The Blinn College esports team defeated the University of Texas in the semifinal round of the Collegiate Valorant Conference playoffs Wednesday night to advance to the championship match against the University of Houston.
Buccaneers Dylan Gerlach, Wesley Hawley, Syed-shaheer Naqvi, Justin Barry, and Michael Pope earned a 2-0 victory and will now face the University of Houston at 8 p.m. Friday.
“The best thing about being a team of five is that we work together and we pull through,” Hawley said. “There’s no time to look back. We just keep pushing, we adjust well and keep making adjustments, and I’m proud of everyone for doing a good job.”
This is the first time the Buccaneers have participated in this national tournament. Head coach Aaron Kapiko said he has been happy with the way his team has answered the call and said the program is excited for the opportunity to bring home a national championship.
“We’re super excited with where we are, but the job isn’t done yet,” Kapiko said. “We’ve put in a lot of work to get here and we’re happy to make the finals, but we want to bring home a championship. It’s something we’re looking forward to and happy to take a shot at.”
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
