While intramural volleyball is near the end of its regular season, individual intramurals have just begun. Athletes adverse to team sports now have the chance to show their talents and help their clubs win points.
Pickleball singles told a story of two fiercely competitive brackets, with Chi’s Isaac Duvall and Theta’s Raquel Fanelli securing victory. Not a lot of points are at stake in individual sports, but Gamma earned enough to pull ahead of Lambda for first in the all sports ranking.
A shocking upset kicked off the men’s ping pong singles tournament. Kappa’s two-time defending champion Nick Gimotty lost to Chi’s Luke Patterson in the first round, giving Patterson a momentum which led him to win the entire tournament. Patterson’s success proved critical for Chi later on, as Isaac Duvall and JP Freri both lost in the first round of the doubles ping pong tournament.
In the women’s division, the pool singles tournament was held. Theta handled the field with ease, as Holland Reece and Blaine Bruton each took out their respective sides of the bracket before squaring off in the final. However, Bruton’s past golf experience proved to be the X factor, as she ultimately walked away with the win. Also noteworthy was an impressive semifinals run from Beta’s Ashlyn Pendergrass, which left Beta tied for fifth in the all sports rankings with Iota.
Beta has also proven to be a formidable contender in the volleyball B league after the club walked out of a three way tie-breaker with Iota and Theta for the fourth seed in the playoffs. Beta’s game against Gamma B will serve as a preview for the B league playoff bracket along with the freshmen vs. Lambda B game.
After dominating the freshmen and Theta in the A league, Lambda lost their first set all season during their game against Gamma. They quickly bounced back, winning the following sets to enter the playoffs as the one seed, but the loss proves they can in fact bleed. Their next game will be against the freshmen team, while Gamma prepares to play Theta.
The men’s B league is the only league which does not have the playoff bracket finalized yet. Chi is set to take the one seed, but if the freshmen beat Kappa, they will enter a three way tie-breaker with the freshmen, Kappa and Delta.
In men’s A league, the freshmen continue to prove themselves after beating Delta and securing the two seed. Kappa showed signs of life after limiting Chi’s outside hitters and taking the first set, but Chi would rally from behind in sets two and three to win and take the one seed. It is not all sunshine and flowers for Chi however, as A league players Cole Klaassen, Carter Neal and Caleb Hensal are all overseas and not expected to be back in Edmond by the time playoffs roll around.
Women’s Intramural Athlete of the Week: Claire Morris (Freshmen)
After dominating in the B league and earning a spot on the A team, Morris showed she is a staple of freshmen athletics. Her consistent serves combined with an all around elite skill set creates a player who can step up no matter where the rotation takes her. Lambda has a very good team this year, but if anyone can limit their success, it will be Claire Morris.
First Runner Up: Blaine Bruton (Theta Theta Theta)
Taking her patience and putting skills from golf to the pool table, Bruton handled the bracket with no issue whatsoever. Bruton will be a force to be reckoned with come this spring’s pool doubles tournament.
Second Runner Up: Raquel Fanelli (Theta Theta Theta)
After starting the semester with injuries limiting her ability to compete, Fanelli bounced back better than ever in the pickleball singles tournament. Her athleticism and skill was something none were ready to handle, and if the people can get what they want in the spring (a pickleball doubles tournament), Fanelli will make Theta the team to watch.
Men’s Intramural Athlete of the Week: Cole Klaassen (Chi Lambda Phi)
Klaassen was already putting together an incredible volleyball resume with his sets and saves against Kappa, but once he found his hitting groove, his spikes became unstoppable. Losing three players is already challenging enough, but losing an athlete like Klaassen will leave a very big hole to fill in Chi’s roster.
First Runner Up: Luke Patterson (Chi Lambda Phi)
Taking on a defending champion is no easy task, but having to play a two-time defending champion in the first round is almost always a bracket run ruined. However, Patterson stepped up to the task and took down Gimotty before spectators even realized what had happened. Patterson’s skill, spin and serves were simply too much for the table. As Patterson enters the ping pong doubles tournament as the defending champion this time around, he has a good chance of being one of the standout athletes who secure both a singles and doubles championship in one intramural year .
Second Runner Up: Isaac Duvall (Chi Lambda Phi)
After losing in the first round of the ping pong tournament, Duvall compensated by stepping up in the pickleball tournament. The former tennis runner-up his freshman year, Duvall showed his skill on the court is unmatched, and he will be one to watch should there be a pickleball doubles tournament.
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