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In late April, the Harvard Horntails, Harvard’s club quadball team, won the USQ Cup National Quadball Championship, finally breaking after finishing as the national runners-up the year prior. This remarkable journey was one of redemption for the team, who returned in 2024 with renewed vigor after suffering a heartbreaking loss by a single goal in the 2023 national finals against the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). In an intense rematch against the reigning champions, the Crimson emerged victorious by a narrow margin of 160-140, securing the coveted championship trophy.

Quadball, an offshoot of the fantastical game of quidditch that J.K. Rowling first introduced to the Muggle world in 1997, has existed at Harvard for the last 15 years, when the then-Harvard Quidditch Club was born. Even without the fictional glamor of flying equipment and magic spells, the reality of quadball is still chaotic in its own fashion. Three chasers and one keeper try to throw the quadball (née “quaffle”) through one of three hoops. Simultaneously, two beaters from each team lob dodgeballs at the other side, which can force an opposing player to return to their hoop and tag back in. The entire game is played with each player holding a PVC pipe — their broom — between their legs as they run around.

The Horntails’ journey to the pantheon of the quadball world did not come overnight, but rather through relentless hard work, strategic adjustments, and perseverance.

“Last year, we came in second at the national tournament. Coming into this year, we really knew we had a shot to win it,” senior beater Jessica Lee said. “We really went hard this year, practicing two to three times a week plus a film session to scout out our opponents.”

During the offseason, the Crimson focused heavily on recruitment and extensive practice, and with new additions to their team, things began to click.

“This year we found the perfect culmination,” Lee said. “We recruited really good players in Lance and Aiden Higgins that completed our roster. We also had players like Leo Freed and David Chen, who are both parts of the US national team squad. They are both seniors now and were the ones who built the team after the pandemic when a lot of the club sports had died off. They were the ones who revived the team and brought it back to its glory and we felt like we owed it to them to go out with a bang.”

This championship win was a redemption arc for Harvard, who had been runners-up not only in the 2023 USQ National Championship but also in the 2022-2023 Northeast Regional Championship, where it lost convincingly to Rutgers.

“Last year, we had the trifecta of second places.” junior Ian Palk said. “We got second place in our conference, second place in regional, and second place at nationals.”

Determined to change its fortunes, the Crimson returned to the regional tournament in 2024, where it edged out Rutgers in a nail-biting 145-120 victory to claim its first regional title in school history.

Its confidence bolstered, Harvard headed to the Blue Jay Cup at Creighton University in Nebraska, where it again avenged an earlier loss by defeating hosts Creighton by a single goal to secure another trophy. This consistent improvement gave it momentum heading into the 2024 USQ National Championship, with all eyes set on the trophy.

“Coming into this season and during recruitment, we had the mentality that this year, we are going to win a national championship,” Palk said. “That was just kind of our motto throughout the season.”

Its final journey began with a dominant performance in pool play, where the team dismantled Creighton 185-50, Illinois 160-70, and Sam Houston State 185-100, solidifying its spot in single elimination play.

In the quarterfinals, the Crimson overpowered Texas State with a commanding 215-60 victory. Missouri was dispatched in the semifinals with similar ease, as Harvard cruised to a 165-70 win. It set the stage for an epic showdown and rematch with UTSA in the championship game.

The Crimson entered the match firing on all cylinders, but also faced a key injury. Senior captain Jessica Lee was ruled out for the final after sustaining an injury in a prior match, delivering a major blow to the Horntails roster.

“Going into the game, Jess was one of the best beaters on our team and she got hurt,” Palk said. “We felt really confident in our depth.”

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Harvard and UTSA went toe-to-toe from the first whistle, with both teams trading scores early on. UTSA sought to establish dominance in the beater game, aiming to disrupt Harvard’s offensive rhythm. However, the Horntails, led by seniors Daniel Gottesman and Felix Bulwa, along with standout sophomore Mac Mertens, swiftly adapted their passing plays and pressed forward.

“Throughout the game, it was pretty clear that we were overall the better team,” freshman Lance Bae said. “Everyone was involved with our plays. UTSA is more top heavy, where they have a few really good, star plays, and outside of that it's a little shaky. The score doesn’t completely reflect that, as it was a much closer game than it seems or should have been.”

In the first half, the Crimson faced a number of challenges, including several penalties that hindered its ability to contain a strong UTSA offense and keep it from breaking away.

“We had put all that time and effort in and really felt we were the better team. The score was a lot closer than it should have been. We shot ourselves in the foot with penalties, which made the score a lot tighter but we really played like we were the better team. There’s a really funny picture of both of our beaters in the penalty box. Beaters are a really core part of defense, and without them it's really tough to stop a lot of drives,” Palk said.

UTSA edged ahead early in the second half, leading by two goals as it exploited Harvard’s aggressive defense. But the Horntails rallied, tightening up its defensive strategy and finding ways to break through UTSA’s formations. By the 20-minute mark, the score stood at 120-110 in favor of the Crimson. However, the team had to deal with another quirk of the quadball style: halfway through the game, an official known as the “flag runner” or “snitch runner” enters the pitch. In true “Harry Potter”-esque fashion, a seeker from each team pursues the runner and attempts to snatch the snitch, which is a ball attached to the runner’s back.

Unsurprisingly, the championship game turned as the snitch runner was released and the seekers joined the fray. Tension mounted with each passing second as both teams fought tooth and nail.

Ultimately, it was Gottesman who made the pivotal grab, catching the snitch and securing a 160-140 win for the Harvard Horntails. Pandemonium erupted on the field as players and coaches celebrated their well-deserved victory.

“When the snitch came out in the second half, we blew them away in terms of skill and performance,” Palk said. “Every part of our team really came together at that moment.”

This victory was the first national collegiate championship win in Harvard quadball history, and a historic one at that, as it was the first time there had been a rematch final in back-to-back years.

“This was the first time in US Quadball history that the college finals was a rematch between two teams. We lost to them by one goal, and this whole year we were thinking about that one goal and we would prepare for that moment. We did a lot of personalized scouting on them and knew what we were coming into,” Lee said, underscoring the chip that the team wore on its shoulder all year. “It felt great to win against them in the final.”

While this year’s victory marked a high point for the Crimson, the team now faces the challenge of sustaining success in the 2024-2025 season, as four of its six starters are set to graduate. However, this transition offers an opportunity for new players to step up and make an impact on the team.

“Losing Leo, and Ana and David and Raina will be a big hit for the team, but I don’t think it’ll be a rebuilding season,” Palk said. “I think we absolutely have a shot to make a big run again. We’re gonna focus a lot on recruitment and hopefully this helps with that.”

With a solid coaching team and a culture of determination, teamwork, and skill, the Horntails aim to continue their dominance in collegiate quadball. As it prepares for next season, the program’s legacy will be built upon the foundation of the players’ unwavering spirit and resolve to remain champions.

—Staff writer Jack Canavan can be reached at jack.canavan@thecrimson.com.

—Staff writer Amy Dong can be reached at amy.dong@thecrimson.com.