On Wednesday, February 25th, the OU Marvel Rivals Collegiate Varsity and B-Team pumped out dual wins. I had the chance to speak with Malekai “Bean” Pola, the manager of both teams, as well as a support player for the B-Team.
Malekai reflected on the two games, their hiccups, and growth as a team.
“The game was a roll, honestly,” they said, referring to the A-Team’s match against Rochester Institute of Technology, commenting on how close the team has grown to one another since the fall.
However, during the match, one of the OU players disconnected, and the game was paused. Malekai clarified that it was against the rules in the ECAC to pause; they admitted it was frustrating. Regardless, the team stomped and brought home a 3-1 win. Now, the varsity team remains the top third team out of seven.
Like its sibling team, the B-Team persevered, winning against St. Edward’s University 3-1, solidifying their ranking as two out of seven.
“The skill level is like night and day,” Malekai said. Reminiscing on how far both teams have come. “Morale sometimes takes a hit like any other sport, but the performance speaks for itself.” A sense of pride in their voice. When Malekai schedules scrims, they’re often up against tough people, sometimes tougher than those they’ll be matched up against.
Malekai mentions, “How much dedication they have for the team, and not only do they respect themselves…but respecting their team members.” On the A-Team, the majority of the roster are ranked celestial, and the majority of the B-Team are grandmaster.
Malekai emphasized, “Each member develops strategies not only effective but also fun.” They reiterate that at the end of the day, the goal of these games is to have fun together.
If you’ve got an itch for Marvel Rivals, come check out their games. B-Team plays on Tuesdays, and A-Team plays on Wednesdays. The next game scheduled for the A-Team is on 03/04/2026 at 7:00 PM against State University of New York at Fredonia (SUNY Fredonia).
Go show some OU spirit!
