The McMaster women’s volleyball team is off to the Ontario University Athletics Final Four once again. Their quarter-final victory against the York Lions ended with three straight winning sets: 25-16, 25-21, 25-20. As the OUA West division leaders, winning is nothing new to the Marauders.
Throughout the season, the 2017 OUA Champions have served and passed well, attacked smartly and efficiently and had a good blocking presence on the court. They did this all while staying focused and mindful, which are the keys to the team's consistent success.
Their 18-2 combined playoff and regular season record, with 12 of those games ending in clean sheets for McMaster, back up their domination. In all of this success, the Marauders know it takes more than just knowing what it is like to be at the top to remain there.
“There is a team that is currently undefeated and everybody is looking at them to be the favourites,” said fifth-year starter Aleks Arsovic. “Also, every other team would love the chance to knock off the defending champs. So we have that added pressure, but we also have that added confidence knowing that we’ve been there before so we can do it again.”
For Arsovic, that is something special that the remaining seniors on the young team bring to the group. Arsovic, Maicee Sorensen and Carly Heath are just a few of the senior players who experienced playing in intense moments like last year’s finals against the Western Mustangs, where Mac won in an extremely close five-setter.
Unlike last year, where the entire starting line up was solely fourth- and fifth-years, there are younger starters on the court as well.
“All the younger players are looking up to you for leadership, so that’s been a humbling experience that adds extra pressure to stay levelled and be that guiding force for our team,” said Arsovic. “I think our fifth-years have done a great job doing that and overall it’s been a really exciting season, especially with the youthful energy on the court here and there.”
For Sorensen, being put in that leadership role certainly adds more responsibility, but it is more than worth it.
“[Being a veteran] can be a bit of a challenge sometimes because a lot of the time in sports, you want to be able to focus on your own game and concentrate on how well you're doing and performing,” said Sorensen. “But when you're a senior player, you have to think about how can I help these younger players succeed. That can be tough, but it's also bittersweet because as we are watching our younger girls, they are doing absolutely amazing.”
For all the girls, the season has had a lot more highs than lows. One such highlight of the season was beating one of their biggest rivals, the Mustangs, on their home court. The Marauders were able to do this even with one of their bigger hitters off, but for Mac, it is the low moments where they draw their inspiration from.
“Honestly it was pretty nice to get swept in Kingston. It was nice to play a team who prepped so well for us,” said Arsovic. “I think it's important to get a loss somewhere in your season because then you know what it’s like to lose but you have that extra motivation and you don’t want to let that happen again.”
The Mac women have not lost since their contest against Queen’s, and hopefully, the Marauders can maintain their momentum as they go on to face the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in the OUA Final Four at Ryerson University.
The Marauders beat the Varsity Blues 3-1 earlier this season, which was one of the game’s in which Mac’s rookies, Rebecca Maxwell, Maddie Lethbridge and Brenna Peacock, really stepped up to show the range of depth on the McMaster roster.
If the Marauders play their best offensively, they should have no problem punching a ticket to the championship game where a much-wanted rematch will more than likely take place against that undefeated team, the Ryerson Rams. The 19-0 team gave the Marauders their first loss, so not only will Mac be looking to defend their OUA title, but for redemption.
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By: Ryan Tse
Anyone paying attention to the McMaster men’s volleyball team this season knows that they are a bona fide powerhouse.
After losing the first game of the season, the team has rattled off 10 straight wins, the past four being 3-0 straight set victories. They look poised to challenge for a fifth-straight Ontario University Athletics championship.
A big part of the team’s success so far has been the play of second-year setter David Doty. Despite his relative youth, Doty is one of the top setters in the OUA, averaging 9.6 assists per set, which puts him at third in the province.
What makes Doty’s performance even more impressive is the fact that he only began to play volleyball seriously in Grade 8. Born in Toronto, Doty began playing hockey as his primary sport at three years old. However, after moving to London, Ontario in Grade 6, he eventually switched to volleyball when he was 13.
Doty joined the London Volleyball Club Fire, a then-new local club opened by a friend’s father. From then on, he never looked back, playing for his high school team at Oakridge Secondary School and his club team, before joining the Marauders last year.
Doty’s transition from hockey to volleyball and his subsequent success on the court shows his athleticism, but also his love and dedication to sport.
“That was always on my radar — to be part of a program that’s up there on the provincial and national rankings.”
David Doty
Setter
Men’s Volleyball Team
“You hear a lot about people switching from hockey to volleyball, but there’s also a lot of people that pick it up later than me that are probably better than me,” Doty said.
