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The third NDA tournament of the season resulted in the third different champion. 10 teams journeyed out to Chicago looking to win it all, but it was a return to the winner's circle for the first time in two years for Grand Rapids Dynasty. Kevin Bailey and company looked to turn back the clocks and remind the entire league that they are still a powerhouse and national title contender with an emphatic display in Chicago, dispatching longtime rivals Grand Rapids Kraken and Detroit Omertà en route to victory.
The first championship match appearance since their sole prior NDA tournament victory led to Dynasty once again wearing the medals at the end of the day. While his arm is still recovering to what it once was, Kevin Bailey proved he is one of the greatest players of all time for a reason with his catching and dodgeball IQ, leading several comebacks throughout the day for Grand Rapids. Veteran Dynasty players Austin Morley and Dylan Fettig also contributed stand out play, while newer members Ryan Ginsberg and Dynasty debutant Colson Bunch rounded out the stellar play to help bring the title back to GR. Dynasty now sits narrowly in third in the standings and will look to continue the positive momentum throughout the rest of the season.
Yet another tournament ends in heartbreak for Omertà. In both of their tournaments to start the 2025 season, Omertà has opened up the championship match with a 2-0 lead, and yet both tournaments end in defeat. One could certainly argue the Detroit squad was the best team in Chicago. They won their pool, including a resounding 4-0 victory over Dynasty. They then dispatched Final Justice 4-2 in the semifinals before taking that 2-0 lead in the championship. One of these days Omertà will be able to put it all together and secure victory, but might have Chicago been their best chance at wearing the crown this season?
In the eyes of Final Justice, Chicago certainly had to be a letdown. While FJ was missing both their captains along with All-Grand Rapids honorees Matt Barriball and Nick Fedewa in Chicago, the depth of the East Lansing roster should still have been enough to put forth a better showing than they did. Simply put, Final Justice won all the games they were expected to win. And they lost - fairly soundly - the two tougher matches of the day to Kraken and Omertà. With championship expectations every time they take the court, a semifinal loss caps a dissapointing day for the defending national champions.
Kraken improved over their showing in Grand Rapids, securing the top spot in their pool and earning the bye to the semifinals. However, their first match of bracket play led to the same fate, a loss to crosstown rivals Dynasty. Kraken has now gone three straight tournaments without reaching the championship match, the longest streak of their NDA history. With strong rosters at each tournament, it's tough to pinpoint what has gone wrong thus far for Kraken, other than Dynasty seemingly having their number in bracket play. But one would be hard-pressed to expect this championship match drought to continue much longer for Kraken.
Spiders continued their knack of making the championship bracket in Chicago. However, they ended up being no match for eventual champions Dynasty in the quarterfinals. Spiders have cemented themselves in the second tier of NDA teams, always a threat to make the bracket but not quite on the level of the championship contenders as of yet. Will this season be the time Streetsboro is finally able to put it together and notch their first signature win in bracket?
Leviathans made their first bracket in Chicago thanks to an upset win over Gamecocks where it seemed every other throw by Columbus was caught by a Lansing player. Leviathans then held tough and won the first point against Final Justice in the quarterfinals before FJ was able to then pull away and secure the win. Nonetheless, this was an important move in the right direction for the Lansing team. New core member Alex Edson made an instant impact and Jake Smith made numerous catches throughout the day. This team is still very young and has significant room for growth as they continue to gain experience in the NDA. Leviathans will hope this is the first of many brackets they make in the future.
New this year, the NDA will be awarding an All-Tournament Team, featuring 8 standout players to highlight their performance at each event. The Executive Board along with feedback from all the attending teams’ captains will craft the list of the 8 players consistent with the caliber of excellence exhibited throughout the tournament. The following 8 players are the All-Tournament Team for NDA Chicago 2025.
