After a productive season before the winter break, the Marauder's men's volleyball team looks forward to the second half of their season
The McMaster University men’s volleyball team began their season back in September, with a series of preseason exhibition games. The team faced opponents such as Queen’s University, Trinity Western University, and Ohio State University. They picked up a wide array of scores and results, with the team mostly losing their first games of 2023.
As they moved in their Ontario University Athletics season, the team quickly turned these defeats around. Under the guidance of new head coach Brad Douwes, the team has picked up a record of seven wins and two losses.
Under the guidance of new head coach Brad Douwes, the team has picked up a record of seven wins and two losses.
They recorded sweeping wins [again citations needs from these games] against the University of Waterloo, Toronto Metropolitan University and Guelph University to end off 2023. Newer team players have stepped up this season too, including first-year outside hitter Brady Paterson who has recorded 32 kills so far.
As McMaster's winter break commenced, the Marauder’s volleyball team continued to play. They kept in form as they played against the University of Sherbrooke and the University of Montreal on Dec. 29 and Dec. 30 respectively.
Likely fearing a loss of form over the break, the team traveled to these schools looking to keep standards high as they returned to the OUA season. The team won against the University of Sherbrooke and lost against the University of Montreal.
The exhibition games proved successful for the maroon and grey, as they picked up wins in their first two games back from break. McMaster faced Nipissing University, winning their first game with by a score of 3-2 sets and subsequently sweeping the Nipissing Lakers in their second matchup.
The Marauders men's team still has half of their season to play, with ten more games until they reach the OUA playoffs in hopes of claiming their twelfth OUA title.
The Marauders men's team still has half of their season to play, with ten more games until they reach the OUA playoffs.
McMaster will look to book their ticket to this year’s national championships, as they have before in the past year. The team will hope to reach new heights under Douwes' leadership after falling in the previous U Sports championships at the semifinals stage.
During the pandemic, athletes never stopped training, so the recruiting process had to adjust to a new normal amid the restricitions
Graphic by Esra Rakab, production Coordinator
Throughout the pandemic, many students had to go through many new experiences in their everyday school life, from remote learning to digital club experiences and much more. Above all else, student-athletes have possibly seen the most change in their school lives, as not only was their regular season cancelled, but their practices had to become something completely new to make sure they continued training and got better.
One of the biggest adjustments that new athletes have seen during the pandemic is the altered recruitment process. In typical years, coaches would have meetings with potential recruits, show them the campus, have them join the team for practice and whatever else they feel is necessary to help improve their odds of landing more talent.
However, this year, the recruitment process bore no resemblance to the past.
However, this year, the recruitment process bore no resemblance to the past.
Matthew Rugosi — a new commit to the McMaster men’s volleyball team — discussed the process that he experienced and some major differences from what he originally expected.
“It was definitely different than what I was expecting . . . My brother went through the same recruitment process [years earlier] and he got to visit the McMaster campus and talk to the coach and practice with the team,” said Rugosi.
As Rugosi discussed the experiences and interactions he had and the recruitment process he was put through, the student-athlete expressed that he originally expected a campus tour with the head coach and an opportunity to practice with the team — but unfortunately received none of the above.
“I had to figure it out on my own and see how I like the campus. Before COVID, I was talking to [head coach] Dave Preston and he had me come to one of the games so I could see the game live. That was probably the most interaction I got in person with them,” explained Rugosi.
Rugosi missed out on many typical aspects of the recruitment process. For many athletes, it is a once-in-a-lifetime event to be recruited by university teams. To miss out on all the enjoyable parts of the process is devastating. From understanding what a typical practice looks like, to exploring the campus and figuring out the general vibe that a school holds, all these aspects play a big role in the recruitment of an athlete.
Rugosi was fortunate to have some level of familiarity with the team given that he had an older brother who was rostered, but even then the interactions he had were limited, forcing him a difficult time selecting a school. For Rugosi, it came down to head coach Preston.
Rugosi remarks that Preston being a main factor on why he chose McMaster was because he really cares about his players and appreciated his coaching style.
“Another reason why I chose McMaster is because Dave Preston went out of the box and wished me a happy birthday, which none of the other coaches did. I thought that was something really cool and unique,” said Rugosi.
“Another reason why I chose McMaster is because Dave Preston went out of the box and wished me a happy birthday, which none of the other coaches did. I thought that was something really cool and unique."
