Esports Season Preview: Team ramps up to begin Rocket League play, first season in the WHAC
DEFIANCE, Ohio - Yellow Jacket esports is back with a new, eager coach in Avery Meiste, and better yet, is now officially a part of the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference for the first time since its 2018 inception at Defiance College, as it was previously in an esports-only conference.
The WHAC is moving into its second year of hosting a conference esports championship and Defiance will make its debut as a member of the league.
Beginning with Rocket League in the fall semester, the Yellow Jackets will travel to Lourdes University on Thursday to kick off their season. Rocket League will continue on Sept. 18 in DC's home arena located in the lower level of the Pilgrim Library, which is a newly renovated space containing state-of-the-art optimized gaming computers, keyboards, headsets and gaming chairs to give student-athletes a competitive Esports experience.
Meiste said he's excited for WHAC conference play and watching how the team forms as the year progresses.
"I'm really looking forward to watching how our teams gel over the course of this season, seeing how they respond to losses and watching them get better each and every day," Meiste said. "I'm also looking forward to seeing how Defiance stacks up with the rest of the WHAC, so I'm excited to watch each game we have in conference."
The Yellow Jackets have added eight new faces to the program, three freshmen and five existing students who took an interest in what esports has to offer.
Before joining the DC coaching staff, Meiste was exclusively a Valorant head coach at Grand Valley State University – a new addition to Yellow Jacket esports this year. Meiste said he's looking forward to watching freshman Valorant player Auston Howland, and building a strong team in its inaugural season.
Additionally, junior Asa Moledor – Rocket League captain – is someone to look out for, according to Meister. Moledor will compete Wednesday in the first matchup of 2024.
"In the few practices I've watched, I really like how Asa commands respect and how much of a leader he is – it's evident if you spend only a few minutes in the room with him," Meister said. "I'm definitely looking forward to watching him develop, as well as the team around him."
As the Rocket League season progresses, Meister said Defiance's matchups on Oct. 14 against Aquinas and Cornerstone will be games to look out for.
For additional information, upcoming matches, results and ways to watch the teams play live follow eSports' social media pages @DefiCollegeESP on Twitter and @deficollegeesports on Instagram.
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