Esports 3/11/2026 10:45:00 PM

Blinn Overwatch, Valorant teams continue hot streaks with two victories

The Buccaneers Overwatch team improved to 4-0 in NJCAAe play

Esports 3/11/2026 10:45:00 PM

Blinn Overwatch, Valorant teams continue hot streaks with two victories

The Buccaneers Overwatch team improved to 4-0 in NJCAAe play

The Blinn College esports team picked up wins in Overwatch and Valorant play Wednesday.

OVERWATCH
The Buccaneers prevailed 3-0 over Grayson College in a best-of-five NJCAA Esports (NJCAAe) matchup.

Joseph Mares, Donnivan Straight, Salvador Castaneda, Trey Vaughan, Jose Rios, and Charles Tomlinson were in action for Blinn as the team improved to 4-0 in the NJCAAe West 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 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.

Blinn set the tone early in the sweep, opening with a 2-0 victory on Lijiang Tower (Control) and maintaining control of the pace throughout the series.

"We dictated the tempo from the start and didn't allow them to build momentum," Blinn head coach and Overwatch coach Kyle Murto said.

The Buccaneers followed with a 1-0 win on Blizzard World (Hybrid) before completing the match with another 1-0 decision on Route 66 (Escort).

"Our positioning and teamfight execution were strong across the maps," Murto added. "Overall, it was a very one-sided match where we controlled nearly every engagement."

Murto mentioned that following the release of the final Overwatch Collegiate Championship Swiss Stage standings, which included tiebreakers, Blinn finished 44th overall and just outside of the top 32 playoff field.

"While missing the top 32 is disappointing, the team continues to show improvement and strong performances in NJCAAe play," Murto said. "We're focused on finishing the season on a positive note."

Blinn Overwatch wraps up its NJCAAe regular season against Salt Lake Community College.

VALORANT
The Buccaneers continued their successful night with a 2-0 victory over Cleary University in a best-of-three National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) bout.

Ilies Dolliazal, Milad Khorsandi, Hayden Rubino, Samuel Long, and Brian Yang competed for Blinn as the team improved to 2-4 in NACE play. Between NJCAAe and NACE matches, the Bucs have won three consecutive contests.

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.

Blinn opened the series with a convincing 13-3 win on Pearl, fueled by strong communication and early-round success.

"Hayden stepped into the duelist role and played exceptionally well," Blinn assistant coach and Valorant coach Patrick Daley said. "From the start, our goal was to control tempo, avoid unnecessary risks, and rely on our fundamentals."

The Buccaneers carried that momentum into Bind, where disciplined play and coordinated attacks helped secure a 13-4 victory to complete the sweep.

"We consistently found opening fights and maintained pressure throughout the series," Daley added. "It was a complete team performance that showed how effective we can be when our structure and communication are working together."

Although Blinn has been eliminated from NACE playoff contention, the team remains focused on upcoming opportunities in NJCAAe competition.

Blinn Valorant faces St. Louis Community College in an NJCAAe match at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Print Friendly Version