Matthew Rugosi
In a year with limited interactions, anything personable can go a long way, and clearly, in this instance, it made a big difference. Recruitment processes are very different than ever before, so every move is vital for schools in their efforts to get the best talent on their team rosters.
By: Coby Zucker
Coming into the Ontario University Athletics playoffs as the fourth-ranked team in Canada puts a target on your back. Add to that a record-breaking six-year stretch where McMaster has taken home the Forsyth Cup for first place in the OUA playoffs, and you now know which team is the one to beat.
And yet, pressure is nothing new for head coach Dave Preston who has been leading the team since 2002.
“The way our program and the way I deal with [pressure] is that I don't think that there's anybody outside of our team room that expects more out of our program than us,” said coach Preston. “So I think when teams start to feel pressure, it's because the external expectations become greater than what the internal expectations can handle. There isn't anybody who expects more out of us than us. So pressure is not an issue.”
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Playing on such a decorated team, it is safe to assume the Marauders have lofty expectations for themselves with none loftier than those of fifth-year hitter Andrew Richards, who will be playing in his fifth and final OUA playoffs this season. Richards welcomes the competition and the opportunity to leave it all on the floor.
“I definitely know teams want to beat us with our history of having the success that we've had in Ontario,” said Richards. “I'm sure it would be a sweet feeling for someone to try and knock us off but that motivates us even more to know that any time we play a team they're going to bring the best they have and they're going to be motivated to take us down. So it's something that we welcome almost. We want other teams to play their best, which in turn will make us play our best.”
One game into their playoff run, the Marauders’ opponents’ bests have not been good enough. The York University Lions certainly looked motivated this past Saturday coming into Burridge Gym taking the first set 25-27, but their momentum was quickly stifled.
The Marauders proceeded to take the next three sets (25-23, 25-15, 25-19) in a mirror of their last meeting with the Lions in the regular season. Next, it is onto Kingston to face the University of Windsor Lancers for the semi-finals on March 8.
♂️🏐 | RECAP
@MACMVB edged a tight second set and powered on from there, beating York in four sets to advance to the @ouasport Final Four for the ninth straight year. #GoMacGo
READ ⬇️https://t.co/20sI8BdneC
— McMaster Marauders (@McMasterSports) March 3, 2019
For the first time in seven years, McMaster will not be hosting the OUA Final Four due to formatting changes that no longer guarantee home court for the overall highest-seeded team. Continuing their seven-year streak will potentially require they face off in the finals against the Queen’s University Gaels, the only team against whom the Marauders have a losing record in the regular season, in Queen’s own gym.
“We've kind of adapted to this road warrior mentality where we'll go into anyone's gym and do our thing,” said Richards. “We sort of feel comfort in the sense of being uncomfortable, if that make sense? We want to sleep in hotels, we want to play in different gyms, we want to be in front of other fans. It's just the kind of identity our team's going to take on here in the playoffs.”
It remains to be seen how the Marauders will adapt to this wrinkle in their era of dominance. They certainly still have all the tools they need to succeed, including seasoned players, a veteran coach and an all-star-calibre player in Richards who, along with fellow fifth-years Connor Santoni and Jeffrey Driediger, is looking to put his final stamp on a McMaster legacy. The Marauders themselves are not lacking in confidence.
“I love the way our guys are playing right now,” said coach Preston. “I love our style. I think we probably have another level or two left in us to play at. But the way our guys play? The style we play? The passion that we play with? It's everything a coach could ask for.”
Competition remains tough as the Marauders head into their final weekend of the OUA post-season, with the Lancers, the Gaels and the University of Toronto Varsity Blues all looking to displace the reigning champions. It all goes down March 8 and 9 in Kingston.
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The McMaster men’s volleyball team is heading to the Ontario University Athletics volleyball semifinals for the 15th-straight season. After defeating the York University Lions 3-1 in the OUA quarter-finals, the Marauders are heading into the Final Four ranked fifth in the nation.
Several Marauders were also honoured with OUA recognition, with outside hitter Matt Passalent taking home the highest honour, OUA West Player of the Year. Fifth-year Andrew Richards took home the Dale Iwanoczko Award for his work off the court. Passalent and Richards were both named First Team All-Stars, while Craig Ireland was named to the Second Team. First-year middle Tyler Pavelic’s season was recognized with a spot on the All-Rookie team.
With six straight OUA titles, the journey to their seventh begins this weekend when the Marauders face the University of Windsor Lancers in a semi-final match-up. If they win, they will go on to play in the final game for the OUA Forsyth Cup. The game will be on Saturday, March 9 at 1 p.m. at Queen’s University.