“I come from a pretty athletic family and there were always lots of sports involved. I kind of like learning about a lot of sports. [Volleyball]’s a fun sport to learn about and a fun sport to play.”
When deciding on a university, Doty, a second-year economics student, was drawn to McMaster by the success of their nationally-ranked volleyball program, in addition to its promising academics.
“I checked out the school, I liked what I saw, and the academics fit for me,” said Doty. “Obviously the volleyball program is pretty good, so that was also a good fit for me. I do not like to lose a lot, so I think I brought the mentality of wanting to help the program be one of the first Ontario schools to win a national title. That was always on my radar — to be part of a program that’s up there on the provincial and national rankings.”
Even though Doty is now the full-time setter for Mac, he often split time between left-side and setter before his time as a Marauder, getting extra reps as a setter for the provincial and youth national teams. However, since coming to McMaster he’s played solely at the setter position.
After an injury opened up playing time, he played in 13 regular season matches out of a possible 17 last year. This year, he’s played in every game so far. Doty is comfortable at the setter position and likes the role of setting up his teammates.
“As a second year of being a full-time setter, it has been delayed since I probably have about 10,000 less reps than other people who have been setting for most of their career,” Doty said. “But I’m not that far behind in the sense of how to run an offence. Setting is a lot about messing with the other team and strategizing and all that stuff, so that part is there.”
Being the starting setter on the court for every game is a new challenge for Doty, and one that he doesn’t take for granted. The caveat of being in a strong program such as the one at Mac is that the internal competition for playing time is always fierce among the Marauders.
“This year’s role is different,” Doty said. “It is more stress on my everyday practice schedule. I’m still competing with the other guys for a spot. It is never a guarantee to get a starting position, so I have to bring my A game every day.”
Doty has to be vocal on the court when strategizing and running the offence, but he says he is quieter when he is preparing for games or working out.
“Off the court I’m not as vocal,” said Doty. “As a personality trait, I kind of do my own thing and once I get in the zone, I just try to do my work.”
Outside the realm of volleyball, family and sports are important to Doty as well. He likes to hang out with friends and generally take a stress-free approach to life.
Though the team is playing well, Doty insists that he and the team are taking it one game at a time, and not looking too far ahead of the challenge directly in front of them.
“With our team, it is day by day, so we are not really focused on winning the OUAs,” Doty explained. “It’s always something we work towards but it is not something we say everyday. When that time comes, we’ll deal with it, but for now it is just about taking this weekend to get better as a player and a person. The rest will take care of itself.”
Doty’s solid play has earned him some recognition, as he was recently named one of the two McMaster Pita Pit Athletes of the Week. In just his second season in maroon, Doty is only going to get better as he looks to help continue the tradition of Marauders men’s volleyball excellence.
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By Griffin Marsh
A dominant Marauders women’s volleyball team stormed back from the winter holidays with two commanding victories to begin the new year.
In their first games back after a break from the competitive Ontario University Athletics volleyball season, the McMaster women’s volleyball team picked up right where they left off with three-set victories over the Brock Badgers and Windsor Lancers on Jan. 13 and Jan. 14 respectively.
It was smooth sailing through the Brock game, as the Marauders handled the Badgers with an efficient performance from a core group of starters. Scoring was shared across the team with Aleks Arsovic finishing with a game high of nine kills.
The University of Windsor presented more of a test for the women, but stand out performances from Hailey Kranics, Maicee Sorensen and Aleks Arsovic again were too much for the Lancers defence.
This was exactly the response McMaster was looking for coming out of the winter break, where consistency and rust can present potential infringements to success.
For head coach Tim Louks, facing these teams earlier in the season in competitive games allowed them to enter this past weekend with the right mindset.
“Our familiarity with these teams is not going to breed content,” said Louks.
In the previous meetings this season, McMaster scrapped out five-set victories over both of these teams away from Hamilton. So the fashion of this past weekend’s victories presented a real statement for the Marauders moving forward.
The Marauders also played some exhibition games over the winter break, which most certainly allowed them to enter these games with a positive outlook and focus. McMaster participated in the Toronto Invitational in late December that began with a frustrating loss to Laval, but was topped off with two powerful victories over Université de Sherbrooke and St. Mary’s University.
For coach Louks, these exhibition opportunities not only serve to knock the rust off and reunite the chemistry and connections on the team, but also to create and grow the depth on the roster.
“You are trying to stretch the depth,” said Louks. “And you are trying to validate some of the work that some people have not gotten credit for.”
