College Athletic Staff Rating: Ronda Varnesdeel at Davenport University

Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Unprofessional, Rude And Boarder Line Incompetent

Date: March 17, 2026

By Other

1.0

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"Treated me like garbage working at DU. She’s very odd. Has a gang of buddies that will team up against you. It’s like middle school bullies but in what is supposed to be a professional work setting. In most cases if you’re a male or a female graduate of DU she will treat you alright. Not sure why that should matter. "

0

Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Basketball Shouldn’t Be Like This

Date: March 15, 2026

By Other

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"Rec ball Ronda. Hip hip Ron fail. Hip hip Ron fail. You should be fired immediately. "

0

Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Terrible Environment Built For Terrible People

Date: March 14, 2026

By Parent

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"The entire athletic department should be on the news. Scandal after scandal at DU. Rhonda has abused her power for years. Think anything will happen? No. I urge you to not send your kid here. Looks nice and it’s cool to get the stuff but you will be trading all your morals and soul to keep it. Glad my daughter is done with this place. "

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Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Greed Eventually Ruins Everyone. This Is Used As A Weapon At Du

Date: March 14, 2026

By Other

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"I worked at Davenport for seven years. The athletic administration promotes employees who do very questionable things. If you follow the rules here you will be an outcast. If you are kind and genuinely a nice person you will either be targeted because of this or they will bully you to leave. I’ve watched this happen to so many good people. Why would an athletic administration want to get rid of good people that are good role models for their athletes. Ronda isn’t a good person and moves daily with her OWN agenda. Paul isn’t good either but he plays the dumb card pretty well. If you are a bully, a narcissist, a selfish and self serving person I would say DU would be a great fit for you. Working closely with athletics for 7 years it amazes me academic advisors do not say anything. Many athletes blatantly cheat or just don’t go to class. That’s a norm at Davenport. Then when they get a bad grade their mommy is allowed to call and change it. I always felt that Ronda should not be an athletic director and a teacher at this school. Again, athletes have taken her class for the grade and because they know they could get away with doing nothing. Why is that normal at a school? It is here. Ronda is known to cover up scandals and silence people. That’s her specialty. Someone really should study her. She is a master manipulator. She is known to step in a coach sports and she does this because she gets paid more money to do this. Again, she has her own agenda and does things out of greed of money. It isn’t bc she’s trying to help or make a transition better. I wasn’t going to write on her but I think it’s important people start learning the truth about Davenport University and Ronda. I’ve worked in athletics for 16 years and what is happening here isn’t normal. It’s WRONG. A basketball coach should not be allowed to continue to have a physical relationship with his athlete and have it all be covered up. Their are so many skeletons and stories in the closet at DU. I encourage more people to come forward and share. Nothing will happen and nothing will change but if one person reads this and decides maybe they don’t want their life to be turned upside down coming to DU that would be a win for humanity. "

0

Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Rec Ball Ronda Will Destroy Your Kids Lives. You Are Warned

Date: March 13, 2026

By Parent

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"Maybe before dropping a bomb on the softball team to add Jv when the program lost all the players that had started for 4-5 years you should have had a conversation. You and the executive AD ruined the lives of so many kids. So easy to sit on your throne and blame coaches and players but it starts at the top. What you did to the program is sickening. My family personally heard Ronda speak negatively about many players on both the jv and varsity teams. She called players names and said both teams SUCK. I’ve personally heard her speak negatively about former coaches and staff. Players that literally graduated from DU. Ronda and the executive AD are both TOXIC. Ronda being involved made everything 50x more TOXIC. And guess what- no blame for Ronda. She got to cash in and make more money. No accountability for Ronda. Nothing. DU IS AN EMBARRASSING SCHOOL. My kid does not SUCK Ronda, you suck. People like Ronda should not be around kids. They use their positions of power to manipulate and humiliate. Rec Ball Ronda needs to be removed. "

0

Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Not A Good Place For Impressionable Kids

