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Texas Two Step: University of Texas Repeats as World Cup Champions

by Andy Marmer | April 6, 2014

Ben Holland

The University of Texas (UT) successfully defended its World Cup VI crown, taking home the World Cup VII title with a 130*-70 win over Texas State University in the finals.

The champions were not amongst the immediate favorites entering the tournament, with many pundits ranking them amongst the top 10 but not in the top three. The IQA Standings ranked Texas No. 12 entering the tournament.  After Texas bowed out in the quarterfinals of the Southwest Regional Championship 90*-60 to Baylor University, many wrote off UT’s chances of a repeat title; however, the defending champions proved their doubters wrong with an undefeated weekend.

UT cruised through pool play with nary a challenge, accumulating 450 points while surrendering just 80 and earning the No. 1 seed in the bracket. Texas’ five wins in the bracket included just one win over a foe not from the Southwest Region. In the Round of 32, UT beat the school’s B-team, the No. 32 seed Austin Quidditch, 140-70*. UT overcame the Mid-Atlantic Regional Champions No. 16 seeded University of Maryland 90*-50 in the Round of 16. In the quarterfinals, Texas avenged its previous losses to Baylor, including at this year’s and last year’s Southwest Regional Championship with a 110*-40 victory (more on that match can be found here). The semifinals saw yet another regional rivalry renewed as Texas once again knocked Texas A&M University out of the World Cup with a 110*-50 victory (more on that match can be found here).

Texas State may have been even more of a surprise as a finalist. Although it advanced to the semifinals at the Southwest Regionals, few considered Texas State to be among the region’s elite entering World Cup. Texas State did nothing to dispel that notion on day one, going 3-1 and winning Pool One but failing to display dominance.

Texas State lost to Macaulay Honors College on a pair of snitch catches 100^*-70 and needed snitch grabs to win two more of its matches over the Utah Crimson Fliers and the University of Miami, both 120*-60 (more on the Miami game can be found here). Texas State’s pool performance earned it the No. 15 seed.

In its first four games of bracket play, Texas State rode the hand of hot seekers. The Southwest squad bested the No. 18 seeded University of Florida 110*-60, No. 34 seeded Louisiana State University (LSU) 100*-40 (more on that match can be found here), No. 23 seeded Ohio State University 100*-60 (more on that match can be found here) and No. 6 seeded Emerson College 170*-60 (more on that match can be found here).

While UT’s path to the final was paved with some of the tournament favorites including Baylor and Texas A&M, Texas State was able to dodge many of the tournament’s top teams.

The No. 2 seeded the Lost Boys would have squared off with Texas State in the Round of 16 but were instead felled by LSU in the Round of 32 (more on that match can be found here). Texas State also dodged a meeting with the No. 3 seed Boston University when the latter fell to Emerson in the quarterfinals (more on that match can be found here).

The location of the 2015 World Cup has not yet been announced; however, the IQA has confirmed the three finalists. While it is possible that the World Cup will return again to North Myrtle Beach, who were gracious hosts this weekend, there is also a chance that UT will have the opportunity to defend its title and seek a third consecutive championship in its home city of Austin, Texas.

For more on World Cup VII, visit the IQA’s World Cup page at http://iqaworldcup.com.