For Louks, these are opportunities to prepare for the long term. A chance to think about what this team will look like come late February and early March, and prepare the personnel to support that vision.
These exhibition matches seemed to have worked thus far as McMaster looked sharp and focused in their clashes with Brock and Windsor.
McMaster now finds itself on top of the OUA West Conference with a record of 8-1, and sits ranked sixth in the U Sports Top 10, one spot ahead of their East Conference rival, Ryerson.
This is a pretty positive position for the Marauders to be in. Asking coach Louks which players delivered McMaster to this spot, he was quick to emphasize that it was not just one player.
“I would not necessarily nail one, it’s a collaborative effort for us in terms of raising the bar,” said Louks. He added that he saw a number of leaders on this team guiding the younger players and implementing a vision for this team in numerous ways.
Louks did praise the play of Jill Eisenhauer, complimenting her flexible and adaptive nature throughout the season.
“Jill Eisenhauer for one has really continued to embrace playing right side and that is a highlight that I do not think you would hear very often,” Louks explained.
Moving forward, Louks is clearly focused on continuing to build the complete volleyball package, from serving and serve-receive, to blocking and defense.
“And then it comes down to if it can all shape itself again and again, on a consistent basis,” Louks added.
That may feel like the comment you expect to hear from all volleyball coaches: focus on each element and then put it all together. Yet, watching the Marauders in the Burridge Gym this past weekend, achieving that goal feels in reach. Even when the consistency would wobble, the team managed to collect itself, right the ship and continue forward with control.
McMaster now sets its sights to a busy weekend ahead and a full schedule through January and February. Up next is Guelph on Jan. 19 in Hamilton, followed by a battle with the Waterloo Warriors on Jan. 20 in Waterloo.
Looking forward, Coach Louks finished our interview saying, “We can take a run at this thing, and see if we can make it to the playoffs.”
A rather humble statement if you ask me, as this team seems firmly set on the playoffs and beyond as the season steams
Honesty, integrity, respect and excellence. These are the four pillars that drive the McMaster men’s volleyball team every season. For head coach David Preston, these values have nothing to do with volleyball or sports themselves, but everything to do with developing student-athletes a whole. So far, this has definitely been working in his favour.
The team headed into the 2017 winter break with a 6-1 record, including a five-game winning streak, leaving them in first place in the Ontario University Athletics West Division and ranked ninth in U Sports.
Although this is quite an impressive feat, it is the 7-0 record against international competition in the last two years, which includes a 4-0 record this season against two of the top National Collegiate Athletic Association’s teams, that has people talking.
The Marauders remained undefeated against the reigning NCAA Division I champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes, back in October when they faced them for the second time during the Nike Team North American Challenge.
Against the visiting Buckeyes, the Marauders were ultimately able to pull ahead and leave Burridge Gym as international champions after a close game the first day and a second day that saw the Marauders go undefeated.
Then over the winter break, McMaster played host once again to American opponents, the Long Beach State University 49ers. The Mac men proved to not be the nicest of hosts, handily defeating their Californian foes in back-to-back games.
The set scores against the 49ers were 25-23, 19-25, 25-23, 21-25 and 15-13, leaving the team, fans, friends and family with an awesome head start to their New Year’s Eve celebrations.
But for Preston, the undefeated international record is the last thing on his mind. For him, being able to play teams at a high level and not have that competitive consequence of seeing them in the playoffs is one of the major benefits.
“You want to play at the highest level you can but you don’t want to show everything you got so early in the season and have it come back and haunt you in the playoff stretch,” said Preston.
“It is not about our record or ranking because that is just not something we talk about. We just prepare for our next opponent and take care of our side of the net.”
David Preston
Head coach
Men's volleyball
“Playing a new group of guys from Long Beach is a good task for us,” added Andrew Richards, Mac’s leading scorer of the final night. “Especially when it comes to creating a game plan against a team we have never played before.”
Although the level of exposure of playing such high-profile programs is a bonus for McMaster Athletics, the Marauders mainly use these matches to see what gets exposed and what works well or not. Then they make the appropriate changes to play even better against the top Canadian teams.
“This way you get to play great competitive matches with zero competitive cost,” Preston added.
The combination of the high profile matches and the regular season winning record has brought out a large number of consistent supporters to McMaster’s Burridge Gymnasium, a luxury not many Canadian universities have.
“Our goal is to try and create that championship culture,” said Preston. “So that when we get into those matches that we really want to be in at the end of the year, it is not that much different then what we have dealt with all year.”