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After defeating the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in the OUA finals to capture the Critelli Cup, the Marauders are heading to Ryerson University to play in the U Sports National Championships for the second-straight season. With the No. 2 seed in the tournament, the Marauders will face the No. 7 Concordia University Stingers.
Led by Critelli Cup game MVP Hilary Hanaka, the Marauders hope to see a different result in this year's National Championships compared to last year. The ladies headed out to Regina last year where they unfortunately did not finish where they wanted to. Losing in the first round to McGill University, the Marauders were not prepared for the level of play, but are hoping to see different results this time around.
Already defeating the Carleton University Ravens during the 2019 OUA semi-finals, who were also the 2018 U Sports Champions, the idea of going straight to the top does not seem so far off. Tip-off time is at 12 p.m. Thursday, March 7.
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Both the men's volleyball team and women's basketball team took the weekend by storm with two victories each, while the men's basketball and women's volleyball teams won one out of their two games. Here are the stars of the weekend.
The second-year is no stranger to the Pita Pit Athlete of the Week award, most recently winning the weekend honour on Nov. 15, 2018, when she scored a career-high of 24 points. This weekend, she poured in 19 points for the Marauders in both of the team’s wins. Gates who was called to the 2018 Ontario University Athletics All-Rookie team, shot 50 per cent from the field and 40 per cent from the three, as well as collecting four rebounds in the win over Wilfrid Laurier University. Against the University of Guelph, she hit three of eight shots from three, and gave the team four steals and four rebounds.
Right side @MattColeP from @MACMVB and @macwbball guard Sarah Gates are the @PitaPitCanada Athletes of the Week. @mcmasteru #GoMacGo
READ ⬇️https://t.co/u7nAO5cvSh
— McMaster Marauders (@McMasterSports) January 14, 2019
After sitting out due to injury, Passalent hit the court for the first time of the regular season and did not miss a beat, being recognized as the Pita Pit Athlete of the Week for his efforts. Facing two U Sports top-10 opponents this weekend, the Marauders took home two victories and Passalent was a big part of both. The fourth-year had 10 kills, two aces and a block assist for 12.5 points Saturday against University of Windsor, and 15 kills and 18.5 points against Western University, which bumped them up to #4 in the national rankings.
There are 4️⃣ @mcmasteru teams ranked in this week's @usportsca Top 10s, with @MACMVB and men's wrestling both moving up two spots!
♂️🏐⬆️4️⃣
♀️🏀↔️4️⃣
🤼♂️⬆️6️⃣
🤼♀️↔️9️⃣#GoMacGo pic.twitter.com/qqPgOWV8jK— McMaster Marauders (@McMasterSports) January 15, 2019
In the Marauders’ second victory of the New Year, coming against the Guelph Gryphons, McCulloch contributed 23 points shooting 64 per cent from the field. The 97-80 road win seemed like just the fire the Marauders needed to bring it home and win again. Unfortunately, the Laurier Golden Hawks had other plans. Despite the fifth-year guard being the second highest leading scorer of the game with 15 points, the Golden Hawks came for revenge and defeated the Marauders 87-73 at home.
Narin led the Marauders offensively in both games against Windsor and Western this weekend. With 17 kills and 23 points, including five aces and a solo block, she helped Mac defeat Western on Saturday night in the fifth set. Narin, a right side, also led offensively the night before in the loss to Windsor, with 14 kills, three aces and a block assist for a team- and match-high 17.5 points.
This weekend McMaster basketball will face the Lakehead University Timberwolves in back-to-back home games this weekend, with the women playing at 6:00 p.m. and the men at 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Both volleyball teams will then take over Burridge on Sunday, as the women and men host the Brock University Badgers this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. respectively.
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By: Ryan Tse
It was not always clear for Bennett Swan that he could reach the heights he did this year as an individual and as part of McMaster’s men’s volleyball team.
The 6’7” middle from Oakville professed that he was not the best volleyball player growing up in elementary school, though he was aided by favourable genetics.
“I was really bad when I started — but I was tall, so that was a good place to start,” Swan said.
Swan has come a long way since then, being named to the Ontario University Athletics All-Rookie Team and playing a big role in helping McMaster earn its sixth-straight OUA Championship.
