The University of California San Diego Air Squids B team entered the 2018 Presidents’ Day Qualifier as two teams in order to maximize the playing times for all players. Both Air Squids B and C performed exceptionally well on both days and finished the tournament more experienced and readier than ever.
Air Squids B had a rocky start coming in on Saturday but adapted quickly to overcome the splitting of the roster and won all 4 games on Sunday with flying colors. The B team fought hard and pushed through Santa Barbara B with the final score of 13-8. Air Squids B then faced Air Squids C in what people would call the greatest rivalry ever. Both teams fought tooth and claw to establish superiority and the game went to a nail biting universe point with both teams 10-10. Air Squids B finally managed to land a perfect throw that was caught in the end zone, ending the game with an epic score of 11-10. Hyped, Air Squids B entered their next game against UC Santa Cruz B and played with energy and confidence, beating them 13-6. At this point, Air Squids B was an unstoppable break train. They entered their final match of the tournament against UCLA B and concluded the day, winning with the final score of 9-6. The final tally for UC San Diego B was 4-3.
Air Squids C played their hearts out in 4 long and grueling games on Saturday, managing to beat UC Santa Barbara 8-6 in a close game after taking half 7-6. Air Squids C impressively held their grounds against higher ranked teams such as Santa Cruz A, San Jose State, and ASU B, but ultimately fell short. However, C team never lost their cool and continued to compete at the highest level. Every throw by the opposing teams was contested and Air Squids C put their bodies on the line to not only bring pride to the team, but also to themselves. Air Squids C’s passion continued into Sunday, where Air Squids C managed to bring 2 out of 3 games to a universe point. Though exhausted and filled with injuries, Air Squids C fought intensely but lost their games to UC Santa Cruz B (11-10), UCLA B (10-9), and Squid B (11-10). Air Squids C ended the tournament 1-6, but through their losses C team gained a tremendous amount of experience both in offense and defense. The season is still young and Air Squids C is going to come back stronger than ever.
All in all, both teams performed above and beyond. Players discovered the confidence that they lacked earlier in the season and everyone put their heart into each and every point. This tournament is only the beginning for Air Squids B and C.