The addition of the new Litzen Family scoreboard generously donated by T. Litzen’s Sports, the entertainment provided by DJ Jukebox and McMaster Athletics, plus the impressive level of athleticism by the Marauders themselves has all honed not only championship culture, but has also increased Marauder fan culture.
“To actually play in a national championship and represent your school is a feeling like no other. To be able to do it at your school, for your school is unbelievable.”
David Preton
Head coach
Men's volleyball
“It is good for us to get used to using that energy from the fans in a good way rather than getting nervous from it,” said Richards.
With the 2018 U Sports Men’s Volleyball Championship being held at McMaster in March, the ultimate goal for the men’s team is not just to be able to play in it, but to come away with the win.
“To actually play in a national championship and represent your school is a feeling like no other,” said Preston. “To be able to do it at your school, for your school is unbelievable.”
Hamilton last hosted the national championships two years ago, but the Marauders fell short to the Trinity Western University Spartans. The Marauders will now have an opportunity to relive that experience in front of a roaring home crowd. But coming away with a win is still McMaster’s main objective.
The Marauders go into each season with three goals: securing as much home court advantage as they can for the playoffs, qualifying to compete for an OUA championship and winning the chance to compete at the national championships against teams from across Canada.
“Everything we do is around those three goals,” said Preston. “It is not about our record or ranking because that is just not something we talk about. We just prepare for our next opponent and take care of our side of the net.”
As for what is next for the 2018 half of the 2017-2018 season, Preston and the Marauders do not plan on making any major adjustments. The team enjoyed a bye week right after the break and has been preparing to face their next opponents the Brock Badgers and Windsor Lancers on Jan. 12 and 13.
The Marauders find themselves currently ranked tenth in the Jan. 9 U Sports national poll as the only Ontario team to crack the list. Solid wins against the Badgers and the Lancers stand in their way of moving up in the rankings.
The match against the Lancers will be one to watch as the Windsor team sits tied for second in the OUA West, two points behind McMaster and looking to move ahead in the playoff hunt.
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By: Griffin Marsh
The McMaster men’s volleyball team, the Ontario University Athletics defending champions, produced a dominant weekend of matches at Windsor and Western. This is how the team initially intended to start the season before their first OUA game resulted in a shocking loss.
The OUA volleyball season is long. It is challenging and strong performances are asked of teams quickly. These are the lessons that the volleyball team is grappling with as the 2017-2018 season begins to pick up speed.
Now five games into the season, the Marauders sit at a record of 4-1 coming off of a weekend double header on the road at Windsor and Western. In Windsor on Saturday, the Marauders swept the Lancers clean, taking the match 3-0. At Western on Nov. 12, McMaster fought for a five set victory, taking the fifth and deciding set 15-13.
This was a much-needed bounce back for the Marauders, who sat at 2-1 coming into the weekend. This included an eye-opening loss at home to the Ryerson Rams in the season opener. Consistency is key for coach Dave Preston, which does not come overnight.
“I really like the way we are starting to play,” said Preston. “I am not sure I could have said that a couple of weeks ago. I think our efficiency and quality can start to improve a lot, but I do not think there is a coach in the country who could disagree with that for any of their teams.”
For the Marauders, this season has been a roller coaster so far. Following the challenging loss to Ryerson, McMaster won both its next two matches against Waterloo and Guelph in very different fashions.
“Waterloo was the full package,” said Preston. “Then Guelph was kind of a wash because we played two good sets and two average sets. So right now, I think we are pretty much average.”
What was clear in talking to Preston is that no one in that dressing room is striving to be average.
“For us to go from low to super high to average, as a coach, those are rides I that I do not really want to be on,” Preston said.
Shifting the focus back to this past weekend, that search for consistency and excellence in play seemed to begin to express itself. This notably emerged against Windsor, who came into the match ranked fifth in the country.
According to Preston, this was no small feat as Windsor boasts two of the best outside hitters in the country in Pierce Johnson and Brad Gyemi.
Against McMaster, Gyemi was the most effective, scoring 13 points. Yet neither player could easily solve the Marauder defence, a huge key to their success.
The Marauders also finished the Windsor match with a strong middle presence, strong defensive performances and continued to work to limit the serving errors — three places that hurt McMaster against Ryerson.
That makes three road wins in a row for McMaster, something that coach Preston believes to be of great importance.
While the results against Windsor and Western may suggest a different reality for this team, the casual fan may have noticed that McMaster found itself outside the U Sports Top 10 this week for the first time in many years.