The presence of McMaster volleyball loomed large in Swan’s life even before he arrived at the school. Raised just a short ride from Hamilton, he had a chance to attend McMaster volleyball camps starting in Grade 6. At these camps, Swan met players and coaches who are now his peers and mentors at McMaster. It was there that he realized he wanted to pursue volleyball at the club level and beyond.
Before making the decision to focus on volleyball, Swan was involved in several sports, from lacrosse and soccer to hockey and basketball. In particular, Swan loved basketball — but he soon found it was no match for the team-oriented passing game of volleyball that he fell in love with.
“The biggest thing was that volleyball was so much more of a team sport than the other sports I played before,” Swan said. “The thing that’s so fun and interesting about volleyball is that you only get, at most, two touches [per person] every time it comes over to your side. You really cannot do anything by yourself. There’s so many moving parts and, as a middle, my position really relies on good passing and good setting for me to have an impact on offense, so I feel that the most.”
After excelling at club volleyball, Swan was recruited to play for the Marauders this year. Swan said it was an easy decision to join McMaster’s volleyball program, not just because of its historical success but also for the chance to play alongside older players he had admired since he was younger.
“It’s funny — a lot of my teammates now were players that I looked up to growing up as like the volleyball legends, especially people like Andrew [Richards] and BK [Brandon Koppers],” Swan said. “I always watched them play, and it was always like, ‘At what point do I become a player that’s competing with these guys?’”
“Growing up, it always seemed like such a big gap between university and where I was at. The first couple weeks, or even months, of being on the team was a bit surreal.”
Swan may have been nervous at first upon joining the team, but that passed quickly. He cites the strong leadership of the veterans as a major factor in helping him feel at ease.
“I would give a lot of credit to the leaders on our team, particularly Andrew Richards, BK, Connor [Santoni] and Pav” [Pavel Jedrzejewski],” Swan said. “They’ve really gone out of their way to make sure that we’ve all felt comfortable.”
Another important part of Swan’s successful transition to the Mac team is the presence of his childhood friend, Liam Irwin, as a fellow rookie on the squad.
“Liam Irwin was my best friend playing club volleyball — best friend my whole life,” Swan explained. “So it was kind of an easy transition coming in because we could just be ourselves around each other and that luckily morphed into the group.”
Beyond that, Swan’s first year was just about competing hard every day for playing time, something that’s ensured with the depth of talent on this team.
“The idea is that everyone has the same opportunity to play and be a starter and to earn their stripes,” Swan said. “Coming in, I definitely expected there to be more of a distance between the rookies and the vets, but there’s really no difference at all and I think that has to do with the positive rivalry as well.”
Throughout the year, Swan has improved immensely and gained the trust of his coach, earning more playing time than Swan expected. He was just one of seven players on the team (and the only freshman) to play in sixteen regular season matches.
Of course, Swan’s also played a key role in many big playoff games for McMaster this year, matches filled with intense situations fraught with pressure. In learning how to deal with the stress of big games and the challenge of balancing work with volleyball, Swan credits weekly meetings with assistant coach Ian Eibbitt.
Maintaining an even-keeled composure on the court has been key to Swan’s success. His mental stability is something that he’s worked on and picked up from the team culture this year as well.
“I would say I’m stable, but I can be loud and fiery when I want to,” said Swan. “A big thing about myself and the rest of our team is that we’re really good at managing our emotion throughout the game. I don’t know if I’ve always been like that, but I’ve picked that up a lot this year from the way everyone else carries themselves.”
Off the court, Swan maintains an easygoing personality, not afraid to infuse humour into any situation.
“I would say that I am a good people person,” Swan said. “I bring a good sense of humour to the locker room and to the team. There’s a way to incorporate good humour all the time that will always lighten the mood. Nothing you do you should take too seriously that you’re afraid to laugh.”
When asked how he has improved over the season, Swan pointed to his serving and how he’s worked on the intricate details of his blocking technique. It has also been tough at times to adapt to the speed of the university game.
“When you first come in, there are a lot of things to learn. It feels like you’re given forty things to learn in forty seconds,” Swan said. “For that, one of the biggest things that was difficult for me to get over was the speed of the game. Honestly, it just comes down to [Coach] Dave telling me, ‘You’re going to do great. You just have to catch up and catching up will take some time.’ It’s understanding that you’re not going to figure everything out in one day.”
Looking forward, Swan’s focused on getting stronger this year to help McMaster become even stronger next year.
“I would say that mentally, I understand the game of volleyball,” Swan said. “I think I’ve learned that stuff a lot, so now it’s just about putting on pounds and getting stronger so that I can maintain what I’m doing for a long time.”
