts out in a way that amplifies. They could go to the Bay and play with a lot of different teams. People want to stay in or come to Sacramento because it’s empowering to be on a team like this.”
Likely Ceiling: National Champions
Likely Floor: Quarterfinals
San Francisco Polar Bears
Pool Seeding: C2
Power Ranking: #10
Regional Finish: SW3
Overall 2026 Record: 23-6
Against the Nationals Field: 6-5
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. Tower, 0-1 vs. Drag’n Thrust, 0-1 vs. Scorch
Welcome back to Nationals, San Francisco Polar Bears! After a four-year drought, they’re finally back to the SoCal sands.
Polar Bears started their season with big news of a roster refresh, adding Chagall and Zsa Zsa Gelfand, Noah Fong, Lexi Zalk, Itay Chang, Byron Liu, and re-adding Margot Stert to their lineup. By keeping the bones of the team but adding elite talent to what already existed, this iteration of Polar Bears was set up for success from the get-go. And it most certainly paid off. With Chagall Gelfand running the ship from the handler position, working with said rookie class, Aaron Shi, Margo Donahue, and Molly Munson, it can be a scary thing to defend. To keep them on that trajectory, Polar Bears put a focus on refining and polishing their execution, as well as on keeping the team culture strong.
Overall, Polar Bears have already had quite the season, winning Fruit Bowl and Pro-Elite Challenge West thanks to their ability to find open spaces and their punishing offenses. The worst they’ve placed at a tournament so far has been third, at both Colorado Summer Solstice and Southwest Regionals; thus, they are “statistically destined” to make it far in the bracket.5
“We’ve been talking a lot about just being present and soaking up these ‘fleeting moments’ as the season comes to a close,” said Polar Bears leadership, “leaning into the joy of being together and playing with our bodies more than our brains.”
The renaissance of Polar Bears appears to be upon us. There’s no telling how far it will go.
Likely Ceiling: Semifinals
Likely Floor: Prequarters
Minneapolis Drag’n Thrust
Pool Seeding: C3
Power Ranking: #5
Regional Finish: NC1
Overall 2026 Record: 14-9
Against the Nationals Field: 5-7
Against the Pool: 1-0 vs. Polar Bears
Since their first appearance at club Nationals almost 15 years ago, Minneapolis Drag’n Thrust have been a pretty consistent top dog. In those years, they’ve been a team to watch. However, this season comes with a few more doubts after posting the worst overall season record they’ve had as a team. Missing pieces, mainly due to injury, caused a turbulent start to their season, with a sixth-place finish at Colorado Summer Solstice and eighth place at US Open.
But one should not count them out quite yet. Drag’n are no strangers to deep bracket runs during their time in California, as they have made it to three semifinals of the last four seasons. They also have the personnel; adding Sarah Meckstroth, Emma Peaslee, and Tanner Barcus to their post-season roster will undoubtedly help their already strong core and preseason pickups of Alyssa Ehrhardt, Justin Burnett, and Liz Hart (among others).
“People will probably see a version of Drag’n that a lot of the frisbee world is used to seeing a little bit more, a team that is very gritty,” said captain Rachel Johnson. “I’m excited for our peak to come at Nationals and for everything to come together in a way that maybe just didn’t happen in different parts of the season. But we didn’t want to peak at US Open and Pro Champs. Just excited to put our best foot forward and really compete at Nationals, put a lot of pressure on some of the top contenders that have been doing well this season.”
The question remains: Have they worked on their systems enough to make it far? Or will this weekend look similar to other results this season?
Likely Ceiling: Semifinals
Likely Floor: Prequarters
Oregon Scorch
Pool Seeding: C4
Power Ranking: #11
Regional Finish: NW1
Overall 2026 Record: 21-7
Against the Nationals Field: 2-5
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. Tower, 1-0 vs. Polar Bears
If you like placing your bets on the ultimate dark horse, Oregon Scorch is the team for you. Seemingly coming out of nowhere6, they not only stole a bid to Nationals, but they also won the Northwest region, becoming the first team from Oregon to win their region since Wolverines in 2011 and the first Oregon mixed team to make Nationals since The Administrators in 2014.