When this was raised with coach Preston, he was quick to put the panic button back into the drawer and explain that even when the things have been excellent in previous seasons, the Top 10 was never a point of discussion for this program.
“I think people use the Top 10 for a variety of reasons,” Preston explained. “Some use it to validate, some use it to motivate, some use it to market.”
Coach Preston also clarified that there is a new ranking system being employed by U Sports this year, called aptly, the Volleyball Ranking System.
The VRS combines your results, your opponents’ results and your opponents’ opponents’ results, including the margin of victory within each match, to determine a mathematical ranking.
This system is much more controlled and unbiased compared to the coach’s poll that had been employed in previous years. It also allows for unity between the Top 10 rankings and the eventual National Championship seedings when those are released during the playoffs.
What that means today is that there is very little data on this Marauder team, having played their pre-season against non-U Sports programs, and the data that does exist may not be totally representative of the whole picture.
Either way, this is not phasing Preston and his team.
“We do not think of ourselves as a good team because others think that as well,” explained Preston. “We think of ourselves as a good team because we know what we are capable of and what we want to play.”
Following wins in Windsor and Western, I may have to agree with him. This season may not have initially gone according to plan, but this team will find its groove. When it does, the OUA should watch out, because this team remains primed to compete for an OUA and U Sports Championship this season and well into the future.
The next step in that search for its groove is Nov. 19, as McMaster travels to Brock to face the Badgers at 4 p.m.
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By: Griffin Marsh
The McMaster women’s volleyball team, the reigning Ontario University Athletics champions, suffered a disappointing upset to the Ryerson Rams at home on Oct. 27, an unexpected start to a season that is full of hope, leadership and potential.
Coming into the 2017-2018 U Sports season home opener, the Marauders were riding high, initially ranked No. 4 in the country. The team was also coming off of a preseason tune-up in Ottawa at the end of September that saw the Marauders take all five possible victories.
The story on Friday night did not follow the same tune as the Marauders handled the first two sets, but quickly let the next three sets slip away, culminating in a 15-7 loss in the decisive fifth set.
This was McMaster’s first loss to Ryerson since Nov. 2014 and came as a complete surprise to most involved.
“It initially felt very good to be back underway, but unfortunately the game did not go the way we have liked it to,” said Maicee Sorensen, a fifth-year middle and one of the team’s captains. “We did not play the game we wanted to. Ryerson outplayed us, and they deserved the win. I am not happy about it, but again we will use this first game as inspiration to work harder and better for the next one.”
"We have a strong core group of players that have the skill and mindset that will bring us right to the end of the season and ultimately the U Sport championship at Laval.”
Carly Heath
Women's Volleyball Team
It should be noted that Sorensen was a real bright spot for the Marauders against the Rams, notching 21 kills and a kill percentage of .750, easily the most efficient of any player on the floor. While the Marauders may have been outplayed on Friday, this does not seem to be an expected trend moving forward.
The Marauders carry four players on the roster who are heading into their final year of eligibility, and coming off an OUA championship and U Sports National Championship appearance last season, this team is battle tested. One of those players in her final year, along with Sorensen, is libero Carly Heath, who is excited about a lot of the upcoming season.
“We have a strong core group of players that I think have the skill and mindset that will bring us right to the end of the season and ultimately the U Sport championship at Laval in March,” said Heath.
For Heath, another key excitement is the opportunity to finish her time as a Marauder with the same women she started with four years prior.
“We’ve been through a mix of different teammates and wins and losses in the past four seasons together,” recalled Heath. “I’m super excited to end out my McMaster career here with these same girls that I came in with.”
When thinking about larger goals for this season, the message seemed to be reaffirmed by both Heath and Sorensen: a message centred on winning.
“We need to be better than the year before,” began Sorenson. She added, “This year is a little different in my head though. It is my fifth and final year, and we are coming off of a championship year so the expectations are quite high.”
While the expectations are high for this season, the Marauders boasted a packed preseason, playing nine games in a little over two weeks during September. While this may seem to be a burden for a lot of teams, Heath argued that it is key in allowing for routines and systems to be established.
“We had some time to get back into things and get more used to playing with some new members,” Heath said of the preseason. “Building off of what we learned in those preseason games and practices will be important in our actual league play to focus on what we need to do to be successful together.”
While Friday may have been an unexpected speed bump in the road for the Mac women, there is much to be excited about moving forward.
This roster is deep from top to bottom, boasting both new talent and veteran staff. Much of this team also knows what is needed and expected of in a grueling U Sports season, losing only two players to graduation last season.
