US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The Eighth Day of Kissimmee

Baylor University

By Carrie Soukup

In a region defined by hitting hard and carrying momentum from tournament to tournament, Baylor has had a rocky start this year. Its slow start was not aided by the negation of Wolfpack as an official tournament, and overall the Baylor name has not been on the forefront of the Southwest region this year. Arguably one of the teams that benefitted the most with Texas Tech’s disqualification, it fought back at the Southwest Regional Championship to qualify for US Quidditch Cup 10 in the secondary bracket. Led by captains Mark Williard and Reed Marchman, experience is on Baylor’s side in leadership as the team heads to Kissimmee, Florida.

US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The Seventh Day of Kissimmee

On the seventh day of Kissimmee we have the defending champions on a more than year long winning streak, the last team to beat them, that team’s intra-city community and collegiate rivals, and a mid-tier Southwest team looking to make a name for itself.

Quidditch Club Boston

By Mike Pascutoi

Where do you start with Quidditch Club Boston (QCB), a team that has proven time and time again to be the best in the sport? You can reasonably start with Lulu Xu, one of the best beaters in the game who was arguably the biggest snub from 2016’s Team USA squad. There’s also the 6’3” behemoth Stew Driflot, one year removed from leading the Boise State Abraxans to the quarterfinals  at US Quidditch Cup 9, the unmatchable chaser defense of Kara Levis, and arguably the most underrated beater in the country in Jesse Knowlton. Those four alone with QCB’s deceptively deep supporting cast would make QCB a national title contender, and that does not even count the three players who have changed the face of quidditch in Boston forever.

US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The Fifth Day of Kissimmee

On the Fifth day of Kissimmee, we have a first year Carolina team fighting to make a name for itself, a second year Austin team looking to surpass last year’s loss at the Round of 16, a three time champ looking to reclaim its throne, and a fourth and fifth time qualifier each looking to do its relatively isolated state proud.

US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The Fourth Day of Kissimmee

On the fourth day of Kissimmee, we have a community team looking to maintain last year’s strong showing, two regional champions looking to make national claims, a regional transplant fighting for pride for both its home and adopted region, and a college team with a historic pedigree making its long awaited return to the national stage.

US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The Third Day of Kissimmee

On the third day of Kissimmee, we have a college team with dreams of its first national title, some isolated teams that were surprise qualifiers, and a regional champion who surprised many with a deep run last year and will be looking to repeat the feat. 

Texas State University - San Marcos

By Carrie Soukup

Editor’s note: The author is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Texas State Quidditch Organization.

If Texas State comes to your tournament, there is a fair chance it will take home silverware, as five of its six tournaments this year have ended with a first- or second-place victory. Its only elimination this year came at Diamond Cup V at the hands of Texas Cavalry, while at Alamo Cup, Texas State went 5-0, victorious on its quest for a trophy at last. At the Southwest Regional Championship, Texas State again came in second place behind Lone Star Quidditch Club, after knocking off tournament favorites Texas Cavalry.

Rapid Reaction: US Quidditch Cup 10 Pools

By Andy Marmer, Austin Wallace, Christopher Dewing, Alex Russell, and Carrie Soukup 

Editor’s Note: The following is a quick analysis. While the Quidditch Post’s editors did their best to ensure the accuracy of all stats and information, due to our desire to provide quick and timely information, some errors may have arisen. We apologize for any mistakes and will do our best to correct any incorrect information that is pointed out to us.

The Tuesday 11 days before a major tournament means one thing: pool draws. A favorable pool can be the springboard to Day Two glory, as it allows for easy wins, high point differentials, and a top seed entering the bracket. On the other hand, a difficult pool can be a death sentence that causes tough games, lower than-expected seeding, and of course the possibility of elimination. With USQ announcing the pool draw for US Quidditch Cup 10, we break down each pool, games, and fun facts on our way to identifying the 36 teams that will advance to bracket play.

US Quidditch Cup 10 Preview: The Second Day of Kissimmee

On the second day of Kissimmee, we have a pair of college programs that once dominated their regions, but have since taken a backseat to local rivals, one of the world’s most established community teams, the lone B-team competing, and one regional champion. 

The Silver Phoenix

By Alex Stewart  

Editor’s Note: The author is a treasurer of Texas A&M Quidditch Organization.

Consolation Cup Provides Alternative to US Quidditch Cup

By Danielle Lehmann 

For many teams who did not earn a bid for US Quidditch Cup 10, competing against out-of-region teams is no longer a possibility. Last year, however, Texas State Quidditch changed that prospect for many who just missed out on national-level play. Texas State returns with Consolation Cup II this weekend, when 22 teams (Editor’s Note: One team has dropped from Consolation Cup II, but as of press time the identity of this team has not been confirmed) make their way across the United States to compete in the intense tournament.

Behind the Brand: Lost Boys Not Yet Ready to Grow Up

By Austin Sharp

This article is the first in a series examining the choices made by community teams in how they brand themselves. Each edition will focus on one team, introducing their imagery, presenting how they’ve displayed themselves through their team history, and rating the branding using the American academic letter grading system. The rating will take into account not only the imagery, but also the ideology behind it and how well the two are intertwined.