Date: March 12, 2026

By Other

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"Zero star person. Would not recommend this school or athletic administration. "

0

Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Davenport Is A School Of Narcissism, Favoritism, And Unethical Behavior

Date: March 11, 2026

By Other

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"They told my husband to move on and get over it when he was WRONGFULLY fired. Fired for giving his ALL, GIVING HIS HEART AND SOUL TO THIS SCHOOL. Move on was the mantra given and followed by all the sheep. Ronda and Paul Lowden both deserve to be sued into oblivion. I’ve heard from many coaches former and present and the real favorites start with Ronda and Paul. They favor their friends and protect their characters at all costs but everyone else is disposable. Sad thing is the ones being protected are the ones doing ALL THE BAD STUFF. I still can’t wrap my hand around how backwards and insane this school is and how quickly they can rally their troops to just move on bc hey it didn’t hurt their entire lives and reputation. It didn’t take food out of their kids mouths. They don’t have to worry about finding another job with a damaged reputation for doing NOTHING wrong. In some instances they have given players jobs to shut up and abide. I honestly can’t believe it’s 2026 and schools like Davenport exist being run by criminal masterminds. "

0

Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

My Experiences As A Davenport Parent

Date: March 11, 2026

By Parent

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"Davenport is a terrible school. Do your research. Academic fraud committed by athletes daily. Athletes sleeping with their coaches. Athletes drinking with their coaches. All covered up by yours truly. This school silences athletes that speak out against their favorite coaches. Where’s all the investigations that should be done with the baseball, women’s and men’s basketball, wrestling, volleyball, football, stunt. The wrestling team has had multiple people die, the volleyball coach partied with her players and got promoted. The basketball programs are both terrible programs. So very unethical it’s disgusting. My daughter was silenced when she spoke of her basketball coach sleeping with her teammates. SILENCED. All Is fine and well though with Ronda and no show Paul. Both terrible people that cover up their friend’s activities. The NCAA should close this school down. The amount of fraud and violations occurring here is outrageous and yet all these terrible people keep their high paying jobs and do everything in their power for the school to pay them even more. Where’s the news team when you need them oh wait most of them went to AQ ronda and other corrupt coaches alma matter. A truly disturbing place. Biggest regret of my life is having my daughter go to this school and be fed lies about what is right and what is wrong. Stab people in the back to get ahead. Cover up wrongdoing for your own benefit. Want a higher scholarship? Keep your mouth shut. DU is a prison for the stupid, the heartless, the naive, criminals, the lazy and the not hard working. There’s no standards, ethics or morals at Davenport. The resources given to all these programs are insane. They should win in everything. Yet the people in charge of this hell hole corrupt good kids and make them think accountability is a bad thing, working hard is bad thing, adhering to rules is a bad thing. Sleeping with players is a good thing, drinking with players is a good thing, stealing money is a good things, not doing what is right is a good thing. Truthfully I can’t overly communicate this - DU is ran by TERRIBLE PEOPLE. I’d rather my kid have good values and morals then endless gear and a nice arena. Open your eyes. Don’t DUIT"

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Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Can’t Threaten People Forever. You Deserve To Be Gone

Date: March 10, 2026

By Athlete

1.0

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1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"A narcissist. A bully. Tried to silence all of my teammates when our coach was in a relationship with our teammate. I regret playing basketball at DU that’s for sure. "

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Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Ronda Is A Joke. It’s A Clown Show

Date: March 8, 2026

By Athlete

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"Knew my bball coach was sleeping with our teammate and did absolutely nothing but cover it up. Heard she did the same with the QB and the facilities worker. Joke school "

0

Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Hr Covers Up What They Want To In The Athletic Department

Date: March 6, 2026

By Other

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"I’ve worked at DU for 8 years now. I’ve watched people come and go. I know numerous HR complaints have been filed against Ronda and they do nothing but punish the people who have filed them. HR is definitely in on covering up wrongdoing by the athletic administration. "