McMaster’s long tradition of success can be attributed to many factors, but at the core is the constant influx of talented young players stepping up to take on bigger roles. Bennett Swan is the latest and one of the brightest examples of this pattern. He is ready to elevate his game to even further heights, and it’s a good bet you will be hearing much more from him next year.
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March 18 marked the end of the McMaster men’s volleyball 2017-2018 season. After claiming their sixth straight Ontario University Athletics title, the Marauders’ quest for the national title was unfortunately brought to a halt thanks to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Trinity Western Spartans.
The U Sports championship weekend started off with a close win for the Marauders. After dropping the first two sets 25-22 and 25-21 in the quarter-finals to the Montréal Carabins, Mac bounced back to win the match in the last three sets.
“Going in to set three, we kind of just realized that we have nothing to lose. We were down 2-0 so we might as well give it our all and hold our heads high,” said fifth-year outside hitter Brandon Koppers. “Montréal is an amazing team. They’re very well coached and they have some amazing weapons, so that game could have gone either way. I’m happy it went our way and I’m just so proud of my teammates.”
Koppers ended the match with 20 kills, one assist and seven digs, totalling 25.5 points. Third-year outside hitter Andrew Richards also added 14.5 points, 13 kills and six digs of his own to the Marauders’ win.
“It always comes down to fundamental serving and passing and I thought in the first set we served atrociously,” said head coach Dave Preston. “It was probably one of our worst serving sets this year. Then we slowly started to clock back and put some pressure on some of that and took some of their options away from a serving perspective. But I thought our passing was rock solid all night.”
Moving on to the semifinals, the Marauders were faced with one of their biggest rivals on the national level. It was in the 2016 U Sports men’s volleyball championships, at McMaster, that the Spartans defeated the Marauders 3-1 in the final. So the semifinal loss was déjà vu for the Marauders and their fans.
Although disappointed with the outcome, Preston knows that when it comes to competing at the highest level, a loss like this hurts but is all part of the game.
“It’s going to come down to a point or two,” said Preston. “They’re going to make some adjustments and we’re going to make some adjustments, but our boys played hard tonight and so did they. We battled hard tonight and there’s not one kid in our locker room I could have asked more of. They did what they did and they gave me everything they had. I’m never going to ask my athletes to do anything more than they’re asked to do.”
In the semifinal game, the Marauders won the first set 25-18, but the Spartans bounced back to win the next three straight (25-23, 25-15 and 26-24) to advance to the gold medal match for the fourth-straight year.
Although Preston and the Marauders were hoping to leave the game against the Spartans with a different outcome, he knows that his team fought hard all year and they will not be giving up now.
“[These are the top four teams in the country] as long as these teams continue to battle it out like this, we’re going to continue to go,” said Preston. “I’ve been in this league for 26 years, I know we ran against the wind. It’s not uncommon for us. We’ve been running into the wind for 26 years, but we’re not going to stop running.”
Following the loss to the Spartans, the Marauders faced the Alberta Golden Bears in the U Sports bronze medal match. McMaster came back with zeal to defend their home court.
“How we did it was going to be more important than what we did out there today,” said Preston. “We needed to play with good energy and good body language and spirit. Alberta is a very physical team and you need to put some service pressure in a lot of places to make sure they can’t hurt you.”
Along with the bronze medal, Koppers got to take home Tournament All-Star honours. The all-star was one of the consistent dominant forces for the team throughout the weekend and the season.
“[Koppers] has had some ups and downs in this career and I think tonight he wanted to go out on a note that he wanted to go out on and I think he did,” said Preston. “I think he would have prefered a different outcome but in life, you don’t get to choose your own ending. You don’t get to write your own script.”
“That kid’s got some jam and I think big-time players show up at big times and that’s exactly what he did.”
Dave Preston
Head Coach
McMaster Men’s Volleyball
Planning to play professionally overseas, Preston believes there is nothing but a bright future ahead of Koppers.
“That kid’s got some jam and I think big-time players show up at big times and that’s exactly what he did” said Preston on Kopper’s semi-final performance. “He probably could have used a little bit more help around him tonight, but he did everything he could and so did everybody else around him.”
For Preston, the overall experience has been nothing but another learning experience that gives them the tools to come out stronger the next time.
“That’s the lesson these young men have to learn overnight,” said Preston. “It’s not the lesson that we want, but you don’t get to script that stuff. But our kids will be fine — we have tremendous young men, so I think we’ll be okay.”
