A social, fast-paced game mostly famous on TV and at the beach is bringing its college national championship to Grand Park in Westfield. The Spikeball Roundnet College Nationals will come to Hamilton County on May 24-25, bringing 240 athletes to the area.
“The Midwest has been huge for us. You’ve seen it on the beach, that’s a call to the brand,” said Joelle Nguyen, the sports marketing manager at Spikeball. “We love the Midwest because it’s easy to get to and there are a lot of schools close by that play Roundnet.”
The California-based Nguyen has been with Spikeball since 2020, and the company has been a driving force behind the growing popularity of Roundnet, a game that aims for inclusion in future Olympic Games. Hamilton County is the championship destination for the collegiate Roundnet championship, welcoming 16 Division 1 teams and 12 Division 2 teams.
Here’s how collegiate Roundnet works: the season consists of fall and spring sectional events across 10 geographic areas across the country. Two players compete on each team, and points are scored using a rally scoring system. Division 1 collegiate teams are bringing five teams (10 players): three men’s duos, one women’s duo, and one mixed duo. The team format is best 3 out of 5, similar to team tennis matches.
The Division 2 schools coming to Westfield will bring six players, three teams of two each. The Division 2 format is best 2-of-3. The difference between the divisions is experience and longevity in playing the sport. Division 1 teams usually have more experienced players, and thus can bring 10 players to nationals instead of six. Nearby universities expected to participate include Ohio State, Purdue, the University of Cincinnati, and Michigan State.
Roundnet’s road to Hamilton County was a little simpler. The Spikeball team met the HCSA team at a conference in Anaheim, and Nguyen says it came down to a simple ask: “When can we get Spikeball to come to Hamilton County?”
“They were excited,” Nguyen said, “and they’re taking great care of us. It felt like a match for us, and things have fallen into place.”
Three turf fields at Grand Park will accommodate 96 Spikeball nets, with 32 in action at a single time. That means Grand Park can hold play for 128 of the 240 players in attendance at any given time. The facility will also have some space for featured matches, allowing for additional sponsor inventory and bleachers.
“It’ll be the most entertaining Roundnet you’re going to see,” Nguyen said.
Visit Spikeball.com to learn more about the Spikeball Roundnet Collegiate Nationals.
