Jon Dunning
Staff Writer
The Murray State Overwatch Team participated in the Tespa Play-in Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 2, in Murra for a chance to qualify for the Tespa Varsity Playoffs.
The Tespa Play-in Tournament was a single-elimination best-of-five tournament. Of the 128 teams that entered the tournament, the top two qualified for the Varsity Playoffs.
The event marked the culmination of the Racer Overwatch Team’s season, and their last chance to make it into the playoffs.
The first round of the tournament began at 2 p.m., and the Racers were pitted against the Union County College Owls. However, the Owls were forced to forfeit the match for not being ready to play by 2:20 p.m., giving Murray State a free win and allowing them to advance to the next round.
The second round began at 4 p.m., and the Racers faced off against the Savannah Bees from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
The teams began the first stage of the round on Busan, a control map where teams battle to capture control points in the center of the stage. The Bees managed to take two control points, beating the Racers 2-0.
In the second stage of the match, the teams played on King’s Row. On this map, an attacking team attempts to escort a payload while the defensive team attempts to halt them. After the first round, the teams switch roles and whichever team escorts the payload the furthest wins. The Racers started off on King’s Row as the attacking team, escorting their payload 25.08 meters. However, the Bees played aggressively on their turn at offense, pushing their payload further than Murray State, giving Savannah the win.
The third stage of the round occurred on the map Junkertown in another escort game. The Racers started off as the attacking team, pushing their payload 94.63 meters. The Bees escorted their payload further, however, giving them the win on this map and allowing them to take the round, pushing Murray State out of the tournament.
Murray State Overwatch Team member Aaron Nethery commented on his team’s performance in the tournament.
“We went up against schools that have had programs for some years now with established teams, coaches and other dedicated resources,” Nethery said. “That being said, we competed and made them fight for the victory. That alone is a testament of what we’re doing here at Murray State University.”
Team member Jacob Mitchell also offered his thoughts on Murray State’s efforts.
“Since we are a relatively new team, playing a reputable team like the Bees and making them work very hard for the win was a fantastic achievement in our eyes,” Mitchell said. “Finishing that tournament in the top 30 is amazing, again, since we are such a new team.”
Fans can follow the Murray State Overwatch Team on the Twitch channel RacerEsports.
