Esports 9/25/2025 2:43:00 PM

Blinn claims victories in Overwatch and Valorant play

The Buccaneers defeated Western Iowa Tech and Northwest Missouri State

Esports 9/25/2025 2:43:00 PM

Blinn claims victories in Overwatch and Valorant play

The Buccaneers defeated Western Iowa Tech and Northwest Missouri State

The Blinn College esports program put together a perfect night of play Wednesday as the Buccaneers earned victories in Overwatch and Valorant matches.

Blinn's Overwatch team of Joseph Mares, Donnivan Straight, Donovan Hernandez, Trey Vaughan, and Jose Rios defeated Western Iowa Tech Community College 3-1 in a best-of-five NJCAA Esports (NJCAAe) tilt.

The Bucs are now 1-0 in the NJCAAe East Conference.

Overwatch is a team-based, first-person-shooter in which players select heroes with unique abilities and work together to complete objectives across multiple map modes. Each team can strategically choose its maps based on team strengths and opponent weaknesses.

Each round Monday included a different win condition based on the following modes:

Control: Teams fight to capture and hold a single point. The first team to reach 100% control wins two rounds in a best-of-three format, where the loser of each round picks the next map.
Escort: The attacking team moves a payload to its destination while defenders try to stop them. The payload moves when attackers are near it, and the attackers aim to complete the route before time runs out.
Hybrid: Teams capture a point and then escort a payload. The match is typically one round for attackers, who must secure the point first before moving the payload.
Push: Teams battle to control a robot and push it toward the opponent's side. The first team to push it farther than their opponents wins, with the loser picking the next map.
Clash: Teams capture consecutive points, with the first team to reach a set number of points winning.

Wednesday's match was contested in the Control, Hybrid, Escort, and Push modes.

Blinn opened up a 1-0 series lead on the Lijiang Tower map (Control) before Western Iowa Tech bounced back for a win on the King's Row map (Hybrid). The Bucs then claimed a win on the Shambali Monastery map (Escort) and closed out the series with a victory on the Colosseo map (Push).

"We opened the final map strongly, but lost momentum midway through and nearly let the game slip away," Blinn head coach and Overwatch coach Kyle Murto said. "In the end, a well-executed team fight gave us the victory. This was a big step forward for our roster, not only earning our first win of the season but showing clear improvement in coordination, adaptability, and execution. We're proud of the progress and ready to keep building as the season continues."

Blinn Overwatch gets back to work in National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) play when it battles Lindenwood University at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 29.

The Buccaneers were also victorious in Valorant play Wednesday as the team of Ilies Dolliazal, Samuel Long, Hayden Rubino, Camdin Sims, and Brian Yang defeated Northwest Missouri State University 2-0 in a best-of-three series.

Blinn improved to 3-1 in NACE play.

Valorant is a tactical, team-based, first-person shooter set in a near-future world. Teams of five players choose unique agents with distinct abilities, combining shooting skills with strategic use of each agent's toolkit. Teams alternate between attacking and defending. Attackers aim to plant a spike at one of the designated sites, while defenders try to prevent this or defuse the spike if planted. The first team to win 13 rounds claims victory. If both teams reach a tie at 12-12, overtime is triggered, and the match continues until one team wins by two rounds, with teams alternating between attacking and defending in each overtime round.

"We started the night on the Ascent map, and from the first round the team came out sharp and focused," Bucs assistant coach and Valorant coach Patrick Daley said. "The early emphasis was on communication and trust, and it showed right away."

The Bucs rolled to a 13-6 win in the opening round and continued its momentum into the Lotus map.

"Our team knew exactly how to play to our strengths, as Lotus is a comfort map for us and one we're confident playing on," Daley explained. "That comfort paid off quickly as we dictated the pace from the very first rounds."

Blinn earned a 13-2 victory in round two for the series win.

The Bucs will continue their Valorant season with an NJCAAe bout against Northeast Alabama Community College at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

"Our guys left tonight's match energized and proud of the progress they've made," Daley added. "They're eager to keep that same intensity rolling into the rest of the week."

Blinn's Call of Duty team was scheduled to face Fisher College in NACE play Wednesday but was instead awarded a 3-0 forfeit victory.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 53 national championships since 1987.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Ilies Dolliazal: Sophomore; Valorant

Samuel Long: Freshman; Valorant

Hayden Rubino: Freshman; Valorant

Camdin Sims: Freshman; Valorant

Brian Yang: Freshman; Valorant

Donovan Hernandez: Freshman; Overwatch

Joseph Mares: Sophomore; Overwatch

Jose Rios: Sophomore; Overwatch

Donnivan Straight: Sophomore; Overwatch

Players Mentioned

Ilies Dolliazal
: Sophomore; Valorant

Samuel Long
: Freshman; Valorant

Hayden Rubino
: Freshman; Valorant

Camdin Sims
: Freshman; Valorant

Brian Yang
: Freshman; Valorant

Donovan Hernandez
: Freshman; Overwatch

Joseph Mares
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Jose Rios
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Donnivan Straight
: Sophomore; Overwatch