GVSU wins Chicago Dodgeball Open, now 17-0

Bailey survives James Madison bombardment, Lakers prevail

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Pete Barrows
Assistant Sports Editor

It’s a nightmare.

It’s dodgeball day in fifth-period gym class. You’re the last man standing for your team, penned up quite literally against the wall. Your only hope for escape is a trip to the school nurse’s office — hopefully not on a stretcher — as a rain of red rubber pours down on you.

A squeak of brick echoes through your ear, a blur of rebounded spheres bounce past your face and pool as a moat around your feet as your sweaty palms lose their brace and your knees buckle. Just as a rain of red rubber consumes your senses and your position, you fall back into a dark abyss.

It’s over. It wasn’t real. Although for Grand Valley State University dodgeball captain Kevin Bailey, a similar scene played out Sunday.

Down to their last man midway through the first half against No. 2 James Madison, Bailey withstood a firing squad for seven minutes. It prevented James Madison from getting a valuable extra point before the half, and ultimately sparked a Lakers’ rally in a 3-1, come-from-behind win.

“We needed to make sure they didn’t get an extra point in before half, so it was really crucial that I stay alive as long as I could there,” Bailey said.

He called a timeout, recognizing the gravity of the situation, and then did what any respectable and finely-tuned dodgeball athlete would do: he dodged, ducked, dipped, dived and dodged his heart out.

“Right before I walked back on the court, I looked up at the clock and knew it would be huge if I stayed alive for a couple more minutes, a few more seconds,” he said. “I had to make sure that I played smart; I stayed toward the backline, didn’t throw a ball they could easily catch, avoided team throws.

“They eventually got me, but it changed the whole game.”

The Lakers returned to the floor at full strength (15 members), down a point with 25 minutes to play and an understanding of what needed to be done.

GVSU rallied furiously and rode what started as a comeback all the way to a 3-1 victory.

“All the momentum shifted after Kevin’s stand,” team president Mark Trippiedi said. “I’ve captained the previous two teams (including last year’s national champion), but this one has the potential to be special and we showed why in that second half.

“I won’t go as far as to predict the future, but this might be the best team that we’ve had in my four years here.”

GVSU also defeated last year’s national runner-up Michigan State University 5-0 and tournament host DePaul University 3-0 during the there-and-back, one-day trip to Chicago.

Serving up a mix of shaken-not-stirred experience and youth, the Lakers traveled a well-balanced roster for the tournament, including senior Kenny Bacchus and sophomore Aaron Terenzi.

Terenzi, in his second year with the team, has graduated from a reserve role and played a significant part in GVSU’s successful Sunday and season.

“Last year, there was a learning element that for me — it’s not your high school dodgeball,” he said. “You have to get caught up to the speed of the game and get to know the rules. It’s a real wake-up when it all comes together.”

With a target square on their backs, the Lakers will host the Spartans on Jan. 26 as they gear towards the annual Michigan Dodgeball Cup.

Every team in the state of Michigan will attend the tournament, and the last team standing is typically a favorite to be crowned national champion at the national tournament at Ohio State University in February.

And undefeated and unfazed, the Lakers’ dream for a repeat championship title is very much alive — with no abyss, boogie man or Carl Jungs around to disrupt it.

“The first half of the season, it looked like we had some weaknesses even though we were undefeated, but after our showing this weekend, I’m a lot more confident in how much success we can have for the rest of the season,” Bailey said. “We’re starting to all do our jobs, understand our roles, and we’re playing with a lot of confidence.”

assistantsports@lanthorn.com

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