On Saturday, April 20, the most intense tournament of the year made its way back to campus. No, not March Madness, but the 41st annual Oozeball Tournament. Hundreds of teams competed to be ‘Masters of Ooze’ but only one team, ‘The Bidet Boys,’ came out on top.
Oozeball, which was first started by the UConn Student Alumni Association (SAA) in 1984, has been a favorite tradition amongst the student body. It’s a competitive volleyball tournament that can get a little messy as it is played in muddy fields rather than sandy beaches.
For the past number of years SAA, the Alumni Association, and UConn Recreation have teamed up to make this event possible. Each year, SAA decides on the theme for the tournament, and this year it was Barbie.
The day was filled with determined Barbies and Kens who fought valiantly to take home the coveted first place trophy. This year, over 304 teams made up of students, staff and alumni came together to compete.
The Championship Match came down to two teams: ‘Muddy Buddies 1’ and ‘The Bidet Boys’. What was once thick mud at the beginning of the day, had turned into murky water that splashed everywhere during the final match.
With an unlimited amount of time on the clock, the first team to reach 25 points would be the one to take the grand prize. The points seemed never-ending as these Kens were determined to win each one, refusing to let the volleyball hit the water. After hours of playing through blood, sweat and mud, ‘The Bidet Boys’ rose from the ashes and took home the most sought-after award in collegiate sport.
Liam Wilson, an eighth-semester mechanical engineering major and member of ‘The Bidet Boys,’ was proud of his team following the win.
“It was a great performance by the team, Oozeball is really fun… A lot of hard work went into it…we didn’t practice but it was a great team effort all around, a fun environment, and we’re really looking forward to the prizes and whatnot,” said Wilson.
Another team member, Ryan Zimmerman, an eighth-semester actuarial science major, was at a loss for words. He only had to say, “I feel great…I feel like we earned it.”
Robin O’Brien, the Assistant Program Director of UConn Recreation, had been hard at work for months to make sure the event ran smoothly. She was very happy with how the day ended.
“I have to say I am glad it’s over, it’s a very long day and it started out cold and wet and rainy, but it was a great day… The sun came out for about an hour at the end of the day and dried some things out, so all in all another good Oozeball,” O’Brien said.