What We Learned From the West Regional Championship

By Christopher Dewing 

1. Arizona State University (ASU) surprised many by winning the title this year, but perhaps the team’s victory shouldn’t come as a surprise. ASU’s lack of play outside of Arizona this year made it hard to ascertain just how competitive the team would be coming into the tournament. That question has decisively been answered, but ASU certainly didn’t make it easy on itself. Over the two days, ASU had four in-range games and caught the snitch for the victory in all of them to continue its run and its undefeated record.

West Regional Championship Day One Reactions

By Sofia de la Vega and Cameron VomBaur

A few of the Quidditch Post’s volunteers based in the West were unable to make it to Arizona this weekend. Instead, they have been at home glued to Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, the livestream and anything they can get their hands on to figure out what’s happening at the West Regional Championship. At the end of day one they’ve given us their thoughts.

2017 West Regional Championship Preview

By Cameron VomBaur, Christopher Dewing, David Sager, and Randi Jamer

The West Region descends upon Arizona as nine teams look to cement their bids for US Quidditch Cup 10 in Kissimmee, Florida at this coming weekend’s West Regional Championship.

International Weekend Wrap-Up - February 4-5

Contributions by Carrie Soukup and Christopher Dewing

There is a lot going on in the world of quidditch on any particular weekend, and most of us only see the stories immediately relevant to our regions. However, it can be very interesting to look outside of our own bubble every once in a while and take a look at the rest of the global community. To that end, each week the Quidditch Post collects information about tournaments and events that happened during the weekend around the world. 

International Weekend Wrap-Up - January 28-29

Contributions by Bex McLaughlin, Fraser Posford, Jenny Benson, Serena Cheong, Alex Stewart, Austin Sharp, and Gabriel Bernardes There is a lot going on in the world of quidditch on any particular weekend, and most of us only see the stories immediately relevant to our regions. However, it can be very interesting to look outside of our own bubble every once in a while and take a look at the rest of the global community. To that end, each week the Quidditch Post collects information about tournaments and events that happened during the weekend around the world. This week we are covering the UK’s Hateful 8 and Compass Cup, USQ Northwest Subdued Excitement, USQ Southwest Diamond Cup V, USQ West Anthill Funkdown, and Brazil’s first national quidditch event.

USQ Offers Grant for US Quidditch Cup 10 Qualifying Teams in Northwest and West Regions

It may not be much, but it will make it easier for qualifying teams in the Northwest and West regions to make the trek to Florida. 

US Quidditch has released the details of the grants available to West and Northwest teams that qualify for US Quidditch Cup 10. Each of the 11 qualifying teams (nine from the West and two from the Northwest) will be eligible for a $450 grant, which effectively covers the team registration fee at the national tournament. As with other USQ programs, eligible teams will need to submit an application to receive the grant. The link to the grant application can be found here.

With Regionals Imminent, Southwest and Northwest Showdowns Headline US Weekend

Three regions soon to host their regional championship tournament will hold tournaments this weekend that will give attendees one of their final chances to jockey for positioning before pools are drawn and teams attempt to earn their bids to US Quidditch Cup 10.

International Weekend Wrap-Up - January 7-8 and 14-15

Contributions by Lena Mandahus, Alicia Mills, Cameron VomBaur, Chula Bruggeling, and Yeray Espinosa Cuevas. There is a lot going on in the world of quidditch on any particular weekend, and most of us only see the stories immediately relevant to our regions. However, it can be very interesting to look outside of our own bubble every once in a while and take a look at the rest of the global community. To that end, each week the Quidditch Post collects information about tournaments and events that happened during the weekend around the world. After a bit of a break for most quidditch regions, we are now returning to our regular schedule of International Weekend Wrap-Ups. This installment will cover two weeks of events instead of one, due to the lower frequency of events this time of year. We cover the Czech Republic’s First Prague Quidditch Derby, the German Winter Games, the Andalusian League in Spain, the Tegan and Sara Invitational in USQ West, and Canada’s Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them.

Western Slugfest Headlines Two Tournament Weekend

With US Quidditch Cup 10 fast approaching, the Quidditch Post is taking you around the country to follow what’s coming up in the weekend ahead. Tegan and Sara Invitational

By Christopher Dewing Date: January 14

Number of Teams: 7

Host: Fighting Farmers of Arizona

Location: Sacramento, CA

International Weekend Wrap-Up - December 3-4 and 10-11

Contributions by Chula Bruggeling, Yeray Espinosa Cuevas, Christopher Dewing, Sean Fry, Can Kaytaz, Sudiksha Kumar, Carrie Soukup, and Katelyn Stubberfield

There is a lot going on in the world of quidditch on any particular weekend, and most of us only see the stories immediately relevant to our regions. However, it can be very interesting to look outside of our own bubble every once in a while and take a look at the rest of the global community. To that end, each week the Quidditch Post collects information about tournaments and events that happened during the weekend around the world.

This week we have a special edition of IWWU, covering not one but two weekends worth of events. This special edition covers the Australian National Championship, updates on the national leagues in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Turkey, and the US's Threaux Me Something Mister Quidditch Expeaux, Lone Star Invitational, and Silicon Valley Showdown.

Anatomy of an Upset

By Frank Gao

On Nov. 12, Next Best West IV was hosted on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Of the tournament’s highlights, there is one in particular that deserves mention above all else, the Long Beach Funky Quaffles (LBFQ) 110*-80 victory over the Los Angeles Gambits.