esports 3/12/2025 6:30:00 AM

Hawks Valorant Stays Undefeated with Gritty Win Over Marquette

Palatine, IL: The Hawks eSports Valorant team overcame their toughest challenge yet, securing a hard-fought 2-0 sweep over the previously undefeated Marquette Golden Eagles. The Hawks took Game 1 convincingly, 13-4, but had to battle through a tense double-overtime thriller to close out Game 2, 15-13. With the win, Harper improves to 6-0 on the season.

"This game presented a bigger challenge for us," said Coach Don Curley. "Both teams entered this match undefeated, and up until this week, we faced teams that weren't as coordinated as Marquette. Facing off against another solid team had tensions running high. We had to prep even harder due to the map rotation this week, but it all paid off. Again, I am very proud of this roster, and it has been a fantastic journey so far."

With Valorant's competitive map pool shifting this week—introducing two new maps into rotation—teams had to scramble to adapt, making preparation more critical than ever. The Hawks rose to the occasion, showing both resilience and adaptability.

Giovanni Romero (polar_bear) played a crucial leadership role, keeping the team locked in during the double-overtime battle. His game-high assist totals in both maps showcased his ability to enable his teammates, while Zion Villaluz (NoiZ) continued to be a steady presence, gathering intel and disrupting the enemy with his utility.

Patrick Olechno (Sloth) once again proved why he's one of the top players in the league, dropping a staggering 42 kills in Game 2 to ensure the Hawks secured the win. However, the night also belonged to Faris Khan (DarkZ), who stepped up in a big way, clutching key moments on both maps and even managing to steal a match MVP from Sloth in Game 1—something no other player had done this season.

The Hawks will look to continue their perfect run next week as they take on Cornell.

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Players Mentioned

Patrick Olechno: Valorant; Freshman; itsslother

Faris Khan: Valorant; Sophomore; DarkZ

Giovanni Romero: Valorant, Marvel Rivals; Sophomore; polar_bear

Zion Villaluz: Valorant; Freshman; NoiZ

Players Mentioned

Patrick Olechno
: Freshman; itsslother
: Valorant

Faris Khan
: Sophomore; DarkZ
: Valorant

Giovanni Romero
: Sophomore; polar_bear
: Valorant, Marvel Rivals

Zion Villaluz
: Freshman; NoiZ
: Valorant