Players to Watch: Week 8
Week eight will be a season-defining weekend in the North and South divisions, as well as give us a first look at the next generation of players in the East. We open the weekend at 2 PM CT in the Windy City, where the Chicago Prowl are hosting the Minneapolis Monarchs. The only two franchises still in the league to have won North division titles, face off yet again to determine who will take the throne in 2025. We then make our way to New Jersey, where the New York Olympians and Boston Embers will square off in our Next Gen Showcase. With both teams loaded with talent from the East Coast colleges, expect quality play and tensions to be high. Finally we head to Cattledome, where the Kansas City Stampede are taking on the San Antonio Soldados to see who wins the division. The Soldados are looking to repeat as South champions, while the Stampede are looking for their first title in franchise history. With an action-packed week eight, here are six players to watch.
Chicago Prowl: Sol Alexander (#33)
All eyes will be on Sol Alexander this weekend, as they take on their former team, the Minneapolis Monarchs. After spending the summer in Minnesota last year, Alexander has made their way down to Chicago to play for the Prowl. Last season, they played a massive role for the Monarchs. This year, they are doing the same for the Prowl. Alexander already has 10 stops this summer, more than double what they had playing as a Monarch, and is second on the squad in plus/minus. Tomorrow, they face off against their former team in a rival showdown that will determine who will leave as North Champions. Alexander is primed for another big performance, this time against their former teammates. You could not script it better.
Minneapolis Monarchs: Bitzy Archibold (#82)
The Prowl are not the only team getting an influx of transfers. This Minneapolis Monarchs squad is bringing a handful of new players, and a big name on that list is Bitzy Archibold. While she is yet to play a game in the purple and paisley, Archibold’s impact will be felt instantly. Archibold was the third leading scorer at MLQ Championship last summer, and she propelled the Stampede out of the play-in bracket. They call her “Bitzy Buckets” for a reason—when she gets the ball, she’s scoring. Her Monarch debut could not come at a better time for Minneapolis, with the divisional title on the line.
Kansas City Stampede: Derek Dearking (#9)
Derek Dearking is making his 2025 debut this weekend coming off a USQ college championship with Creighton University. Now entering his sophomore MLQ season, Dearking has proven himself to be a solid beater across MLQ. While he was unable to make the series against the Houston Legends, the league should be confident his role in Kansas City will see an increase from last season. The young beater faces a tough test against the veteran Soldado beaters, but don’t be surprised if he can provide for this Stampede team on Saturday.
San Antonio Soldados: Isabella Ramirez (#7)
One of the top performers for the San Antonio Soldados this season is Isabella Ramirez. In her rookie season, she is already second in scoring on the team, putting up 70 points against the Houston Legends. As of today, she is second among rookies in goals per game across the league, and looking to close in on that gap on Saturday. With so many veterans on the Soldados, it’s exciting to see a rookie find her footing and contribute in a big way to the franchise. Look for her to continue performing at a high level this weekend.
New York Olympians: Rebecca Itty (#25)
The Olympians will prove why they are a force to be reckoned with this weekend. One player to look out for is Rebecca Itty, a beater who is coming off a standout college season at RPI and her first World Cup with Team India a couple weeks ago. Itty is great at generating opportunities for the chasers to score on offense and knows the right moments to take out defenders with her dodgeball. On defense, Itty will punish any small mistake the offense makes. Look for the Olympians’ halfcourts to click when Itty is on the field.
Boston Embers: Justin Mok (#7)
A ton of Embers will catch fire this weekend, but one to watch is beater Justin Mok. Unlike the other rostered players for Boston, Mok is the only player who attended college outside the Massachusetts Quadball Conference. This means he has the opportunity to go up against a handful of his former Rutgers University teammates this weekend. Mok is comfortable anywhere on the field, and is great at taking engagements. Look for Mok to make himself known and look to challenge the players he’s been teammates with for his whole collegiate career.
