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.
Following their Feb. 17 loss to TMU, the Marauders suffer their second loss of the weekend at the hands of the Toronto Varsity Blues
A poor finish to the regular season isn’t what many expected to see for the Marauders men’s volleyball team after starting their season with 18 consecutive wins, yet, it happened. It marks the first time since February 2016 that the team has lost back-to-back regular season games. Ironically, the Toronto Varsity Blues were also a part of that losing streak.
Though the Varsity Blues are a stronger opponent then the Toronto Metropolitan Bold, sitting fourth in the standings coming in, the 2021-2022 provincial championship rematch was still largely a game McMaster was expected to take. At least this time out, unlike against the Bold, the Marauders provided some resistance. They took one set by a score of 25 to 23, while losing another by a slim 27 to 25. The remaining two sets were lost by a score of 25 to 20.
The team remained short handed with Sam Cooper remaining out, and Tyler Pavelic having not played per his absence on the box score. However, Mateusz Wlodarski made his return to the court, and Maxime Gratton, whose availability remained in question, also played, making this loss more concerning than the last.
The two losses come as the final two games of the regular season. The Marauders currently hold the second longest losing streak, just to the 20 loss Royal Military College Paladins. On a positive note, the team still finishes as the sole victor of all 10 home games, while also holding the best record on the road.
The Marauders won’t play again until the Ontario University Athletics playoffs, where the quarterfinals begin on Feb. 25. McMaster will hold home court advantage throughout as the number one seed after finishing three wins above the second place Windsor Lancers.
After a slow start to the season, the women’s volleyball team is rolling and looking to lock up a spot in the playoffs. Their slow start can be attributed to the major shift in the roster, with many upper-year players graduating, but the newer players are filling in admirably and the roster is loaded with potential.
They’ve won four out of their last five games, which is in large part due to a few players stepping up their play. Most notably, right side Jessie Nairn’s recent play earned her the Pita Pit Athlete of the Week for leading the team in points and kills over their weekend trip to Thunder Bay.
Stuffing the stat sheet in all facets of the game, Nairn’s 13 kills in the team’s Jan. 27 win over Lakehead University is a perfect example of what she brings to the rotation.
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The Marauders are back on track as they are riding a string of good games, with their only loss in the past five games coming from the undefeated and first in the division University of Waterloo Warriors.
“Even though we lost against Waterloo, we played a really good game against them,” Nairn said. “And if we play the way we did, we can definitely beat, if not at least play a really good game against, all of the teams coming up in the next couple of weeks.”
Nairn says the team is still in the process of finding its identity after losing so many of its veteran players. However, their development over the course of the season thus far is why they’ve been on a hot streak lately, which should easily transfer to next season.
“After losing a really big graduating class last year, I’d say that our skills aren’t really spread out yet and we haven’t found out what our strengths are, so we’re slowly starting to get to that point,” Nairn said. “Although we’re a really big blocking team and we’re definitely one of the best blocking teams in the league, we’re definitely a big offensive team. Where we struggle is starting the offence, so passing and stuff like that, but when we have that done, it’s when we’re at our best.”.
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It’s been a tough transition going from losing only five regular season games over the past two seasons to having lost six already this season, but Nairn is confident the team can close out the season successfully.
The roster is filled with talent and potential but is lacking experience. With that being said, it hasn’t stopped the team from remaining in playoff contention despite the roster’s youthfulness.
“In the past years, we’ve only lost two or three games. So for my first two years, it was a big deal losing,” Nairn said on the team’s recent struggles. “Learning to lose, and then learning to learn from that, knowing that it’s going to be ok and that we are good enough to win and win the whole league — we just need to have the mentality to get there because we don’t know how to deal with losing yet, but we're getting there.”
Nairn believes the team still has the capability of going far in the postseason and they still have their sights set on a trip to nationals.
“Our goal is definitely still to win, even though our path to get there is looking a little rocky,” Nairn said. “We’ve played really good games against some of the teams that are definitely going to be in the final four this year. For instance, our very first game this season where we were nowhere near as good as we are now, we went to five sets with [the University of] Toronto and they’re looking like a team that will definitely be in the final four.”
The women’s volleyball team has had it’s fair share of struggles so far this season but they are a bright young team, with a roster full of talented players and greatness on the horizon.
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Tobi Abdul
The Silhouette
The McMaster women’s volleyball team clinched their fourth and fifth straight wins over the past weekend.
Despite a rocky start to the 2013-2014 season, the Marauders are now within four points of the top spot in the OUA West conference and show no signs of slowing down.
