When USC academic advisor Allison Brillhart first entered the back room of Firefly Toys and Games, it felt like a casino to her, she said.
"You walk in, and the lights are flashing, and the machines are shouting their lines at you,” Brillhart said.
That immersion keeps Brillhart standing behind a machine for hours at a time, learning the intricacies of the game. Now, five years later, she has been ranked 16th overall in South Carolina women's pinball three years in a row.
In 2023, women's pinball competitors established their own league within the International Flipper Pinball Association, where players can earn statewide, national and international rankings. Competitors can rack up points by getting the highest score on a machine.
For Brillhart, it’s not about the competition, it’s about feeling the machine and letting the ball flow.
“I kind of get into a groove,” Brillhart said. “Sometimes I like to play listening to music, and I can get a little bit into a dance with it.”
By recognizing South Carolina women's rankings, female competitors in the state can receive those state rankings. They have three overall rankings: a statewide ranking, a ranking against only women in open competitions, and a ranking in women-only competitions.
While not currently a member, Brillhart used to be part of Bells and Chimes, a pinball club that organizes tournaments for women. Sarah Kelly, the director of experiential learning for the honors college, served as chair of a local chapter.
While they've only recently been able to score their rankings through the International Flipper Pinball Association, women's pinball has been around for a while, Kelly said.
“Women's pinball can and does exist outside of the IFPA, the two are not intrinsically linked,” Kelly said. “However, the majority of events that Bells and Chimes hosts are working with the IFPA to give our players points towards their state and national rankings."
When Kelly told Brillhart in 2023 that she’d amassed enough points to be ranked in the state, Brillhart was surprised, she said.
“I am so thankful for people like her and others in the community that do so much work to organize and manage those events," Brillhart said. "Then I just get to reap the benefits and go and enjoy the competition.”
Brillhart said her most recent ranking in 2025 was equally shocking to her.
“This whole year I went thinking there’s no way I’m making it for the third time. I haven’t been committed to it,” Brillhart said. “And that’s okay. It’s like you’ve had your moment in the sun with pinball.”
However, she’s been just as successful this past season. A December tournament secured Brillhart’s spot in the top 16, allowing her to compete in the 2025 South Carolina Women’s Pinball State Finals, held in January.
The winner of the state finals gets to move onto nationals, which Brillhart said is an overwhelming, yet exciting possibility for the future.
“I have never felt competitive in anything else the way that I’ve felt competitive in pinball," Brillhart said. "So yeah, put it on the record. It’s a goal to get to nationals.”
While her ambition keeps her competitive, Brillhart emphasized the inclusivity and eccentricity of the pinball community. Pinball players are nerdy weirdos from all walks of life, and most of them are men, she said.
“Selfishly, I want more community,” Brillhart said. “I want more women in the community to hang out with and teach and learn with.”
Kelly said pinball creates a space for women to share a hobby and create connections. She said she’s met wonderful people through their shared love of the game.
Pinball lounges foster a welcoming environment, said Bang Back Pinball Lounge event director Rachael Ivy Talbot. Ladies night on Thursdays specifically affords female players five games of free play and a tournament once a month.
“It's a safe place for people to come," Talbot said. "We have so many creative people that just come here as patrons."
The ability to share her passion with fellow players is something Brillhart loves about the sport. New machines and updated games keep her on her toes and excited.
Brillhart said that while she may not always be top ranked in the state, the sport will always have a space in her heart.
“My love for pinball isn’t going anywhere,” Brillhart said. “I think I’ve recognized that there are seasons in my life where maybe I’m going to want it more than others, and I just have to respect that balance.”