The season may be over for the Marauders but the loss does not define who they are as a program. Rather, it is just another chapter in their story that is yet to be finished.
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On a team full of experience and a crop of all-star calibre players, it is often hard to pick just one player who stands out. This has definitely been the case with the McMaster women’s volleyball team with a different player leading the charge in seemingly every match this season.
One Marauder highlighted regularly this year was middle blocker Maicee Sorensen. The fifth-year geography and environmental studies major has been a mainstay on the Marauders’ women’s roster for the past five seasons.
But it was this past season when Sorensen really stepped up her game and made a name for herself on the national stage. Throughout the Marauders’ provincial silver medal campaign, Sorensen nearly doubled her hitting average from the previous season and averaged nearly a full point more per set as well.
“I have been playing in the league for five years now. That time and experience is definitely the main reason I was able to play as consistently as possible,” Sorensen said. “I’ve learned the game by watching others before me.”
“It’s the experiences with my teammates everyday that I’m going to remember. It’s the people that I have met and loved for the last five years that I am most fond of.”
Maicee Sorensen
McMaster Women’s Volleyball Team
While she may have learned techniques from past Marauders, Sorensen’s precision and her presence at the net have made her a key starter. This past season, Sorensen played a main role on the court every game, making up half of the OUA-dominating middle with Hailey Kranics. Her on-court presence was also evident on the stat sheet, ranking at or near the top in nearly every major statistical category this season.
Sorensen finished second in Ontario University Athletics in hitting average (.435), fifth in aces per set (.54) and 15th in both kills per set (2.63) and blocks per set (.68). Sorensen also led the Marauders with 3.6 points per set, the tenth highest per set average in the province.
This statistical dominance made Sorensen the first Marauder to win OUA West Player of the Year, and earned her a spot on the OUA West All-Star First Team for the second consecutive year.
Sorensen’s success was also recognized nationally as she was named a First Team All-Canadian, becoming only the second Marauder to gain the designation (the first being Jenn Holt in 2009). Sorensen was also nominated for the Mary Lyons award for U Sports women’s volleyball player of the year as the only player from Ontario to make the final list.
Her success this year and over her career is not only a result of her dedication to the team and her own self-improvement, but also because of her love for the sport itself and the community that surrounds it.
“My top memory of this season is similar to the previous years,” said Sorensen. “I love the sport, but mostly, I love it as a team sport. I have gotten to meet new athletes and I’m excited to watch them grow over the next few years.”
During her tenure with the team, Sorensen’s role has gradually changed every year, from the first time she stepped on the court at Burridge Gym to her final match at this year’s OUA Final in the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
“My role this year on the team is definitely different from previous years,” Sorensen said. “You start out as someone trying your best to take everything in you can from players in front of you, as the years pass you become the player that people look to. I tried my best to lead by example in any way I could and just put everything I have into the sport.”
This evolution has paid dividends for the Marauders. In her time with the team, the Marauders have won two OUA championships and were close to a third this season. The Marauders have always been a top contender in Ontario every season over Sorensen’s career.
Looking back on her time as a Marauder, while the banners the team raised and the individual accolades she has received are nice markers of her achievements with the team, Sorensen will remember the personal moments with her fellow Marauders most of all.
“My fondest memories as a Marauder is winning two OUA championships,” Sorensen said. “But when you think back to memories, it’s the experiences with my teammates everyday that I’m going to remember. It’s the people that I have met and loved for the last five years that I am most fond of.”
While the Hamilton native is unsure of what her future holds, whether it be attending teacher’s college or following her dream of playing pro, her memories of the McMaster community and the women’s volleyball team will always remain a part of her. Her presence both down the middle and in the Marauders’ locker room will be sorely missed.
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By: Griffin Marsh
The Quigley Cup Playoffs, the Ontario University Athletics’ women’s volleyball championship tournament, came to a close. Unfortunately, it ended with the Marauder women being awarded silver.
McMaster lost the final on March 10 to the Ryerson Rams in four sets. McMaster took the first thrilling set 29-27, but lost the next three in a dominant Rams performance.
For Ryerson, this capped off a spectacular season as they finished with a perfect record through the regular season and playoffs.
For McMaster, momentum was not in their favour and an otherwise strong season ended in frustration.
During the Quigley Cup, McMaster got production from all across their lineup including notable performances from Rachel Woock and Aleks Arsovic. They each contributed 11 and 15 kills, respectively.