0

Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

You Can’t Silence Everyone

Date: March 6, 2026

By Other

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"Mentally and emotionally abusive to anyone who has a differing opinion than her. Should be looked into. Employees former and current are ready to reveal the hell she will put you through. "

0

Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Du Academic Fraud For Athletes! Great Place

Date: March 4, 2026

By Parent

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"If you want a way way below average education come to DU. If you want to be a member of a team that treats away trips as vacation go to DU. If you’re a serious athlete than cares about having a successful future I would look at other places to go. Loserville USA is located in Caledonia, MI. Rich, spoiled school that lets mommy and daddy fix everything. Shoot chances are mommy and daddy are working at this school. Terrible representation of division 2 athletics and the people in charge here have some major baggage. "

0

Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Du Is A Cult Built On BA D Behavior

Date: March 2, 2026

By Athlete

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"She is protected. Davenport University is a cult like following for bad behavior morally and ethically. It’s promoted at this school to break NCAA, state and federal laws. If someone really took a deep dive into this school they would be horrified with what they find. "

0

Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Biggest Loser In Gr

Date: March 1, 2026

By Other

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"Ronda is a loser. That’s all she will ever be. "

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Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

The Truth About Ronda

Date: February 26, 2026

By Parent

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"Ronda straight up lied to my daughter while coaching her last year. She told players on the softball team to bully my daughter and make life uncomfortable and hard for her. I would not trust Ronda at all. She lies and cheats to get what she wants and always has an end game and agenda. Again, she lied that my daughter would be playing more then had the team give her a mental breakdown and force her to leave. These are evil people at this school. "

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Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Inappropriate Behavior Is Normalized At Du

Date: February 26, 2026

By Parent

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"My daughter was on the women’s soccer team at DU and I was appalled that this school lets athletic trainers “work on” athletes behind closed doors in hotels. I don’t think that’s ethically right and I told my daughter to not do this or let this happen to her. After reading many of these comments, I’ve grown more concerned about what type of place my daughter is attending. Why are they allowing this behavior at DU? "

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Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Smart People Know How To Play The Game

Date: February 26, 2026

By Athlete

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"Does not give a s**t about female athletes mental health. Only if they want to date her son. Ask multiple sports she has said this on multiple occasions. It’s a sick pressure. "

0

Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

It’s Ok To Drink And Do Drugs If You Win For Her. Sad Role Model

Date: February 25, 2026

By Parent

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"Rhonda will never be held accountable for anything at DU. She’s been getting away with the same stuff since she started. She just has more power to bully people now. She was always looked down upon as a coach because she is a scrub. Glad to see she brings her same trailer trash vibe to administration. Cheating was the only way she could win. There is no development of people. Her teams are known for smoking pot and drinking before games and you know all is well if you get a W. Terrible role model. My daughter played for Rhonda and I have a lot of stories I could tell. Rhonda isn’t a good person that is for sure. Shame on these people for turning a blind eye over the years. She had many complaints about her coaching and I can’t even imagine how many she gets now. She lets the baseball coach get away with everything that’s a known fact and he doesn’t even like her. If I had to do it over I would not let my daughter play for her and receive a below average degree. If you’re lazy this is the school for you! "

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Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Strongly Advise To Actually Look Into Du Before Going

Date: February 24, 2026

By Parent

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"I strongly advise looking into going to Du before going. On the outside it looks amazing. Great facilities and a lot of money. It’s the horror show people in athletic administration and some of their nightmare long tenured coaches that will end up being the downfall of your kids lives. DU is like a cult for doing the wrong thing and promoting it. If you want to have someone who will struggle once they are done with school but partied and cheated their way through school while also having no morals, being lazy and a plague I suggest DU. If that’s the future you’re looking for DUI is the perfect place! "

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Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

