Be our guest
By: Camila Stupecka
The McMaster men’s volleyball team played thunder in the first game of the Ontario University Athletics playoffs.
Coming in as the number one seed in the OUA, expectations are high for the Marauders. In quarter-final action against Queen’s on March 4, the Mac men made quick work of their OUA rivals, sweeping the Gaels in three sets to advance to the OUA Final Four. With the win, McMaster is set to host the men’s volleyball OUA Final Four Championship on March 10-11.
“It’s good to get the ball rolling with a 3-0 win,” said third-year Andrew Richards. “For us it was just a matter of being able to show up when we had to and take care of business [since] we played them in our final regular season game a week ago.”
“I think today we probably didn’t play as well as we could have,” said head coach Dave Preston. “But I thought we played as well as we needed to and sometimes in the playoffs that just happens.”
Even though Mac did not play to their usual standards, the team were able to show off their depth and consistency, especially as the game progressed and the Marauders drew closer to victory.
“This moment is pretty big and we had a lot of guys play well,” Preston said. “The regular season went as well as we wanted it to and I think that showed when we brought some guys off the bench and they played well.”
The team played solid defence; they were ready for the attacks of the Gaels, solidifying that crucial McMaster wall at the net. But there are plenty of other areas the team will have to work on ahead of the Final Four.
“For us, we’re so confident in our defence we put ourselves in a position with our serving to defend,” Richards said. “But we will continue working on our serving. It’s an important piece of our game plan.”
As the OUA playoffs come to a close, the Marauders will be working hard to perfect the little details so that each game will be a true expression of their capability. But it’s not all about volleyball skill on the court.
“We work hard enough Monday to Friday. We’re always very confident in our skills,” Richards said. “I think our team can compete, but this year more than others I think we’re gelling really good as a team. It’s important to be able to connect with your guys when it counts.”
The Marauders will welcome the Guelph Grypons, Waterloo Warriors and Ryerson Rams to Burridge Gymnasium for the Final Four weekend. In semi-final action on March 10, Mac will face the 12-6 Rams, who the Marauders managed to sweep in three competitive sets, where each set was decided by six points or less. Ryerson will look to their five-set thriller against the Western Mustangs in the quarter-final as a marker for resilience and toughness for the final games in the OUA season.
Meanwhile, the other semi-final match will see the Gryphons take on the Warriors. Waterloo’s presence in the Final Four has come to a surprise for anyone outside the team itself. Entering the tournament with a 9-8 record, the Warriors managed to upset the York Lions, who won the OUA East division with a 15-3 record, in four sets on the road. With nothing to lose, they will make sure to bring the fight to the 12-5 Gryphons who took care of Nipissing in four sets.
The winners of each semi-final will automatically qualify for a spot at the U Sports Championships on March 17-19, which will take place at the University of Alberta. The winner of the OUA championship match on March 11 will go into the national tournament with a higher ranking and a more favourable path in the playoffs.
Team camaraderie amongst the McMaster men’s team, along with their flourishing volleyball competencies and the support of all those working behind the scene for the team calls for an intense playoff season. The success of the team can only be witnessed throughout the next few games.