McMaster’s stellar middle pairing of Hailey Kranics and Maicee Sorenson were somewhat muted from their usual expectations, but still managed to combine for 16 points.
One half of the team’s solid middle, Sorenson, was recognized as the OUA West Division Player of the Year at the conclusion of the regular season, capping off an excellent campaign. Sorenson finished in the top 20 for OUA players for both kills and blocks, and was a key piece of the McMaster attack all season long.
McMaster is a perennial contender: champions last year, runners-up today and are patiently awaiting for more opportunities to come.
Ryerson had been and was always going to be a challenging opponent for the Marauders. The Rams were one of two teams to hand McMaster losses this season, and head coach Tim Louks always saw their potential throughout their season.
Coach Louks was also quick to tip his cap to the program Ryerson created prior to their Quigley Cup Championship, saying they were young and that he expected to see them in contention for seasons to come.
While McMaster finished the OUA playoffs with a loss, it should be noted that they survived a fierce five-set victory on Friday night against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.
That was a game where Sorenson and Kranics showed off their all-star form, combining for 25 kills and 32.5 points. This was more in line with the sort of performance you would expect from them, as both have been workhorses for the Marauders’ style of play.
Against the Varsity Blues, consistency was king, as McMaster outlasted Toronto through pure offensive efficiency.
This is also what unfortunately gave Ryerson an advantage in the following round. The consistency left the Marauders’ rotation and Ryerson took advantage when they saw the opportunity.
Ryerson executed a thorough game plan, managing to limit the big names for McMaster. This notably included Jill Eisenhauer, who has been a consistent and versatile force for the Marauder offence all year.
Eisenhauer had seven kills and a .312 efficiency in the Toronto game, putting forth a dominant performance. Against Ryerson however, she was held to three kills with a -.077 efficiency. Ryerson clearly watched the tape and knew where to focus their energy.
While there was contribution throughout the lineup against the Rams, a reality that coach Louks took pride in throughout the season, the stifling of Eisenhauer, Sorenson and Kranics presented an uphill battle that McMaster could not ultimately overcome.
Even with a frustrating end to the season, the future looks bright for the Marauders. McMaster is blessed with a balance of experience and depth throughout their roster. While they will lose a few key pieces due to graduation, these gaps are waiting to be filled by a young lineup.
Carly Health, Joanna Jedrzejewska, Caitlin Genovy and the previously mentioned Sorenson will be heading onto bright futures beyond the friendly confines of the McMaster campus. While the graduating players will be sorely missed, when asked about these keys aspects of the roster earlier in the season, coach Louks was hard pressed to say the team’s success came from any one piece.
He emphasized that volleyball is a team sport, and insisted that every element of their structure was coming together to give them success. This is why the Marauders are in good hands and have a good foundation they can continue to build on.
So we pause to say thank you to long-time members of this Marauder roster, but also look to the future, excited for the prospects that are awaiting their shot.
McMaster is a perennial contender: champions last year, runners-up today and are patiently awaiting for more opportunities to come.
This program is practiced, it’s focused and it’s rich with talent. While one season may come to an end and disappointment may sour our mood, fear not, because McMaster will be back and a whole lot of talent is just getting started.
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By: Ryan Tse
Marauders fans filling Burridge Gym on the March 10 weekend barely got their money’s worth — not that they were complaining. After an early scare dropping the first set to Windsor, the Marauders wasted no time in establishing their dominance by winning the next three sets. They then commanded the finals on Saturday, winning in straight sets over Queen’s.
In doing so, McMaster captured an Ontario University Athletics record-breaking sixth-straight title. It’s not supposed to be easy to make history, but the team made it look that way with their quick work of the Lancers and Rams.
Coach Dave Preston was happy with his team’s performance and how they were able to execute the game plan.
“That first set was more about Windsor than us,” Preston said. “They were amazing. So we kind of weathered the storm. We knew that they were going to be good. In the second set, I thought we did a really good job of responding and waiting for our opportunity to capitalize.”
“I thought we played defence pretty well all weekend,” Preston added. “Even against Queen’s in the final, I thought our block was real good, our defense was real good and our serving strategy worked. I think we executed pretty well. Overall, I was pretty pleased.”
However, the path to becoming the top team in Ontario was not always smooth. Fourth-year outside-hitter and OUA Player of the Year Andrew Richards admitted that he was not sure what this team would look like coming into the season, especially with the departure of key players last year like Danny Demyanenko and Andrew Kokur.