Don’t let the low seed fool you; Scorch have played close games against several teams in the Nationals field, and they staged big comebacks in their wins against both Polar Bears at Fruit Bowl and Mixtape at Regionals. Their roster is nothing to scoff at either, with some WUL Oregon Soar stars, including an explosive Jackie Riley looking to lead the division in blocks, Raina Kamrat, and Sylvi Barnes. Combined with the brains of Dan Young and Ben Whitenack and the youth of Sam London and Presten Berg, the team’s in good shape.
With the personnel and drive, their eyes are set on making waves.
“Our goal for Nationals is to continue playing our game and see how far we can get! We know we can run with any team in the division and hope to give a few juggernauts a run for their money. We’re confident we will win games in our pool and are certainly not ‘just happy to be here,'” said Scorch leadership.
“More importantly, however, we are going to play our hearts out and have a great time sharing the field with one another one more time this season,” they continued. “As first-time Nationals qualifiers, we see Nationals as an unmatched opportunity to continue to grow our program the way we have over the last five years. We are so excited to get an extended weekend of opportunities to play against the best of the best and get all of our players exposure to big moments.”
Likely Ceiling: Quarterfinals
Likely Floor: Out on Day One
Pool D
Boston Slow
Pool Seeding: D1
Power Ranking: #4
Regional Finish: NE2
Overall 2026 Record: 22-7
Against the Nationals Field: 6-5
Against the Pool: 1-0 vs. Disco Club, 1-0 vs. Toro, 1-0 vs. Union
As they have for the last 20 years, Slow will be making an October trip to Nationals. Their longevity and sustained success are just as impressive as their play on the field. Slow boast difference makers all over the roster, from Jac Carreiro and Yuge Xiao on the defensive side to Jaelee Cruz and Christian Foster in the offensive backfield.
The standout skill on this team though is the timing, spacing, and patience that downfield cutters play with. Olivia Hampton, Erin Rea, Piers MacNaughton, and Davis Whitehead pick and choose their spaces of attack and facilitate an egalitarian offense in which nobody has to be the star.
And despite that, some players still stand out. This season Ray Tetreault has been given opportunities to touch the disc more often and he’s become a key connector on the offense. Rookie Geir Hartl is stepping into a counterattack quarterback role and showing impressive poise for someone playing mixed for the first time at any competitive level. Chloe Rowse, Tyler Chan, and Sarah Jeung are all good for at least one highlight play in a given game.
Slow will have a challenge in pool play, as the stalwarts of the division face off against upstarts Austin Disco Club. Winning that game will provide a much easier path to get back to the semifinal stage, a place Slow haven’t been since 2017. A consistent top-five team in the Ultiworld Power Rankings this season, Slow have their best chance in a decade to keep their season alive until the showcase games. With the old school energy of a field-site semifinal round (rather than the more distant and modern stadium setting), it seems meant to be that an old school team like Slow would reach the heights of yesteryear and usher in another competitive window of title contention.
Likely Ceiling: Semifinal
Likely Floor: Prequarters
Austin Disco Club
Pool Seeding: D2
Power Ranking: #7
Regional Finish: SC2
Overall 2026 Record: 17-6
Against the Nationals Field: 5-6
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. Slow, 1-1 vs. Toro
A fun underdog story from the oft-maligned ultimate flatland in Texas, Austin Disco Club came into Nationals each of the last two seasons with high expectations and merely made meek prequarters appearances. This season, Disco Club took a competitive step up and are legitimately pushing for a better finish than the team has ever had before.
Austin’s run through the bracket at Pro Champs will offer good practice playing in a high-stakes environment and much needed confidence after their takedown of top seeded two-time defending champions Ann Arbor Hybrid. For a team whose success thus far was really limited to Regionals, taking down the defining team of the division in a marquee game must have felt good, but should also be a program-shifting result.
Disco Club’s ascent can be attributed to a few elements, the first and most obvious of which is the growth of their young players. Myles Armstrong is blossoming into one of the most complete players in the division. His dynamic, two-way abilities on offense kept the holds flowing against high-level defenses, and it was his defensive play six weeks ago in the Pro Champs final that sealed the game with a run-through catch block on what looked to be a simple reset. His attention to detail and willingness to compete every moment he is on the field makes him a special player and someone Disco Club can build around.
