Team Handball at UGA began competing during the 2025–2026 season. Because the program was still new and didn't always have enough players to field complete teams on its own, UGA players frequently competed alongside athletes from other handball clubs — Auburn, Atlanta, DC, and Ohio State among them. Those early partnerships gave our players valuable competitive experience while our own men's and women's programs continued to grow.
September 21, 2025 — First Competition vs. Auburn
UGA Team Handball played its first-ever competition, a scrimmage against Auburn Team Handball. The roster — Lourdes Calvo, William Dunnaway, Taha Arif, Kyle McDole, Michael Andrews, and Huxley Ponchot, coached by Chris McCormick — marked the beginning of competitive handball at UGA.
Spring 2026 — Scrimmage vs. Auburn & Atlanta
UGA continued developing its competitive experience through a spring scrimmage with Auburn and Atlanta Team Handball, coached by James Buehning.
February 14, 2026 — Carolina Blue Cup
UGA players competed at the Carolina Blue Cup through combined teams, allowing both the developing men's and women's programs to gain tournament experience. A UGA/Auburn men's combination finished 10th place; a DC/Georgia women's combination earned a bronze medal — an early medal finish for members of UGA's developing women's program.
April 24–26, 2026 — USA Team Handball College Nationals
UGA athletes competed at College Nationals for the first time. A UGA/Auburn men's combination finished 5th in Division 2, with Michael Andrews recognized as an Academic All-American. A UGA/Ohio State women's combination earned a bronze medal, with Lourdes Calvo recognized as an Academic All-American and USATH All-Tournament selection.
International Players
Team Handball is an international sport, and UGA Handball has been fortunate to welcome international students who brought previous experience with the sport and became part of our developing program:
- Niklas Kamp — Fall 2025
- Maximilian Bretch — Fall 2025
- Bennet Oetken — Spring 2026
- Elisa Ebner — Fall 2026
Their involvement has helped connect students from different backgrounds while contributing knowledge and experience to a sport that is still growing in the United States.
Building Toward Independent UGA Teams
The 2025–2026 season represented the beginning of competitive Team Handball at UGA. During the club's first year, players relied on partnerships with established programs to gain the experience necessary to compete. Those opportunities helped UGA players develop while the club recruited and trained new members. The program has since continued growing toward its goal of fielding fully independent, competitive men's and women's teams representing the University of Georgia.