McMaster traveled to Waterloo to take on the Warriors Jan. 24 in a gruelling match that ended 3-2, for the Marauders.
“It’s always a little tough when you’re away but we’re going to play our best,” said Coach Louks in anticipation of the match.
The Marauders started the match off strong with a kill percentage of 31 in the first set.
The Marauders clearly outplayed the Warriors, who had a kill percentage of only 11. McMaster took the first set 25-16 and was hoping that it would set the tone for the rest of the match. However, McMaster played a very poor second set, having a negative kill percentage which led to the Warriors taking the second set 25-15 and tying the match at one apiece.
The third set saw a battle between the Warriors and the Marauders but the Marauders fell just two points shy, giving the Warriors a 2-1 advantage.
The Marauders played the fourth set with a gusto needed if they were going to win this game.
The Marauders played excellent defence, ending the set with a kill percentage of 34, while the Warriors evened out at zero percent.
The Marauders took the set 25-19, evening out the match and bringing it to a fifth set to 15.
The Marauders took the lead in the short, final set, wanting to keep their winning streak going and ensure them the best possible chance for playoffs.
The offense was consistent all game, and the match winning kill was delivered by Joanna Jedrzejewska to end the set 15-10 and the match 3-2.
The Marauders were able to work together as one unit in order to take this win over Waterloo.
However, at the start of the season, the Marauders lacked a cohesion that was evident in their games and resulted in more losses than wins.
“Our team is very young, which makes for a great future but for a lot of these girls, it’s their first time playing at university level,” said Louks.
As the season progressed, the Marauders learned how to play as a collective unit and used each player’s strengths to put points on the board and win matches.
“The biggest difference from the start of the season to now would probably be getting to know and playing with new people. As the season has gone by we have been able to gel and play as one team,” said Maicee Sorenson, this week’s Pita Pit Athlete of the Week.
The teamwork spoke for itself during the Waterloo game as three players, Sophie Bukovec, Mira Krunic, and Sorenson, broke double digits.
“Our trip to Florida really helped us come together. We learned a lot about one another. We learned to trust ourselves and each other on and off the court which brought back our confidence that we had during preseason,” said Krunic.
The Marauders played against Guelph at home Jan. 26 and they were aware that they had to beat Guelph if they wanted the best chance at ending the regular season in the top spot.
The Marauders had played Guelph earlier in the season and had lost 1-3, but were determined to play together this time.
“[We’re] wanting to win for each other not just for ourselves,” said Bukovec, who was a key player in the Guelph game.
If the Marauders were worried, they did not show it.
“Our mentality going into each game is to be better than the last game. We know that we can’t predetermine outcome, but we can focus on the things we can control, such as things we work on in practice, in order to make us better,” said Krunic.
The Marauders took the lead in the first set, but a timeout called by Guelph at 19-15 Marauders threatened their focus as the Gryphons tied the set 23-23.
The Marauders fought hard for their next two points, able to take the first set of the match and set the tone for the rest of the game.
“I find that we are getting into an offensive rhythm that has translated into our defence,” said Bukovec.
This rhythm continued into the second set, which was a battle the entire game.
The Gryphons had a slight lead at the technical time out, but McMaster fought hard, getting a slight lead before the set was tied 24-24 and forced to go into extra points.
Despite best attempts to have an edge over Guelph, the Marauders lost the set 26-28.
The Marauders entered the third set with an early lead and maintained this lead the entire set, outplaying Guelph and winning the set 25-19.
Wanting to end the game in four, the Marauders fought back against Guelph’s early lead of 10-7.
Playing smart offensively and defensively, the Marauders led at the technical timeout and continued this momentum, despite Guelph getting within one point at 23-22.
A timeout called by McMaster provided the pep talk needed to score the last two points and take the match 3-1.
The Marauders are in good standings, but with four games left, it is critical that they keep up their winning streak.
“To keep the streak going we just need to have confidence in our ability as a team to perform at its best at all times. Working through adversity should become easier as we continue to develop as a team,” said Bukovec.
“At this point in the season we focus on reciprocating what we have learned in order to ensure our success,” said Sorenson.
The Marauders take on Royal Military College Friday Jan. 31 and Queen’s on Feb. 1.
By: John Bauer
The McMaster Marauders track team raced at the largest meet in the country from Jan. 25-26 at the McGill Team Challenge in Montreal. The team came back happy, with some fast times and some new school records that have ranked some individuals within the top five in the country.
To start off the meet, veteran Jill Wyman ran a time of 2:58 and came tenth in the 1000m race.
In the 3000m, Courtney Patterson came seventh overall with a time of 10:15.