Up next for the Marauders is the Waterloo Warriors in our own Burridge Gym, on Friday Nov. 3 at 6 p.m.
Don’t start stress eating your Halloween candy yet, volleyball fans. This team knows what is needed, and has proven it can adjust in the past. This season is fresh and there is a lot to look forward to.
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By: Griffin Marsh
The McMaster men’s volleyball team showed grit, resiliency and power while taking both matches of the North American Challenge against two-time National Collegiate Athletic Association champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes.
World-class volleyball returned to the Burridge Gym last weekend as the men’s volleyball team hosted Ohio State for a two-game series, a preseason tune-up that has become synonymous with sold out crowds, hard hits and tremendous volleyball.
But to understand what this game means for this team, we must reverse the clocks a couple of weeks to this team’s preseason trip to Poland over reading week. While in Poland, the men were exposed to professional-level volleyball and have worked to reflect on that experience leading into this past weekend against Ohio State.
The opportunity to face some of Poland’s best and the NCAA’s best in the lead up to your U Sports regular season is a very unique reality, and something that is not lost on head coach Dave Preston.
“We have to do our student-athlete experience in our own way,” said Preston. “I am really happy with what we are able to provide our students in terms of their volleyball experience,”
An important learning experience in Poland and a firm belief in the McMaster process from the head coach down set the stage for a two-match series against Ohio State this past weekend. The team was able to apply what they had learned in their offseason.
Remembering that the North American Challenge is a preseason friendly for both these teams was easy to forget when entering the packed, noisy gymnasium on both Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. The first set on Saturday was close and intense, with McMaster squeaking out a 29-27 victory, much to the enjoyment of the roaring crowd.
The rest of Saturday’s match was an up-and-down affair, with the Buckeyes taking the next two sets, including a third set that McMaster controlled throughout but lost after a few unlucky bounces near the end. The resiliency was expressed in the last two sets as McMaster settled in, flipped the momentum and took the first match on a dominant fifth set, 15-8.
Sunday was exciting, as a completely different set of players took the court, featuring some young McMaster players and backups. The outcome was impressive though, as McMaster swept the Buckeyes 3-0.
Throughout this preseason refinement period, and even through the excitement and energy that was associated with a thrilling North American Challenge, coach Preston is firm in his emphasis that the U Sports season is where their focus lies.
"We have to do our student-athlete experience in our own way. I am really happy with what we are able to provide our students in terms of their volleyball experience,"
Dave Preston
Head Coach
Men's Volleyball Team
“The trip to Poland, as good as it was, and the Ohio State matches, as good as they [were], won’t be near as good as what we will experience in league play,” said Preston. “The whole purpose of all of that is to just get us ready for our league play.”
Preparatory or not, Preston will have a lot of positives to take from the North American Challenge, both on an individual and team level. On a team level, the strength and composure to battle back from down a set on Saturday night is definitely a bright spot for coach Preston.
On an individual level, the stars with third-year outside hitter, Matt Passalent, and fifth-year outside hitter, Brandon Koppers. Together they combined for 38 kills and four aces, a dominating performance from both of them on Saturday.
Asked before these matches about the individual talent on this team, coach Preston was excited about what both these players could deliver this year. Passalent is developing into the break-out player, with two seasons under his belt, and Koppers finds himself on the team’s leadership council, already actively working to create a positive and productive culture within the team room, according to coach Preston.
While there has been clear improvement from many individual players on this team, this offseason’s improvement was also supported by a few players’ involvement with varying levels of Canada’s national volleyball team.
Passalent, and second year libero Jordan Piereira spent time with the Junior National Team this summer. Koppers, on the other hand, found a role with the National B Team in a starting role. The energy of the program was also buoyed by recent graduates Jayson McCarthy and Danny Demyanenko finding positions with the National Team in different capacities.
For Preston, this success outside of McMaster just cements the message he is trying to express.
“These are great statements of what we do here, how we are built, and what our day to day delivery model is,” said Preston. “I think in the team room it really helps because the guys know that if we put in what is designed every day, those are some potential outcomes.”
Whatever the message may be, it seems to be lighting up the locker room. Coming off of Poland and a statement performance against Ohio State, energy is high even if this team looks different than last year.
“One of the beauties of collegiate sport is the cyclical nature,” said Preston. “You only got guys for five years, whether you want them for more or not, so it’s turning over. From a team perspective it is really exciting and it is really interesting to see how, even with the core guys being back, what the different chemistry and culture is on each team.”
