Players to Watch: Western Collegiate Conference

The collegiate quidditch landscape in the West this year is shaping up to be a competitive and entertaining season. Learn more about key players to watch this season.

Amani Burton, Arizona State University

• With a large core of the ASU’s Western Cup winning class now graduated, the program relies on its dwindling number of experienced players to step up and take command. After failing to clinch a back-to-back Western Cup title this past year, and a disappointing Sweet 16 run from a team that had four years of experience playing with each other, ASU looks to Amani Burton to set the tone this upcoming season. Burton stood out over the last few years as one of the smartest members of an already threatening beater core, often outshining well known teammates like Caleb Ragatz and Jarrod Bailey. Burton’s high quidditch IQ and calculated beats allow him to dominate the bludger game. This paired with his uncanny ability to catch bludgers helps his team maintain control for the majority of their games. Without the heavy duty chaser core of last year, Amani will need to step up and create more chances on offense, as well as make stops on defense, in order to challenge Western contenders Cal and UCLA who are retaining their beater corps.

• By Badal Chandra

Photo: Phoebe VanGelder

Jacob Davis, Northern Arizona University

• Junior Jacob Davis is an undeniable athlete and leader for this rebuilding Narwhals squad. He sets the tone when he’s on the pitch with a physical style of play. Davis is a spark plug for the NAU defense, helping lead the Narwhals to a huge upset victory over their rivals, Arizona State, at last year's Western Regional Championships. He translates his football background into frequent drive-stopping hits. His tenacity and perseverance help the Narwhals keep tough games close. He has grown as a player in the last year and will look to step up his game to replace critical losses from last year.

• By Colin Statt

Maxine Gutierrez, San Jose State University

• Maxine Gutierrez is one of the best female beaters in WCC going into this season. Last year she was pushed into a utility role with the surplus of quality female beaters on the team. With former top beaters Anna Huang graduated and Elsa Lem gone after this semester, SJSU will rely heavily on Maxine to fill this void and carry the team. With only a year under her belt, Gutierrez has shown beating prowess beyond her years, especially in snitch-on-pitch situations which will be key for San Jose State, whose style of play lends itself to winning close matchups against other mid/upper-level college teams. Gutierrez has some of the biggest shoes to fill in the West, and she has the potential to do so.

• By Ardin Lo

Maddi Erdall, UC Berkeley

• During Cal's matches, senior Maddi Erdall manages to make an impression despite being surrounded by quality chasers and keepers. Far from a limited catch-and-dump option, she can create her own plays with her arm and feet. She possesses the strength to finish through imposing keepers, as well as an array of moves to cut to the hoops, with or without ball in hand. Defensively, Erdall will step up to point if called upon, and bring a similar brand of fast feet and toughness. Hoping to repeat as West regional champions, Cal will surely lean on her skills this year.

• By Cameron VomBaur

Kobe Kendall, UC Irvine

• Anteater Quidditch’s Kobe Kendall is only getting better with time. He is a talented beater/seeker who has already started making a name for himself in the West after helping UC Irvine earn their Nationals bid last year. Following the USQ season, Kendall showed commitment to improvement and truly shined during the MLQ season. During MLQ, Kobe proved that he could match, and even outplay, a variety of far more experienced beaters. Kendall also managed to catch nationally-renowned snitch Anthony Hawkins in under a minute several times at Guardians practices, so his utility value is undeniably significant. Kobe is only going into his sophomore year at UCI. Given that he is already club president, it appears he is committed to the program which is a good sign for the Anteaters, as he can only improve with time.

• By Steve DiCarlo

Photo: Chris Rothery

Elizabeth Ng, UCLA

• Elizabeth Ng was already one of the most valuable players on UCLA due to her good hands, solid defensive coverage, and ability to distribute the ball when her team needed her to draw defenders and create offensive mismatches. Now that she’s becoming a top-tier seeker, her value has only increased. She caught the most SWIM snitches of any seeker at this summer’s Funky Fiesta and and has shown her worth throughout the MLQ season. This utility player and MLQ West MVP is certainly one to watch this season.

• By Steve DiCarlo

Kellan Huber, Utah State University

• Keeper and seeker Kellan Huber made a splash in the 2017-18 season. A former wrestler, he is eager to initiate contact. He toutes an aggressive style of play that results in crunching tackles and pressure-heavy seeking. Of Utah State's eight in-range wins, seven were clinched by Huber. Of their four SWIM losses, two came early in the season, before he had entrenched himself as the team's unquestioned starter. Whether sporting a green, yellow, or white headband, look for Kellan to assert himself as a force among a sizeable cast of returners from Logan, Utah.

• By Cameron VomBaur