Conference One: Interview with the Oregon State Valorant Coordinator

Conference One Interview

After‌ ‌a‌ ‌Conference‌ ‌One‌ ‌Season‌ ‌to‌ ‌remember,‌ ‌reflection‌ ‌was‌ ‌necessary.‌ ‌Some‌ ‌teams‌ ‌

finished‌ ‌where‌ ‌they‌ ‌anticipated‌ ‌finishing,‌ ‌while‌ ‌others‌ ‌fell‌ ‌short‌ ‌of‌ ‌their‌ ‌expectations.‌ ‌Oregon‌ ‌State‌ ‌Coordinator.‌ ‌Russell‌ ‌Owen‌ ‌answered‌ ‌a‌ ‌few‌ ‌questions‌ ‌about‌ ‌how‌ ‌he‌ ‌felt‌ ‌his‌ ‌team‌ ‌did‌ ‌this‌ ‌year‌ ‌in‌ ‌Conference‌ ‌One‌ ‌play.‌ ‌ ‌

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Oregon‌ ‌State‌ ‌made‌ ‌the‌ ‌playoffs‌ ‌but‌ ‌could not‌ ‌make‌ ‌it‌ ‌past‌ ‌the‌ ‌2nd‌ ‌round‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌playoff.‌ ‌When‌ ‌asked‌ ‌about‌ ‌his‌ ‌thoughts‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌Conference‌ ‌One‌ ‌Season,‌ ‌Owen‌ ‌stated,‌ ‌"‌Glad‌ ‌we‌ ‌got‌ ‌to‌ ‌playoffs‌ ‌but‌ ‌honestly‌ ‌still‌ ‌pretty‌ ‌bummed‌ ‌and‌ ‌disappointed‌ ‌with‌ ‌how‌ ‌they‌ ‌

went.‌ ‌With‌ ‌the‌ ‌work‌ ‌we‌ ‌had‌ ‌put‌ ‌in‌ ‌and‌ ‌how‌ ‌we‌ ‌had‌ ‌been‌ ‌playing,‌ ‌felt‌ ‌we‌ ‌should‌ ‌have‌ ‌definitely‌ ‌gotten‌ ‌farther."‌ ‌Oregon‌ ‌State‌ ‌was‌ ‌undefeated‌ ‌entering‌ ‌the‌ ‌playoff,‌ ‌so‌ ‌losing‌ ‌was‌ ‌not‌ ‌something‌ ‌they‌ ‌weren't familiar with.‌ ‌

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Owen‌ ‌also‌ ‌talked‌ ‌about‌ ‌how‌ ‌his‌ ‌team‌ ‌got‌ ‌better‌ ‌during‌ ‌Conference‌ ‌One‌ ‌play.‌ ‌‌ ‌Going‌ ‌5-0‌ ‌in‌ ‌Round‌ ‌Robin‌ ‌play,‌ ‌his‌ ‌team‌ ‌played‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌top‌ ‌of‌ ‌their‌ ‌game.‌ ‌Owen‌ ‌walked‌ ‌through‌ ‌how‌ ‌they‌ ‌got‌ ‌there‌ ‌with‌ ‌a‌ ‌statement‌ ‌of‌ ‌"Really‌ ‌focused‌ ‌on‌ ‌scrimming‌ ‌to‌ ‌try‌ ‌to‌ ‌get‌ ‌reps‌ ‌down‌ ‌as‌ ‌a‌ ‌team.‌ ‌Also,‌ ‌put‌ ‌a‌ ‌couple of‌ ‌hours‌ ‌here‌ ‌and‌ ‌there‌ ‌on‌ ‌vod‌ ‌reviews‌ ‌whenever‌ ‌we‌ ‌could‌ ‌get‌ ‌ahold‌ ‌of‌ ‌one‌ ‌of‌ ‌our‌ ‌‌ vods."‌ ‌The‌ ‌added‌ ‌time‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌craft‌ ‌clearly‌ ‌showed‌ ‌even‌ ‌though‌ ‌they‌ ‌were‌ ‌disappointed‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌result.‌ ‌The‌ ‌One‌ ‌loss‌ ‌in‌ ‌the finals‌ ‌does‌ ‌not‌ ‌define‌ ‌the‌ ‌team.‌ ‌