The culture and chemistry seem to be blending in an exciting way, and this has the men’s volleyball team excited for the year ahead, which leads directly to the U Sports National Championships in our own Burridge Gym in March of next year.
For now, the team looks ahead to the upcoming Ontario University Athletics season. The first game is Oct. 27 at home against the Ryerson Rams, and judging by this past weekend, you will want to be watching.
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By: Camila Stupecka
With the summer break around the corner, students are winding down in hopes of a quick and painless exam season. This is not the case for third-year outside hitter Andrew Richards and the rest of the McMaster men’s volleyball team.
A week after Mac’s bronze medal performance at the U Sports national championships, the team is back at work preparing for a new season, getting ready to come back stronger and more polished after their summer training. With the team losing key players like Danny Demyanenko and Andrew Kocur next year, Richards and his fellow teammates have major leadership roles to fill.
“I like to think I have some leadership value on the team [too],” said Richards. “In terms of sport, we’re pretty good athletes, and [my leadership] would never come from telling people how to play a game but rather as a motivational leader. As I’m getting older, I hope I can be one of those guys that leads the team in the right direction, and I think I can do that.”
His leadership skills were even acknowledged in April of 2016, when he was one of the first students ever to receive the Wilson Leadership Scholar Award, given to those who show potential and drive for change as future leaders.
“The Wilson Award has given me the opportunity to expand my leadership potential,” said Richards. “Outside of sport this year, I was involved with Mac Athletes Care, which allows varsity athletes to connect with youth in the Hamilton Community.”
His contributions to the community don’t stop there. Richards started Suited for Success, an initiative on campus to connect the Hamilton community with access to professional attire. The campaign managed to deliver over 200 articles of clothing to those in need.
Even though he is known today for his leadership in the community and as a fierce attacker on the volleyball court, Richards started his athletic career in competitive tennis although quickly realized that volleyball was his true passion.
"I realized how important it is to cherish when you can play."
Andrew Richards
Third-year outside hitter
McMaster men's volleyball
“When I played tennis, the schedule was crazy. I spent a lot of time away from home. I wanted to be part of the youth life, [spend time] with my friends,” said Richards. “I got into volleyball because of my older brother, [who plays] for the Guelph Gryphons. When I watched him play, I thought it was the coolest thing to do. And as soon as I started playing, I didn’t regret anything at all. It became my passion.”
Richards soon made his debut in volleyball, dedicating himself to a sport that had captured his attention almost instantaneously. His dedication and skill made it possible for him to gain prominent status as a player and a leader on teams like the junior national volleyball team in Canada. Moving forward, Richards began to establish his volleyball roots at McMaster as part of the men’s volleyball team.
His passion is constantly thriving and growing. Even in the face of injury, when a stress fracture in his left tibia last season left Richards off the court from the start of the regular season until the following year.
“That was probably the hardest thing I went through,” said Richards. “I came here to play volleyball [but] I had to sit and watch because I was on crutches. [I realized] how important it is to cherish when you can play and take recovering and taking care of your body seriously.”
His volleyball career was only strengthened by this temporary delay and today Richards excels not only on the court but as a dedicated and passionate leader throughout the community.
As a player, as a leader and as a part of the McMaster and Hamilton community, Andrew Richards truly is an inspiration.
The season for the McMaster women’s volleyball team came to an abrupt end at the U Sports national championships on March 17 – 19. Despite entering the tournament as the number two seed as the winners of the Ontario University Athletics conference, the Marauders were quickly bounced out of the quarter-final by Trinity Western Spartans from Canada West in straight sets. The Spartans would ultimately win the bronze medal game over Montreal.
“We were facing a highly motivated team, who was fully prepared and very eager,” head coach Tim Louks said of Mac’s loss against Trinity Western. “Our preparation was reasonable, but it was trying to play out our game plan that was hard. [Trinity Western] have a versatile offence, and have tall blockers, which is similar across teams from the Canada West conference.”
All three teams coming from Canada West finished in the top three in the U Sports championship, with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds avenging their Canada West finals loss by beating the Alberta Pandas in four sets to capture their 11th national championship. With all three OUA teams failing to finish in the top five at nationals, there is an apparent gap in the competition at the national level.
“The volleyball IQ in Ontario is not the same as it is out west,” Louks said after the national championships. “They are much more prepared to begin their journey. Some of the kids will sit out a couple of years because they are deep in talent… we are validated amongst the best in Ontario, but we cannot do so at the U Sports level. Toronto won nationals last year, but we were unable to replicate that type of play.”
