BECKLEY, W.Va. — WVU Tech esports picked up two NECC victories Tuesday, Oct. 6, defeating Eastern University in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and the University of Michigan-Flint in Marvel Rivals. The Golden Bears also competed in Street Fighter 6 and Fortnite Zero Build Duos during a busy evening of competition.
Tech earned its first Marvel Rivals victory of the season with a 3-0 win over Michigan-Flint and rallied from an opening-game loss to defeat Eastern 2-1 in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Marvel Rivals
The Golden Bears earned their first Marvel Rivals victory of the season with a 3-0 win over Michigan-Flint in NECC Division IV, East B competition.
WVU Tech won the opening two games by identical 3-1 scores before closing out the matchup with a 3-2 victory in Game 3.
The Golden Bears totaled 188 kills, 114 assists and 57 final hits while recording 106,108 damage and 71,422 healing. Tech held a 188-134 advantage in kills and a 114-83 edge in assists.
Fifth-year Anthony Biley (almightyfoot1221) led WVU Tech with 42 kills while adding 25 assists and 12 final hits. Senior Benjamin Cogar (I3ennii) contributed 39 kills and a team-high 46 assists.
Sophomore Wyatt Plumley (Plum_Ghost) finished with 39 kills and a team-high 19 final hits, while senior Ty Bock (BockShiesty) added 39 kills and 15 final hits.
Senior Noah Tucker (bizzy.biyombo) also contributed 29 kills and 38 assists.
The victory improved WVU Tech to 1-1 in Marvel Rivals competition following its season-opening loss to Lakeland University.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
WVU Tech rallied from an opening-game loss to defeat Eastern University 2-1 in NECC Super Smash Bros. Ultimate competition.
Eastern claimed the opening game 12-10 before the Golden Bears answered with a 12-9 victory in Game 2 to even the matchup.
With the match tied, Tech secured a 12-10 win in Game 3 to complete the comeback and remain unbeaten in NECC competition.
Junior Evan Ingram (Dunks), junior Rylan Ellison (RyeBread), freshman Bryse Jenkins (ConcludedNut1) and sophomore Ralph Aaron Etaba Ateba (Wreck) competed for the Golden Bears in the victory.
The win improved WVU Tech to 2-0 in NECC Super Smash Bros. Ultimate competition following its 2-0 victory over UWSP Esports Black on Sept. 29.
Street Fighter 6
Sophomore Ralph Aaron Etaba Ateba (Wreck) faced Northern Kentucky University's Xhaos in his third Street Fighter 6 matchup of the season.
Xhaos won all four games of the first-to-four competition to take the match 4-0.
Wreck entered Tuesday's matchup following a 4-3 victory over Russell Sage College on Sept. 29. He is now 1-2 in match play this season.
Fortnite Zero Build Duos
Seniors Keith Karwacki (TheWacki1) and Ryan Hayden (Dr.unrushed) represented WVU Tech in Week 3 of Fortnite Zero Build Duos competition, collecting 50 points across four games.
The Golden Bear duo opened with a 19th-place finish and 14 points before posting its best result of the evening in Game 2, placing 14th with 24 points.
Karwacki and Hayden finished 32nd in Game 3 before closing the competition with a 20th-place finish and 12 points in Game 4.
The pair finished the evening with 50 placement points and no eliminations.
What's next
WVU Tech returns to NECC competition Wednesday, Oct. 7, against AVL Varsity in Rainbow Six Siege.
The Golden Bears continue their schedule Thursday, Oct. 8, with Fortnite Builds Duos before competing Friday, Oct. 9, in Fortnite Zero Build Solo and Overwatch against MTSU Lightning.
Select competitions are streamed on the WVU Tech Golden Bears Twitch channel.