“There was a little bit of a question mark earlier in the season as to what kind of team we would be or if we could live up to what we had done in past years,” said Richards. “But our older guys and even some of the younger guys have stepped up big and filled those roles. We opened up the season with a loss, so right from the beginning we had a bit of a wake-up call and we learned some valuable lessons that teams are going to bring their best stuff when they face us. So if we’re not prepared or if we’re not 100 per cent engaged, it’s not going to go our way just because we think it should.”
Without some familiar faces leading the way, this year provided ample opportunity for young players to blossom. In particular, Preston mentioned the emergence of all-rookie middle hitter Bennett Swan, second-year libero Jordan Pereira and sophomore setter David Doty. Doty leads the charge as setter, masterfully organizing the potent Marauders offence.
“As leaders, our leadership council has been outstanding,” said Preston. “But it’s not always about leadership, sometimes it’s about fellowship. Leaders are only as good as the willingness of people to follow. Our other guys are very willing to step in line and do what is necessary. I’m proud not just of our leaders, but also our younger guys who have stepped up in big roles this year.”
One pivotal moment that gave the Marauders a special boost was a loss to Western in the second-last game of the regular season, which provided an opportunity for the team to refocus and get back to basics.
“Near the end of our season, there were a couple weeks where we were squeaking out wins just by a little bit, and then finally, we lost to Western in our own gym,” said Richards. “That was kind of the last straw. We realized that how we had been playing isn’t really good enough for where we wanted to get to.”
What becomes apparent as you speak to the Marauders is how mentally composed the team is, never looking too far ahead or letting any semblance of arrogance or distraction infiltrate the locker room. The team always remains focused just on the game immediately ahead of them, stepping over one stone at a time to achieve their long-term goals.
“Dave’s not concerned with the outcome,” Doty said. “He’s just concerned with how the outcome was executed.”
Both Doty and Richards credit the team’s winning mindset in large part to Preston’s guidance. Preston’s been on the Marauders’ sideline for 16 years and was awarded Coach of the Year for the fourth time this year. An interesting insight into Preston’s mentality is that he always wants to keep the team grounded so that they are not caught up in long-term championship goals or breaking records.
“[Six straight OUA championships] didn’t come up all season, not once. It wasn’t in our language. It wasn’t in our conversations. We talked about it after that match and said, ‘That’s kinda neat.’ But some of these guys have only been here a year, so six means nothing to them,” said Preston. “It’s my job to simplify this as much as I can. It’s a nice thing to talk about on a Monday afternoon, but the truth is before the games we’re talking x’s and o’s and how we want to maintain a composure, not how we’re trying to rewrite the history book.”
Another factor that makes him successful is how much he cares for the players, not just as players, but also as men and students. Preston views his role, especially for today’s athlete, as one where he is “facilitating opportunity”.
“They’re self-motivated, self-directed athletes,” said Preston. “They don’t need me screaming and yelling at them. What they need is someone in front of them who’s showing them the way and telling them how we can do things a little bit better.”
All of Preston’s work in developing the talent of this Marauders squad has put them in a great position to chase down more history this weekend, as they vie for McMaster’s first U Sports national championship. While the Marauders finished with a bronze medal last year at nationals, this year comes with a new team with fresh faces and another chance at glory.
What makes this weekend even more special is that the championship will be hosted by Mac for the second time in the past three years. The players know it will be special to compete in front of their home fans.
“We have the greatest advantage we could ask for in playing at home,” said Richards. “Now it’s about competing hard, enjoying ourselves and trusting all the hard work we’ve put in. We know that these next couple of days will be some of the best memories of our lives so we’re really just gonna soak it all in and leave it out on the floor. We’ve taken care of the OUA so many times, but I think we’re all ready to win the big one, so this is a good year to do it.”
No matter what happens, it is undeniable this season has been a high-flying, successful journey for the Marauders.
“This year we’ve really, really meshed well and I think the team culture has been good,” Richards added. “We don’t have to prove anything to anyone, we kind of do it for ourselves and do it because we enjoy the game and enjoy playing with each other. It’s been a really enjoyable season, and the guys have had a great time along the way.”
For now though, reflection can wait. It’s all about U Sports and the challenge awaiting them this weekend. There’s no doubt the team has the tools to win the championship. Now it’s time to see if they can execute at Burridge Gym and step into the spotlight on the national stage as Canada’s best.
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