After a strong season and vibrant recent performances, the men’s volleyball team spot as the second best ranked team in all of Canada is well deserved

Over the past year, McMaster University’s men’s volleyball team have made thorough progress against the other university teams at the OUAs. Just last season, they caused havoc in the regional championship, clinching the trophy against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 3-1 in the finals, claiming their eleventh title. This success also ultimately brought them to the U Sports Championship, where they won the consolation final, showing that they are a team not to be underestimated.

Their recent successes also rewarded the men’s volleyball team by preparing them well for this seasons, including their match against Long Beach State University, a team that has recently been a runner up in the world-renowned NCAA Volleyball championship. Although both games ended up in defeat, the Marauders did manage to be a significant threat to the U.S. silver medalists, even collecting compliments from the team themselves after the second game.

Better news came in for Marauders just last week, where they were announced to be Canada’s second-best men’s volleyball team, falling just behind the Alberta Golden Bears in the U Sports hierarchy. This update also shows how the team has improved, having been ranked in third place this previous November.

Being crowned as one of the best teams in the country is no small feat. It is also well deserved given the men’s volleyball team’s scrupulous performances and we can only hope that this achievement will drive them to even further heights in the nationwide campaign this season.

The Marauders lose in five sets to well-matched Long Beach State opponent in North America Challenge exhibition game

The McMaster University men’s volleyball team warms up for the final stretch of their Ontario University Athletics season with two exhibition games against Long Beach State University. McMaster hosted the first game on Jan. 5, which resulted in a tough loss in a nail-biting fifth set.  

The visiting Long Beach State University is known for its men’s volleyball program that achieved back-to-back National Collegiate Athletic Association championships in 2018 and 2019. The powerhouse Long Beach team is currently ranked third in America, which made for an exciting match against the second-ranked McMaster team. 

The Marauders were unable to match Long Beach State University’s energy in the first set. The Marauders took an early timeout to slow the Long Beach momentum, but the Marauders continued to trail throughout the set. Despite a strong effort from McMaster to close the lead, Long Beach continued their dominant performance to win the first set 23 to 17

McMaster came into the second set with newfound energy generated in offense by outside hitters, Sam Cooper and Brendan Mills, the latter of which had a true breakout game for McMaster. The two teams went neck and neck throughout the set. Long Beach State used both timeouts late into the set, but McMaster maintained their momentum for a 25 to 23 win

“I don’t usually start games but my job when I come in is to be a high-flier, kill the ball and bring some energy. So it was really, really exciting to get in [the game] and do that,” said Mills. 

“I don’t usually start games but my job when I come in is to be a high-flier, kill the ball and bring some energy. So it was really, really exciting to get in [the game] and do that.”

Brendan Mills, Outside Hitter

The third set closely resembled the first. McMaster was unable to gain early momentum and lost the first couple of determining points. Despite a strong effort on the offensive end from Cooper and Mateusz Wlodarski, McMaster lost the third set by their largest deficit of 25 to 15

Once again, the Marauders bounced back in the fourth set. McMaster won the set 25 to 19 with several electrifying plays and offensive kills or unreturned attacks. Most notability, several clutch defensive blocks were made by Cooper and setter, Robbie Fujisawa, creating a sense of momentum heading into the next set. 

With back-and-forth victories, spectators headed into the unknown as the fifth and final set began. Burridge Gym was buzzing with excitement as the teams tied up 11 to 11. However, McMaster’s defense fell short in the final key moments and the Marauders lost the set 15 to 12

“There were a couple moments in that fifth set and some moments in earlier sets where we would’ve had opportunities to shift the pendulum and in those moments we didn’t take advantage of that,” explained Mills. 

“There were a couple moments in that fifth set and some moments in earlier sets where we would’ve had opportunities to shift the pendulum and in those moments we didn’t take advantage of that.”

