Tori Sanborn earns Women’s Baller of the Year after breakout season

Tori Sanborn turned a background role into a central one, and her teammates rewarded the leap with Women’s Baller of the Year. The Dodgeball Club-UWP honor goes to the best female player on the court, recognizing outs, catches, pressure and overall impact, and the winner is chosen by teammates.

Sanborn’s rise came with measurable force. She said one of her proudest changes was getting out of the background and becoming more willing to move with the team and throw instead of hanging back. The numbers matched the shift in role: she went from 11 throws at nationals last year to 86 throws this year, a jump that reflected a player taking far more ownership of the offense.

The award also capped a lineup of recent winners that includes Hollie Wheeler, who took the honor in 2025. The club described Women’s Baller of the Year as a new award in the 2024-25 season, making Sanborn the latest player to carry a title that was designed to spotlight the women driving games from the court itself.

Her favorite moment of the season came in women’s no-sting against UNL at the home tournament, when her team fell behind, rallied and won in overtime. Sanborn said the smiles and energy from that comeback made the group feel like a true team, a detail that fits the way the season unfolded around her growing confidence and involvement. Another teammate interview from 2026 pointed to overtime games against UNL’s women’s team as a season highlight, underscoring how close games shaped the roster’s identity.

The broader women’s nationals scene showed how quickly the game was expanding around her. NCDA said the 2026 Women’s National Dodgeball tournament in Akron, Ohio, was the third annual women’s nationals and drew 58 players from nine schools across eight teams. NCDA also noted that UNL formed its own women’s team during the 2026 season and competed at the Pioneer Classic VI, the Zanderthon Throw-Down X and the Central Region Cup before missing nationals.

Sanborn said the award meant a lot because it reflected the work she had put into improving, and her goals now are to keep being a team player, keep sharpening her throws and remain dependable on and off the court. She also wants to help recruit new players by showing that the team is welcoming, fun and supportive, a place where people look out for each other.