After 932 days, Sentinels have finally qualified for a global event after the team dismantled NRG in the VCT Americas kickoff semi-final to pick a Masters ticket to Masters Madrid alongside LOUD.
Sentinels VALORANT fans may have had low hopes to from the start of the competition when they were put in a group of death where they faced and won against 100 Thieves, Leviatán, and MIBR in the play-in.
These came before they faced NRG in the semi-finals with a 2-1 (16-14, 8-13, 13-3) scoreline that returned them to the international scene just over a year since their last appearance. The last time Sen City went international was at LOCK//IN São Paulo last February.
Sentinels’ birthday boy, Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro, was over the moon with the win against NRG.
“We had to save the organization at least once, right? We’re a team: We really focus on hanging out with each other and building that bond both in and out of the server,” Zellsis said.
In the post-match interview, he appreciated the front office staff, the head coach Adam Kaplan, and team captain Mouhamed “johnqt” Ouarid, stating that the synergy and trust among the team is such a huge factor in their success in early 2024.
Meanwhile, Zellsis topped the ratings chart for the series with 46-38 and 1.29 ratings, although the TenZ and Zekken combined for an epic 114 total kills and 32 opening kills. Furthermore, on Sunset, TenZ landed a critical four-kill at 11-12 to keep Sentinels alive on the map.
There was a nail-biting finish set up on the final map on Split as Ethan had a 27-kill performance on Ascent as NRG had a 13-8 win after Sentinels fought off three NRG map points to snatch Sunset 16-14.
However, Sentinels were inspired by Captain John Qt’s 18-7 effort to disintegrate NRG, who only mustered a single round of attack. Zellsis also played his own pry with a 13-3 win to snuff a glimpse of a pistol round win by NRG.
Sentinels and LOUD will be the Americas representatives at Masters Madrid, although both teams will meet head-to-head in the VCT Kickoff final on Monday.
Daniel Ademiju Idowu