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For‌ ‌a‌ ‌team‌ ‌to‌ ‌sustain‌ ‌success,‌ ‌‌ ‌a‌ ‌player‌ ‌or‌ ‌two‌ will usually step‌ ‌up‌ ‌and‌ ‌take‌ ‌on‌ ‌a‌ ‌leadership‌ ‌role.‌ ‌This‌ ‌case‌ ‌was‌ ‌no‌ ‌different.‌ ‌When‌ ‌asked‌ ‌about‌ ‌‌ ‌the‌ ‌leaders‌ ‌on‌ ‌this‌ ‌team,‌ ‌the‌ ‌Oregon‌ ‌State‌ ‌Coordinator‌ ‌responded‌ ,‌ ‌"Feel‌ ‌like‌ ‌Reo‌ ‌being‌ ‌team‌ ‌captain‌ ‌he‌ ‌has‌ ‌to‌ ‌consistently‌ ‌step‌ ‌up‌ ‌and‌ ‌be‌ ‌the‌ ‌leader‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌team.‌ ‌But‌ ‌Waltz‌ ‌and‌ ‌Dregonfly‌ ‌give‌ ‌much‌ ‌input‌ ‌behind‌ ‌the‌ ‌scenes‌ ‌and‌ ‌give‌ ‌some‌ ‌mid-game‌ ‌input‌ ‌‌ ‌here‌ ‌and‌ ‌there.‌ ‌CjSpring‌ ‌and‌ ‌Neon‌ ‌are‌ ‌always‌ ‌there‌ ‌to‌ ‌carry‌ ‌in‌ ‌gunfights‌ ‌when‌ ‌we‌ ‌need‌ ‌them‌ ‌most."‌ ‌With‌ ‌that‌ ‌many‌ ‌players‌ ‌stepping‌ ‌up,‌ ‌it‌ ‌was‌ ‌almost‌ ‌a‌ ‌given‌ ‌that‌ ‌this‌ ‌team‌ ‌would‌ ‌have‌ ‌so‌ ‌much‌ ‌success.‌ ‌

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For‌ ‌Oregon‌ ‌State,‌ ‌the‌ ‌message‌ ‌was‌ ‌clear‌ ‌about‌ ‌what‌ ‌they‌ ‌had‌ ‌to‌ ‌do‌ ‌next.‌ ‌When‌ ‌asked‌ ‌about‌ ‌the‌ ‌off-season‌ ‌plan,‌ ‌Owen‌ ‌exclaimed,‌ ‌"To‌ ‌keep‌ ‌it‌ ‌blunt,‌ ‌not‌ ‌choking‌ ‌in‌ ‌playoffs,‌ ‌that‌ ‌was‌ ‌a‌ ‌consistent‌ ‌thing‌ ‌for‌ ‌us‌ ‌in‌ ‌multiple‌ ‌leagues‌ ‌and‌ ‌tournaments,‌ ‌we‌ ‌would‌ ‌go‌ ‌undefeated‌ ‌in‌ ‌groups‌ ‌and/or‌ ‌just‌ ‌be‌ ‌given‌ ‌the‌ ‌1/2‌ ‌seed‌ ‌going‌ ‌into‌ ‌playoffs‌ ‌and‌ ‌then‌ ‌lose‌ ‌the first‌ ‌or‌ ‌second‌ ‌round.‌ ‌Need‌ ‌to‌ ‌find‌ ‌a‌ ‌way‌ ‌to‌ ‌make‌ ‌sure‌ ‌we‌ ‌stay‌ ‌consistent‌ ‌and‌ ‌don't‌ ‌let‌ ‌ourselves‌ ‌get‌ ‌fluke‌ ‌beat."‌ ‌This‌ ‌tied‌ ‌in‌ ‌very‌ ‌well‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌goal‌ ‌for‌ ‌next‌ ‌season,‌ ‌which‌ ‌Owen‌ ‌stated,‌ "Winning‌ ‌it‌ ‌all‌ ‌and‌ ‌nothing‌ ‌less.‌ ‌We‌ ‌aren't‌ ‌happy‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌finish‌ ‌from‌ ‌Fall‌ ‌, and‌ ‌we‌ ‌aren't‌ ‌settling‌ ‌for‌ ‌anything‌ ‌less‌ ‌than‌ ‌1st‌ ‌place‌ ‌coming‌ ‌this‌ ‌