"I applaud the effort and characteristics of what sports bring out; determination, perseverance and resolve. To watch it unfold in person was pretty impressive."
Tim Louks
Head coach,
McMaster women's volleyball
Mac’s season ended one day later on March 18, where they were unable to replicate their OUA final performance against Western, ultimately losing in four sets to the Mustangs. Fifth-year middle Alicia Jack and third-year outside hitter Aleks Arsovic each led the Marauders with 11 points in the effort, while fourth-year middle Maicee Sorensen contributed 10 points of her own.
“Not a lot of changes were needed going into that game against Western,” Louks said. “Their serve was tougher, and that kept us off balance early. They made us run around more and played with more resolve than we did.”
Mac’s loss against the Mustangs marked the third straight trip to nationals where the Marauders were unable to win a single match, finishing seventh/eighth for the third consecutive time. Despite this, the women’s volleyball team accomplished a lot this season, having finished first in the OUA West division and winners of the OUA championship on March 11 at the University of Toronto.
“I was proud of our resolve throughout the season, to collaborate and trust each other to stay on track,” Louks said. “I applaud the effort and characteristics of what sports bring out; determination, perseverance and resolve. To watch it unfold in person was pretty impressive.”
McMaster’s gradual development to becoming a top team in the OUA has been pushed along by the players’ development outside of university volleyball. As the offseason begins, many Mac players go on to play provincially and nationally, where they can improve their volleyball skills and increase their palate, to the point that it helps expand the program even more. Even with the progress the team has made, Louks stresses the importance of continuously moving forward.
“In order to get better every year, you are required to view the work under constant scrutiny,” Louks said. “We have to ask ourselves ‘how do we raise the bar? Is our offseason competition good enough? Is our support of sending players to nationals good enough? Is our scouting and recruitment deep enough?’ There is a lot pressure on the players as student athletes, and they have shown their resolve by consistently playing at a top level while succeeding academically.”
The end of the season also marks the end of the careers of Alicia Jack and outside-hitter Rebecca Steckle, both of whom have completed their five year eligibility. The team will retain OUA West First Team All-Stars Maicee Sorensen and Joanna Jedrzejewska for next year, along with Aleks Arsovic, libero Carly Heath and setter Caitlin Genovy for next season.
By: Camila Stupecka
The McMaster men’s volleyball program finds themselves on the U Sports podium for the fifth consecutive season but in a similarly disappointing position. The Marauders fell in the semi-final before winning the bronze medal match to win their fifth medal in as many years.
Following a five-set win against the Université Laval Rouge et Or on March 17, the Marauders qualified for the semi-final game against the top seeded team of the championship, the Trinity Western Spartans – a familiar opponent.
In last year’s national championship, the Marauders fell to the Spartans in four sets in the final, settling for a silver medal. With all of this in tow, the Marauders anticipated a challenging semi-final match.
"Losing is never easy, but to bring home the bronze medal is something that we are very proud of."
Andrew Richards
Fourth-year outside hitter,
McMaster men's volleyball
Though Mac took the first set off the Spartans, Trinity Western steadied to win the next three sets.
“I think it was just a matter of execution, we know we can play at a level that will allows us to defeat anyone and we believe in our selves as a team but in that match we just didn’t execute a high enough level,” said Andrew Richards, a fourth-year outside hitter.
Mac's win over UBC marked the final game in the distinguished careers of Danny Demyanenko, Andrew Kocur, Jayson McCarthy and Seyar Karimi.
With their hopes of a national championship gone, the Mac men did not want to go home empty handed. Following their semi-final loss, the Marauders returned to the court to face the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the U Sports third-place match. Determined to finish the season on a winning note, Mac made quick work of the Canada West finalists in straight sets, taking home their third bronze medal in the past five seasons.
“Losing is never easy, but to bring home the bronze medal is something we are very proud of,” said Richards.
Mac’s win over UBC marked the final game in the distinguished careers of Danny Demyanenko, Andrew Kocur, Jayson McCarthy and Seyar Karimi. The four seniors were paramount to the team’s success, which completed an undefeated season in OUA play, capped off with an OUA championship win in front of a home crowd. Throughout their respective careers at Mac, they were able to carve out a culture of excellence that will be carried on by teammates such as Andrew Richards and Brandon Koppers.
Although the Marauder men fell short of the gold medal, the successes they enjoyed this season should outshine their shortcomings. The Marauder men will continue to be the perennial powerhouse in the Ontario University Athletics conference, and come next season, will hopefully make better on their national championship performance.
