The UCLA Quadball Team is headed to nationals in Richmond, Virginia from April 26th to 27th 2025 in pursuit of the U.S. Quadball Cup. As Collegiate D-2 Runner-ups, the team is traveling with high spirits, following their victories against UC Berkeley and Arizona State University this past year.
This school year, they have competed in three tournaments– Chandra Classic VII (named after star-studded former player Badal Chandra), Heroes vs. Villains and Regionals. These three tournaments host schools like UC Berkeley, Chicago United and ASU, as well as other club teams. Usually, four hours of weekly practice, team dinners, running drills and strength and conditioning go into the adrenaline and anticipation of competing in such tournaments, and now nationals.
For Amanda Baquir, a sophomore classics student, the nerves are masked by overwhelming team chemistry. She said, “Do you ever just get so nervous that you just want to throw up? It’s just very nerve-racking because I’m a starter; I’m the one starting the game and you don’t want to start the game poorly or else you give the other team an advantage. At the same time, I trust my teammates and I know that they have my back.”
Going into nationals, the team is embracing a surge of sentiments. Safdar Kilaru, a senior mathematics student, said, “You can prepare for a long time, but I think during the game it ultimately comes down to being able to read your teammates’ instincts and inventing on the go– and that’s always unpredictable. When we do win, and especially when it’s a close game, I personally can feel the exuberance emanating from our team: the collective victory just boosts your spirits tenfold.”
Valeria Guerra, a sophomore biology student, shared her immense enthusiasm for nationals. She said, “I really hope that we have lots of fun and that we win, I think it brings us closer as a team! Not a lot is expected of teams on the west coast because there’s less of us and it’s bigger on the east coast.”
To augment this gap, Guerra gave insights on an age-old tradition that unifies the sport. She said, “I’m excited about trading cards this year. You can buy packs of them, it’ll come with random cards from different teams across the country. Each team has a rare, or specialty card. People will try to match their cards with people from their team, deliver them to others or trade them.” Trading cards allow players to connect with one another, even across state lines and coasts.
UCLA Quadball, initially named ‘UCLA Quidditch’, renamed itself in solidarity against author J.K. Rowling’s Transphobic tweets in 2020 and copyright reasons. The team wants to emphasize the fact that they provide an open space for students that identify with the LGBTQIA community to participate in UCLA club sports. They hold open practices every Tuesday from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and Sunday from 4:00-6:00 p.m. for the Spring of 2025.
Gallery:
The entire team runs through one of their plays. During their practice, they have showed joy and discipline while getting ready for the nationals. Photographed by Catherine Rodriguez/BruinLife.
#11 sprints when a quaffle is thrown at her. Her strong suits have been agility and mobility during the scrimmages. Photographed by Catherine Rodriguez/BruinLife.
#6 crouches with deliberate speed when reaching a thrown quaffle. He has shown aspects of team leader, along with his other teammates. His strong suits involve strength and agility. Photographed by Catherine Rodriguez/BruinLife.
Player #26 reaches for the quaffle. He has shown great strength throughout practice when pitching the quaffles to his teammates. Photographed by Catherine Rodriguez/BruinLife.
Player #95 makes a high jump to score a point. Inspired by Lightning McQueen, his strong suits consist of speed and mobility-- which are often evident in his plays. Photographed by Catherine Rodriguez/BruinLife.
The team has just finished their practice. They ended with strong scrimmages and listened to their coach give closing remarks and announcements. Photographed by Catherine Rodriguez/BruinLife.
The players are seen congratulating each other for their efforts and improved skills. Throughout practice, they have conversed on how to improve their teamwork and coordination. Photographed by Catherine Rodriguez/BruinLife.
