Esports 2/20/2026 12:25:00 PM

Blinn Overwatch falls in OWCC opener, Valorant drops NJCAAe debut

The Buccaneers continue Overwatch play on Feb 23, while Blinn Overwatch resumes Feb. 25

Esports 2/20/2026 12:25:00 PM

Blinn Overwatch falls in OWCC opener, Valorant drops NJCAAe debut

The Buccaneers continue Overwatch play on Feb 23, while Blinn Overwatch resumes Feb. 25

The Blinn College esports Overwatch and Valorant teams were in action Thursday but were unable to find victory.

The Buccaneers' Overwatch squad opened play in the Swiss Stage of the Overwatch Collegiate Championships (OWCC) with a 2-0 loss in a best-of-three series against the University of Maryland.

Competing for the Buccaneers were Joseph Mares, Donnivan Straight, Salvador Castaneda, Robert Vaughan, and Charles Tomlinson.

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 Thursday featured 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 selects the next map.
Escort: The attacking team moves a payload to its destination while defenders attempt to stop them. The payload advances when attackers are nearby, and the attackers must complete the route before time expires.
Hybrid: Teams capture a point and then escort a payload. Attackers must first secure the capture point before advancing 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 opponent wins, with the loser selecting the next map.
Flashpoint: Teams fight to control capture zones that rotate to new locations after each point is secured. The first team to capture three zones wins.

The series began on Busan (Control), where Blinn fell 2-0.

"We struggled to find consistency throughout the map, playing too disconnected and failing to properly close out fights that were initially going in our favor," Blinn esports head coach and Overwatch coach Kyle Murto said.

On New Junk City (Flashpoint), Blinn showed improvement but ultimately dropped the map 3-1.

"We did not play to our win conditions, frequently overcommitting in fights we were already winning," Murto said. "That led to poor ultimate economies in subsequent fights and made it difficult to recover momentum."

With eight Swiss Stage matches remaining, Blinn's next OWCC match is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, against an opponent to be determined. The Buccaneers will also continue their National Association of Collegiate Esports season against Texas Tech University at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23.

Elsewhere, Blinn's Valorant team dropped a 2-0 decision to Pratt Community College in a best-of-three NJCAA Esports (NJCAAe) match Thursday.

Competing for the Buccaneers were Ilies Dolliazal, Milad Khorsandi, Tyler Hartman, Samuel Long, and Brian Yang.

With the loss, Blinn fell to 0-1 in NJCAAe play.

Valorant is a tactical, team-based, first-person shooter set in a near-future world. Teams of five players select unique agents with distinct abilities, combining precise shooting mechanics with strategic use of each agent's toolkit. Teams alternate between attacking and defending, with attackers attempting to plant a spike at one of the designated sites while defenders work to prevent the plant or defuse the spike if it is set. The first team to win 13 rounds claims victory. If both teams reach a 12-12 tie, overtime is triggered, and play continues until one team secures a two-round advantage, alternating sides each overtime round.

Assistant coach Patrick Daley said the Buccaneers entered the match confident in their progress.

"We went into our series against Pratt knowing our history and also that we have gotten a lot better since we played them last," Daley said.

The opening map, Bind, was tightly contested throughout.

"Bind was as close of a game as they have come for us all season," Daley said. "The early rounds were evenly traded, with both teams winning pistols and forcing the other into uncomfortable eco situations."

Daley credited Ilies and Long for finding consistent opening picks that helped Blinn keep pace, while Yang controlled long sightlines to slow Pratt's site entries. Khorsandi and Hartman combined effectively on retakes, creating several late-round scenarios that came down to single duels.

"The score remained tight throughout the half, and neither team managed to build a significant economy advantage," Daley said. "We pushed the map all the way to 11 rounds, but Pratt's late-round composure and cleaner trading in the final few rifle rounds allowed them to edge it out 13-11. It was one of those maps where a couple of small moments could have completely flipped the result."

The second map, Breeze, proved more challenging.

"Pratt came out aggressively and immediately dictated the pace," Daley said. "Pratt's long-range control and mid pressure forced us into reactive setups, and we struggled to establish consistent site presence. Even when we found early picks, Pratt responded quickly with smart rotations and strong post-plant positioning. We got completely pushed over, missing aim duels, not responding to their retakes, and playing not anywhere close to our level."

Despite the sweep, Daley said the performance on Bind demonstrated the team's potential.

"The Bind performance showed that we can compete round for round with strong teams, and if we're focused and disciplined, we can win," he said.

The Bucs will their Valorant season with a National Association of College Esports match against Converse University at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24.

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

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Players Mentioned

Ilies Dolliazal: Sophomore; Valorant

Milad Khorsandi: Freshman; Valorant

Samuel Long: Freshman; Valorant

Brian Yang: Freshman; Valorant

Joseph Mares: Sophomore; Overwatch

Donnivan Straight: Sophomore; Overwatch

Salvador Castaneda: Freshman; Overwatch

Charles Tomlinson: Freshman; Overwatch

Tyler Hartman: Sophomore; Valorant

Players Mentioned

Ilies Dolliazal
: Sophomore; Valorant

Milad Khorsandi
: Freshman; Valorant

Samuel Long
: Freshman; Valorant

Brian Yang
: Freshman; Valorant

Joseph Mares
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Donnivan Straight
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Salvador Castaneda
: Freshman; Overwatch

Charles Tomlinson
: Freshman; Overwatch

Tyler Hartman
: Sophomore; Valorant