The Real Du Is Pretty Dark

Date: February 24, 2026

By Other

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"Narcissistic bully that hates any woman that thinks she isn’t very special which is practically almost everyone in the athletic department. Why do you think they have hired so male forward. Ronda is hard to deal with and for whatever reason she lets men get away with whatever they want. That must raise her low self esteem and make her worth go up. What she did to the softball program is criminal with her coaching and then hiring her friend which they knew was happening a year prior and then taking money from the program then once he was hired flooding the program with money to make everything “ok” but it’s not surprising to see there’s not leaders being groomed at DU it’s corrupt followers. What she did with the women’s basketball program is criminal. Knowingly allowing the coach to keep sleeping with his player and allowing the girl to dictate practices and events and then giving her a scholarship to do nothing but quit the next year. It’s insane. She bullied the female assistant so bad and banished her from the school.Ronda has consistently made homophobic comments about the new women’s golf coach and has repeatedly bashed the old men’s golf coach bc she stood up for herself. Let’s face it. Ronda is a low life loser that has no business being in athletics. She would make a better prison guard or jail warden. There’s so many wrong things she has done in the past you could write a literal book. Ronda creates and promotes toxic people that are Menaces to society. Having affiliation with Davenport and watching her and letting her do what she does makes me physically ill. This is a terrible institution that thrives on hurting good people to promote evil. This school is literally known to make employees physically ill bc of people like Ronda. It’s sad and wrong. But hey the school seems to keep having a lot of money for all the twisted coaches and admin to keep stealing. "

0

Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Corruption And Abuse Of Power The Du Way

Date: February 24, 2026

By Parent

1.0

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"100 percent needs to be investigated. If the school hired outside sources to investigate the athletic department many and I mean many people would be terminated. Davenport athletic department is criminal. Sex scandals, misuse of funds, stealing money you name it. This entire athletic department is guilty. Ronda is a narcissist and a bully. Davenport is a little club of corrupt coaches that steal money from the school and drink and sleep with female athletes. The baseball coach should be investigated, the men’s basketball coach, and executive AD. There’s many scandals within the football program but sparky isn’t as morally corrupt as the baseball and basketball coach. Other than letting his star QB date the facilities worker which is pretty wrong if you ask me. I’ve heard the term clown school being thrown around. This is a corrupt school. Student athletes commits academic fraud every day at DU and coaches and administrators look the other way. Davenport has no right to be in the NCAA. They should have stayed NAIA as all they do is lie and cheat. "

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Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Toxic Place To Be Clown Show. Clown School

Date: February 23, 2026

By Parent

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"Obviously the entire DU athletic department is trash but why is the executive AD off the hook. Think he got hit in the head too many times playing Hockey. He isn’t all there mentally clearly. Ronda runs DU bc he is a moron. He is the head of the Clown show. Enter a home soon pal. Female haters. "

0

Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Du Is A Clown School

Date: February 23, 2026

By Athlete

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"Ronda didn’t listen to anyone on my team about our horrific coach. Put him on a pedestal and let him get away with abuse. Davenport is a clown school. If you’re in with her and drink with her she will be your best bud. Otherwise watch your back. I wonder if we had a woman coach if she would have listened. I’m ashamed to have played at DU. Clown school for sure. She’s a big woman hater for real. "

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Women's Softball

Ronda Varnesdeel

Associate Director of Athletics

Davenport University

NCAA DII • Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | GLIAC

Bad Reputation In Grand Rapids And Davenport

Date: February 22, 2026

By Parent

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Poor Communication Disorganized Old School Mentality Dedicated To Players Creates A Great Team Culture

"When you’ve been around this woman for 25 years and you know she’s the biggest loser in Grand Rapids. Lies, steals, cheats. Terrible role model for any female athlete, coach or staff member. She has a long long history of this so beware if you cross paths because she’s known to be one jealous, insecure person and when that happens she ls pretty dangerous. The executive AD lets all this happen because he has no clue what is even going on. She has pawns at that school and loves to hire her friends or anyone that says yes to her. I’m not sure how she sleeps at night knowing, allowing and doing all the wrong she does at that clown school. "

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Ronda Varnesdeel Review

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