Standout Performances: Week Two

The second weekend of 2025 is in the books. We started in North Carolina, where the Boston Forge were able to sweep the Charlotte Aviators. Other than game two, the Forge won pretty handedly, causing many turnovers on defense and getting into clean transition offenses. We then made our way to Minnesota, where the Minneapolis Monarchs were able to hold off the Detroit Innovators and reclaim the series with a sweep. In all three games we saw a defensive standoff through 20 minutes, and a more high-paced end game after the seekers were released. Here are four players from the weekend that stood out.

Lulu Xu (#15)

In Boston’s strong performance there was no beater as dominant as Lulu Xu. Xu finished with eight stops, the most on the weekend. She also finished with a 1.71 average dodgeball and a +16 plus/minus, both of which were the best on the team. In what was a much closer series than last summer, Xu’s ability to generate turnovers on defense was critical to the Forge’s sweep. This weekend made it evident that Boston can catch fire with Xu on the field. Look for her to continue to be one of the most dominant beaters in the country and lead this Forge beating squad throughout the season.

Ryan Davis (#30)
In what was a tough loss for the Aviators, Ryan Davis led the squad in an impressive outing. Davis put up 60 points, two assists, and four stops. That was either the best or tied for the best, across all three stat categories for Charlotte. Not to mention, Davis was able to do all of this playing at hoops on defense, shifting positions from their usual role as a keeper during the US Quadball season. Davis’ performance this past weekend was a major jump from last summer and was one of the reasons the Aviators were able to hang with the Forge in their season opener.

Ryan Mehio (#71)

In the Monarch’s sweep this past weekend, Ryan Mehio broke the league record books. Mehio finished with 60 points and 12 stops. While these numbers are impressive, it was his 20 assists that sent shockwaves through the North Division. As it stands, Mehio now holds the lead for most assists in a series in MLQ history, with the next best performance being 12 assists. For reference, the assist leader in 2024 finished the summer with 23. Mehio not only shattered the previous record for assists in a series, but put himself on track for a historic season as a goal creator.

Julien Theuerkauf (#2)

Over the weekend Julien Theuerkauf put on a show at every position. As a beater, he led the Innovators in average dodgeballs and in plus/minus (the only player on the team to be positive). As a chaser, he was tied with other Detroit players in most goals scored and most stops. He also put in valuable minutes as a seeker for the franchise after 20 minutes. Some would think it’s impossible for one player to be at the top of stat sheets in two positions over one weekend, but Theuerkauf made that doubt go away on Saturday.