Esports 10/29/2026 9:44:00 AM

Blinn earn victories in Overwatch and Valorant

The Buccaneers improved to 5-0 in NJCAAe Overwatch play

Esports 10/29/2026 9:44:00 AM

Blinn earn victories in Overwatch and Valorant

The Buccaneers improved to 5-0 in NJCAAe Overwatch play

The Blinn College esports program picked up a pair of victories Wednesday, as its No. 11-ranked Overwatch team swept Pearl River Community College in an NJCAA Esports (NJCAAe) match and Valorant defeated Florida Technical College in National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) competition.

Overwatch improved to 5-0 in NJCAAe play with a 3-0 sweep, while Valorant earned a 2-0 win to move to 2-1 in NACE play.

OVERWATCH
Blinn delivered a dominant performance against Pearl River, controlling all three maps to secure the sweep.

Overwatch is a team-based, first-person shooter in which players select heroes with unique abilities and work together to complete objectives across different game modes. Teams must coordinate their abilities and strategies to capture objectives, escort payloads, or advance across the map, depending on the mode.

The Buccaneers opened on Ilios in Control with a 2-0 victory before continuing their momentum on Circuit Royal in Escort, where they earned a 1-0 win. Blinn closed the series on Esperança in Push, recording another 2-0 victory.

Head coach and Overwatch manager Kyle Murto said the match provided an opportunity for several players to contribute while the team delivered one of its most complete performances of the season.

Joseph Mares returned to the varsity lineup after limited recent action, while Charles Tomlinson and Carter Lenahan also saw significant playing time. Murto said all three stepped up and contributed to the team's success, giving Blinn valuable experience and confidence throughout its roster.

The Buccaneers maintained strong communication and teamwork throughout the match, controlling the pace of play across all three maps.

Donnivan Straight, Jose Soliz, Antony Luna, Dylan Wiley, Salvador Castaneda, Charles Tomlinson, Carter Lenahan, and Joseph Mares competed for Blinn.

The Buccaneers will look to carry that momentum into a Collegiate Overwatch Swiss Stage matchup against Long Beach State University at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

VALORANT
Blinn's Valorant team continued its strong start in NACE regular-season play Wednesday, sweeping Florida Technical College in the best-of-three series.

Valorant is a tactical, team-based first-person shooter in which two teams of five players select unique agents with special abilities. The attacking team attempts to plant a spike at a designated site, while the defending team tries to prevent the plant or defuse the spike if it is planted. The first team to win 13 rounds wins the map. If the score reaches 12-12, the teams play overtime until one team wins two rounds.

Assistant coach and Valorant manager Patrick Daley said the Buccaneers demonstrated a clear advantage in fundamentals, individual performances, and defensive play, although some missed opportunities allowed Florida Technical College to remain competitive in portions of both maps.

Blinn opened on its map pick, Bind, establishing an 8-4 lead at halftime despite giving away several rounds in favorable situations. The Buccaneers then dominated defensively, winning five consecutive rounds to close the map with a commanding 13-4 victory.

Brian Yang set the tone in the second half with a three-elimination pistol round using the Frenzy, while Ahnaf Khan followed with a four-elimination round against Florida Technical College's economy. Blinn's defensive positioning and sharp rotations limited the opponent's opportunities to execute attacks.

The Buccaneers carried that momentum into Lotus, where they again controlled the map through aggressive positioning, coordinated utility, and effective trading. Blinn mixed quick attacks with slower executions to exploit gaps in Florida Technical College's defense, earning another 13-4 victory to complete the sweep.

Daley said the team's fundamentals stood out throughout the series, with Yang's pistol-round performance and Khan's follow-up helping turn the momentum decisively in Blinn's favor. He also noted that the Buccaneers will continue working to finish favorable gunfights and avoid surrendering unnecessary rounds.

Michael Pint, Ahnaf Khan, Tyler Hartman, Samuel Long, and Brian Yang competed for Blinn.

Up next for the Bucs' Valorant squad is an NJCAAe tilt against Navarro College at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

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

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Players Mentioned

Charles Tomlinson: Sophomore; Overwatch

Dylan Wiley: Freshman; Overwatch

Donnivan Straight: Sophomore; Overwatch

Jose Soliz: Freshman; Overwatch

Carter Lenahan: Freshman; Overwatch

Salvador Castaneda: Freshman; Overwatch

Antony Luna: Freshman; Overwatch

Joseph Mares: Sophomore; Overwatch

Michael Pint: Sophomore; Valorant

Ahnaf Khan: Sophomore; Valorant

Players Mentioned

Charles Tomlinson
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Dylan Wiley
: Freshman; Overwatch

Donnivan Straight
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Jose Soliz
: Freshman; Overwatch

Carter Lenahan
: Freshman; Overwatch

Salvador Castaneda
: Freshman; Overwatch

Antony Luna
: Freshman; Overwatch

Joseph Mares
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Michael Pint
: Sophomore; Valorant

Ahnaf Khan
: Sophomore; Valorant