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Week 1 of the VCT 2022 Stage 1 NA Challengers Playoffs kicked off with 4 quarter-finals matchups, one of which featured an exciting encounter between Luminosity Gaming and Version1.
In an enthralling best-of-three series, Luminosity, who was fourth on their Group Stage leaderboard, managed to defeat the unbeaten Version1, sending them down to the tournament's Lower Bracket.
An incredible defensive half on Bind (10-13) pushed the map in Luminosity's favor, while Version1's defensive strategies on Ascent (8-13) earned them Map 2. The deciding match on Fracture was a close one as Luminosity claimed a 15-13 overtime victory.
bdog talks about Luminosity's performance in their win against Version1 in VCT 2022 Stage 1 NA Challengers Quarter-finals
In a conversation with Sportskeeda Esports' Adarsh J. Kumar, Luminosity Gaming's Brandon Michael "bdog" Sanders elaborated on their performance after defeating the unbeaten Version1 squad in the quarter-finals of VCT 2022 Stage 1 NA Challengers.
Q: Luminosity are the first team in VCT 2022 Stage 1 Challengers to defeat Version1. How do you think your team performed in this matchup?
bdog: I think we played really well today. We played at our peak today and I think we definitely deserved to win with how we played.
Q: Prior to this matchup, Version1 enjoyed a 5-match winning streak, with wins against teams such as Sentinels and OpTic, among others. How do you think they performed against Luminosity?
bdog: They definitely got caught off by us because of which they weren't able to play at their level.
Q: How have you liked things so far in the new meta that was brought up by the changes that came in Patch 4.04?
bdog: I think the changes are good for the game. I find it a lot more enjoyable when we don't have to deal with a broken Astra.
Q: You are the latest member of Luminosity's roster. How has your experience been with the team since your arrival in January?
bdog: The experience has been great, and the team is the best team I have been on by far. All the players are extremely experienced and having good leaders really helps us all stay focused in the game.
Q: Looking back at the Group Stage, did Luminosity's performance match the expectations you had for the team prior to the start of VCT 2022 Stage 1 NA Challengers?
bdog: Personally, I never thought we were going to beat everybody. I just thought that we would make the playoffs for sure, which we did. It could've gone a little smoother, but we reached the playoffs and we're here now.
Q: Luminosity's last appearance at a Masters event was in the NA Stage 1 Masters in VCT 2021. How confident is the team in winning the crucial playoffs fixtures and making it to the VCT 2022 Stage 1 Masters?
bdog: I'm confident. We defeated Version1, who were the big team to take out. I think we can go all the way. After beating those guys, we're definitely on a new level, especially when you compare when we were bootcamping together to how we're playing now.
