Loyola Overwatch gets back in the win column Wednesday

NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola University New Orleans esports program competed against Blinn College in NACE competition this week, battling in Overwatch 2 on Wednesday and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on Thursday. After a bye week, Loyola's Overwatch squad got back in the win column, sweeping Blinn, 3-0. On Thursday, the Wolf Pack defeated Blinn College in straight sets in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, winning its sixth straight contest.

The Wolf Pack will wrap up the regular season of NACE play with Overwatch competing in a double-header on Monday, facing Idaho State at 7:30 p.m. and Texas A&M San Antonio at 9:30 p.m. The Smash Bros. team will look to finish the regular season undefeated when it faces South Florida on Thursday, at 6 p.m. Loyola's esports matches will be live-streamed on twitch.tv/loynoesports. 

The Wolf Pack went on a roll in round one of Wednesday's Overwatch match on Lijiang Tower. Loyola reached the 96% mark on the objective before Blinn got control. Braden Garfield notched a triple kill as Mauga, with Matthew Marshall's Lucio and Rexford Kaase's Sojourn taking down the last two Blinn players for the team kill and a round win.

The second round was better contested by Blinn, but it started with Loyola getting a 79% lead. The Pack took back control with a team kill, including a kill by Maya Hernandez, after Blinn went ahead 83-79. An ultimate from Garfield's Wrecking Ball, along with two more by Mason Wheaton's Tracer, helped Loyola close out round two from there to take a one-set lead.

On King's Row, the Pack began on the attacker's side. Shortly after the round started, Loyola got control of the payload. Blinn, however, managed to stop the Pack's push, but left Loyola with a 2-0 lead. Just as Loyola did, Blinn also captured the payload. The Wolf Pack defense stopped Blinn's offense, taking a 2-1 win in set two.

In the third set, the teams traveled to Aatlis for a flashpoint matchup. Blinn grabbed the first point of the set, before Loyola matched that effort with the second point, 1-1. After Blinn notched another, 2-1, Loyola evened the score, again, 2-2. At the final objective, Loyola came away with the win to take the match, 3-0.

Lily Neeley kicked off Thursday's Smash Bros. match by sweeping Blinn's Palutena, 3-0. Then, Neeley's Lucina got another win against Bayonetta, 3-1. Neeley's run came to an end, however, falling to the Buccaneers' Jigglypuff, 2-1. Lucian Payne took it from there, taking a 2-0 win over Jigglypuff. In the following fight, Payne's Wolf defeated Toon Link to take the first crew battle.

Payne started the second crew battle by defeating Dark Samus (3-0) and Bayonetta (3-2), putting the Wolf Pack ahead early. Blinn's Toon Link went on a run, taking Payne's last stock, then defeating Neeley. Samuel Spiegel's Steve entered the match to take down Toon Link, 2-1, then fell to Jigglypuff, bringing out Loyola's final fighter. Malachi Lee's Terry entered the fight, eliminating Jigglypuff to secure Loyola's sixth victory of the season.

NACE Results

First Crew Battle:

Lucina (Lily Neeley) def. Palutena (BC), 3-0
Lucina (Lily Neeley) def. Bayonetta (BC), 3-1
Jigglypuff (BC) def. Lucina (Lily Neeley), 2-1
Wolf (Lucian Payne) def. Jigglypuff (BC), 2-0
Wolf (Lucian Payne) def. Toon Link (BC), 3-1
Loyola leads match, 1-0

Second Crew Battle:

Wolf (Lucian Payne) def. Dark Samus (BC), 3-0
Wolf (Lucian Payne) def. Bayonetta (BC), 3-2
Toon Link (BC) def. Wolf (Lucian Payne), 1-0
Toon Link (BC) def. Lucina (Lily Neeley), 3-1
Steve (Samuel Spiegel) def. Toon Link (BC), 2-1
Jigglypuff (BC) def. Steve (Samuel Spiegel), 2-1
Terry (Malachi Lee) def. Jigglypuff (BC), 2-0
Loyola wins match, 2-0