A few additions are also powering ADC’s improvement. Back from a knee injury, Caroline Stone adds throwing power and versatility to a team who otherwise has solid fundamentals but not as much flash in the backfield. Carly Atwell brings polish to a team that in the past has been okay with some offensive controlled chaos. Jake Worthington’s height, Ria Stevens’ grit, and Saaketh Palchuru’s composure all add to a well-rounded, sturdy Disco Club team and have made a major impact on the field.
Just because a team wins a major regular season event offers no guarantees for how they’ll perform at Nationals. It will be up to Disco Club to keep their own party bopping. When the music stops and the lights come on, this season will already be considered a success, but pushing past prequarters at Nationals will make sure everyone has a happy ride home.
Likely Ceiling: Semifinals
Likely Floor: Prequarters
Durham Toro
Pool Seeding: D3
Power Ranking: #17
Regional Finish: SE1
Overall 2026 Record: 12-11
Against the Nationals Field: 2-7
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. Slow, 1-1 vs. Disco Club
To break the fourth wall a bit, it is so hard to know what to think about this Toro team. Yes, that is what pundits have said year after year, to the point that it’s becoming a bit overdone. But it’s also true this year. The team has a barely-above .500 record, including several baffling losses to non-Nationals teams. They also have a ton of talent and some results that offer hints at a high competitive ceiling (comfortable wins over Drag’n Thrust and Disco Club along with a universe point loss to Hybrid at US Open all look good on paper).
The veteran leadership of Grayson Sanner, Georgia Tse, Player Pierce, Lyra Olson, and Matthew Wilson has seen this team through all of the ups and downs. Claire Bidigare-Curtis has all of the ups and downs with her massive catching radius and ability to churn out cuts to keep a possession moving. Brett Matzuka returns as a crafty thrower working alongside equally creative Elijah Long in the D-line backfield.
The pickups of Austin Prucha and Sadie Cutler elevate Toro’s ceiling. Prucha in particular is a defensive master with plenty of big game experience who fills a clear need for Toro. Her game IQ is incredibly strong and she knows how to parlay her intelligence and understanding in to poach and baited blocks.
Toro will be underdogs in their first two games against Slow and Disco Club. Pulling an early upset would be ideal for the bulls, but if they aren’t able to accomplish that, a win-and-in game for a spot in the bracket against Union looms. While Toro were able to make Nationals out of a one-bid region (the first time they did so since 2017), they left the final nervy, securing their bid by just a single point over Roma Ultima. In another high-pressure game, which version of Toro shows up is hard to predict.
All season long they have vacillated in our minds, never fully sliding up or down our Power Rankings to either extreme. Their final judgement may simply come in one game during pool play. No matter which way that result shakes out, it will be telling to watch.
Likely Ceiling: Prequarters
Likely Floor: Out on Day One
Toronto Union
Pool Seeding: D4
Power Ranking: #20
Regional Finish: GL2
Overall 2026 Record: 19-3
Against the Nationals Field: 0-2
Against the Pool: 0-1 vs. Slow
Congratulations are in order for Toronto Union’s first trip to US Nationals. For a team that has been pushing year after year to steadily improve until they were able to earn and keep a bid to Nationals — despite a region change! — points to a well-run program and a lot of investment from key players. Union won Select Flight Invite-East, comfortably taking down the best non-Nationals teams from around the division to launch their season to another competitive level.
Brianna Prentice and Jordan Atchinson starred at WUCC earlier this summer, where the team advanced to the prequarter round. Atchinson is a prototypical midfielder, able to initiate the offense and distribute off of motion. Skilled at filling in the gaps, Prentice is able to spot open space seconds before it appears and position herself to take advantage of the opening as it becomes available for her thrower. Both veterans of the team are indispensable leaders who can figure out how to right the ship when it’s heading in the wrong direction.
On the other side of the disc, it is first year D-line leader Logan Keillor who has filled one of the most visible and important roles leading the Union counterattack. Keillor’s boundless energy and defensive tenacity are key for Union’s success when they don’t have the disc. With the combination of veteran poise and young energy, Union appear to be ascending to a new competitive level at just the right time.
The history of bottom seeds at Nationals does not offer the kindest forecast to Union. Making it to San Diego is certainly already an accomplishment but winning a game and making the bracket would be icing on the cake. That extra dessert is possible (with the pool play matchup against Toro most likely) as the lone Canadian representative in the mixed division looks to extend their tournament farther than the first day.
Likely Ceiling: Prequarters
Likely Floor: Out on Day One
