HARRISBURG, PA — The Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) esports team, The Storm, has been lighting up national esports competitions over the last two weeks! The HU Storm VALORANT Varsity roster qualified for multiple national competitions throughout the spring semester, pitting them against the strongest collegiate teams in the country, where they held their own and produced positive results.
NACE Spring Grand Finals: 4/24–4/25
The Storm recently traveled to Orlando, Florida, to compete in the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) Spring Grand Finals at Full Sail University. As one of the top eight teams in the league, The Storm qualified for the Varsity Premier competition throughout the spring academic season. The team had an undefeated regular season heading into the playoffs and in-person finals. The Storm qualified alongside Maryville University, Winthrop University, Fisher College, Saint Clair College, West Virginia University, University of Texas – Dallas, and Cumberland University.
The first matchup of the event pitted HU against Maryville. After two close matches, Maryville won over the Storm 0-2 and sent them to face Fisher College. The Storm had a strong start and took Map 1 but fell in the next two, leading Fisher to take the win and knocking The Storm out of the tournament.
HU Storm VALORANT Coach Iyen Raju expressed: “Qualifying for NACE Spring finals for was a big achievement for us. Unfortunately, we were placed in a very tough group with the best two teams in the country and fell short. Overall, it was good experience for the team.”
The team then set their sights on their College VALORANT match and the Playfly Tournament of Champions.
College VALORANT Championship Upper Quarterfinals: 4/26
After returning from the NACE Grand Finals, The Storm had to face Winthrop University in a high-stakes College Valorant (CVAL) Championship Upper Quarterfinals match. Winthrop was a tough opponent, but The Storm showed them why they shouldn’t be underestimated.
After some close games, The Storm took the win over Winthrop and advanced to the semi-finals in CVAL. Winning over Winthrop gave The Storm momentum going into their next LAN in Arlington, Texas.
Playfly Tournament of Champions: 4/30–5/1
Hot off their CVAL win, The Storm was ready to compete in the Playfly Tournament of Champions in Arlington, Texas, at Esports Stadium Arlington. The team started off early versus Concordia – Saint Paul with a quick 2-0 win and then moved on to Fisher College’s main roster. After another close game, The Storm emerged victorious and made it to the second day of competition.
“Playing on LAN is definitely a different experience, as the environment is extremely different,” shared HU Storm VALORANT Player Evan Mamros. “Personally, the experience from these LANs will only benefit me for the future events I attend, as I’ll know what to expect.”
Early on the second day, The Storm went head-to-head with Cumberland University in a semi-finals match, looking to punch their tickets to the grand finals. The Storm took down Cumberland, locking in their Grand Finals spot. HU’s own Ethan Mamros shared what it’s like competing with his brother, Evan, in VALORANT:
“Competing with my brother on a national level is pretty much the same as it is with any of my other teammates. The only difference is that we both get the opportunity to thrive in something that we grew up perfecting side-by-side.”
In Grand Finals, The Storm faced Northwood University on the Playfly Tournament of Champions stage in front of the event attendees. Despite a strong run through the tournament, Northwood bested The Storm 0-2, giving the team a 2nd Place finish in the Tournament of Champions.
Storm VALORANT Player and HU Esports Management student, Nythaniel Kline, reflected on the experience: “I was not expecting to have as much fun as I did. Going into the tournament and not knowing that we could still qualify for CECC meant that Playfly was just going to be the one event for us to win. As unfortunate as it was that we couldn’t close out the last series, I feel like my team and I reached a point of some of the best teamplay we’ve had thus far. 2nd Place is still an achievement in itself.”
Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup May Madness: 5/2–5/4
After their strong performance at the Playfly Tournament of Champions, The Storm qualified for Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup (CECC), taking place at the same venue as the Playfly Tournament of Champions. The Storm was excited to join in the competition at the largest collegiate esports LANs in Arlington after playing so well earlier in the week.
The team started off CECC strong with a 2-0 sweep over University of Texas – Dallas before facing Converse Esports. Continuing their streak, The Storm took the win over Converse University 2-0 and made it into playoffs and the second day of CECC. In the first round of playoffs, The Storm VALORANT team had a tough opponent in Baker College. The Storm managed to take one map but ultimately fell 1-2 to Baker, ending their run at CECC.
HU VALORANT Player Jeffery Hansen shared what competing at CECC meant to the team: “At the beginning of the semester, we were definitely struggling but we bounced back. For that, I’m proud. Even though we didn’t win, I’m truly proud of the great guys on my team.”
College VALORANT Championship Upper Semi-Finals and Lower Bracket: 5/3
The Storm still had unfinished business in the College VALORANT Championship Upper Semi-Finals and had to face Texas A&M, the previous year’s CVAL winners. Despite a hot streak from the week’s events, The Storm wasn’t able to take TAMU and went down 0-2, falling to the lower bracket.
Following their previous day’s loss, The Storm was ready to take on Cumberland University in their lower bracket match. Despite winning over the Cumberland team earlier in the week, the Storm was unable to make lightning strike twice and fell 1-2, knocking them out of the CVAL Championship and putting an end to their competition for the year.
Looking Ahead
The Storm will return in Fall 2025 ready to take on the team that bested them this past academic year and to show why they deserve to be included in national championships like the NACE Spring Grand Finals, Playfly Tournament of Champions, CECC, and the CVAL Championship. Keep an eye out for updates over the summer on the Storm social media heading into the next academic year!
- Visit their official Harrisburg University webpage.
- Follow the team on Twitter/X.com and Instagram.
- Get team and event updates on Facebook.
- See videos from past competitions on YouTube.
- Watch live gameplay on The Storm’s official Twitch channel.
ABOUT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY
Harrisburg University was recently recognized by US News & World Report as one of the nation’s most innovative colleges. HU is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is a private, nonprofit university offering bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, nursing, and other health science fields. For additional information about HU’s affordable, demand-driven undergraduate and graduate programs, please call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu. Stay updated by following Harrisburg University on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X (Twitter).