Brendan Mills, Outside Hitter

Overall, several Marauders finished with strong performances. Cooper totaled 16 kills and six service aces alone. While Wlodarski and Mills followed with seventeen combined kills

McMaster tallied 23 total errors, compared to 18 from Long Beach, which was a clear difference maker in the match. With the second game following just two days after the first, the Marauders look to fine-tune their offense and minimize blunders in crucial moments.  

“I think we’re going to come out with a newfound confidence because we know we can totally play with these guys. I think everyone is just going to be super, super excited and just dialed in, ready to go,” explained Mills. 

Following the two-game set against Long Beach State, the North America Challenge will have completed. McMaster is set to return to their OUA schedule on Jan. 13

Photo by Kyle West

While most students use the holiday break to catch up with family or to get reacquainted with the feeling of sleeping in, the McMaster men’s volleyball team has been playing against top international talent to stay sharp during their time off.

First, they headed to Long Beach, California to play the top National Collegiate Athletic Association volleyball team, Long Beach State, and No. 12 University of California Santa Barbara. This marks the third year that the two teams have spent the holidays playing each other, and for head coach Dave Preston, there is no better way to prepare for the second half of the season. For him, getting experience playing against one of the continent’s best teams with inconsequential competitive cost is extremely beneficial for his team.

“These competitive opportunities are awesome, with almost no competitive cost. Once you establish these relationships it's a win-win for us,” said Preston. “We get to play at a really high level, and we don't have to worry about showing our systems and our game plans to a team that we may have to play later on in the season.”

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Prior to the trip, the Marauders were undefeated when in international competition, having defeated both Long Beach State and the Ohio State Buckeyes. This time around, the Marauders returned to Canadian soil without a win, yet they still managed to gain so much more.

“We didn't go out there for results, because if we're looking for easy wins, we would have scheduled differently,” said Preston. “We did go there to elevate our level of play and we did just that.”

With nine different performance standards that the team measures, ranging from their side out percentage, the number of digs and kills they get, the Marauders saw an increase in all nine performance indicators.

So although the average person who sees the standings and does not see any wins may not understand the benefit of the matches, from the team’s perspective it was a success, especially with just two middles.

The lack of players due to injury is something the Marauders have been struggling with during the first half of their season. Although they boast a 6-2 regular season record, the injuries of Craig Ireland and Matt Passalent have made the first half quite a challenge. But fifth-year Connor Santoni has risen to the occasion, playing both libero and left side.  

“We've also had to rely a lot on both middles, third-year Josh Ecklund and freshman Tyler Pavelic, who played almost every point in our Long Beach [games],” said Preston. “Now that we're able to reintroduce are returning guys from injury, it's been a little bit easier.”

 

 

The return of Ireland and Passalent had an impact in the Marauders second international tournament this break against top Polish team Jastrzebski Wegiel. Coming out strong with a 3-1 win in their first match the Marauders got back to feeling like themselves. The maroon and grey followed that up with another win, trading sets with JSW until ultimately pulling out the win in five sets.

For Preston, win or lose these international matches give the team lessons that go beyond the court.

“One thing these young men experience is the effect traveling has on your body,” said Preston. “We're going to have to travel if we're fortunate in the second half of the season to get into the playoffs.”

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With the Ontario University Athletics Championship being hosted by the top team in the East division, and the U Sports National Championship heading to Laval University, understanding the effect traveling has and how to manage hydration and nutrition for their bodies during that travel is crucial.

“We benefited so much from playing against different styles of volleyball,” Preston said. “In the U.S., it is a really serve-and-block kind of system and Long Beach is probably one of the fastest offences we've ever seen. While JSW is extremely different, as they are very heavy on the execution. So they're two different extremes, but having to adjust and know how to play different styles is a great experience for us.”

Through it all, the Marauders still have their main focus on conference matches. With two of the top OUA teams in the West coming into their house Jan. 12 and 13.

“We have to be prepared for that, no ifs, ands or buts,” said Preston. “Every single thing we played over the holidays was in preparation for the Western [University] and Windsor [University] series.”

Never losing focus on their end goal, a national championship, the Marauders are now more prepared and ready to go for the games that matter most.

 

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