Next on the track was the women’s 4x200m, where the Marauder team was looking to finally break the school record, after just narrowly missing it two weeks before. The team comprised of the speedy Jessica Tat, Abi Shanmuguratnam, Kara McPherson and Latisha Rhooms did just that at the Tomlinson Centre, running a 1:45.15 to set a brand new school record in the 4x200m relay, and to rank them twelfth in the country.
In the 4x800m relay, the men’s team comprised of Brandon Huzevka, Taylor Fox, Eric Barry and Paul Scholl came fourth overall, running a time of 8:05 that currently sits them at eighth in the country.
On Saturday, Jan. 26, Jessica Tat finished fourth in the 600m with a time of 1:33, which puts her in the tenth spot in Canada.
In the men’s 300m, Marauder Scott Hutchinson ran the fastest time of the entire field, running a 33.85 and breaking the school record (which he had set himself) in the process. This time currently sits Hutchinson second overall in the country. Not too far behind him was teammate Rudy Baronette, who ran to a time of 34.85 which also broke the previous record, and placed him fourth overall, and fifth in the country.
Lastly, in the 1500m, CIS Cross Country bronze medallist and recent Mary Keyes award recipient Victoria Coates finished eighth overall with a time of 4:36, putting her in the eleventh spot in the country, while teammate Jill Wyman was not too far behind in 4:37 which puts her at twelfth in Canada.
In the men’s 1500m, Taylor Forbes finished ninth overall in 3:56.37, which puts him in thirteenth in the country, while teammate Jeremy Walsh was extremely close to Forbes with a time of 3:56.95, a time that puts him in the fifteenth spot overall in Canada.
Next up for the Marauders is the York Invitational at York University on Feb. 2, where the team hopes to get some more fast times on the track, and to set new personal best times.
Head coach Dave Preston will be honest with you. McMaster’s undefeated record through 15 games comes as a surprise to him.
“At the start of the year, you hope it goes this way. But you don’t really know until it starts to play itself out,” said the men’s coach.
McMaster started out the gate hot. They ran over the preseason competition and the immediate success gave the young roster confidence. The Maroon and Grey opened the season with a No. 4 ranking in the country. But there wasn’t always a certainty of how the 2012-13 campaign would go. Despite currently holding an undefeated record, there was once a point where the season could be called unpredictable.
“Knowing we were going to have 10 freshman in this year, our season could have taken a variety of different looks,” explains Preston. “Now, I knew from the get-go when we signed the recruiting class that we had in the spring, we were going to be okay in the fall. What okay meant, we weren’t really sure.”
The definition of “okay” for a coach whose career record at McMaster is 160-68 is probably not the same definition for most coaches. Preston expects the best from his team – it’s part of the culture that he’s instilled since his tenure began in 2002. But in the spring of 2012, it was hard to know what that best would look like.
It wasn’t until the summer when he worked with standout freshmen Dany Demyanenko and Stephen Maar that Preston had a clearer view of what his team was capable of.
“Having the opportunity to coach two of the incoming freshmen on the [Canadian] Junior National Team gave me some insight into what I was now working with on a daily basis,” said the Maroon bench boss.
While the recruiting class was one of the best hauls in the country, it’s not the sole reason for the Marauders’ winning streak. Instilling a foundation of what the team is expected of – from both an on- and off-court perspective – was imperative. But with an overflow of new talent coming on board, laying the foundation was not a simple task.
“When you’ve got 10 freshman, they override the number of seniors in your program. The amount of teaching that needed to be done, even if it was one-on-one, seniors to freshman, there would still be guys left over. Guys who wouldn’t have a mentor,” said Preston.
But the rookies took to the lessons quickly, and the Maroon men flew through the early competition. From the first exhibition game, Preston was confident in his players and showed no reluctance to inject up a dozen different players into a game.
By design, Preston uses his long bench to keep guys fresh and ready to go. This extreme preparation paid off when Jayson McCarthy suffered an injury and his teammates were able to step in and fill the void, allowing for Mac to go through what the coach calls “a few bumps.” Despite the injury, the Marauders righted the ship and were able to pull out the victories.
A major factor in focussing the team despite the unfortunate events has been the presence of Austin Campion-Smith, Dan Groenveld, and Kevin Stevens.
Campion-Smith has been one of the most consistent performers for the McMaster squad, and his steadiness has been especially important given his position.
“His development probably doesn’t get recognized by the common fan. Most of [the development] is around decision-making and who to set when – and more importantly – why,” said Preston of his setter’s growth.
Equally important to the team is the role of Groenveld and Stevens, who have split time at libero. The 11-year coach gave credit to the pair for their ability to adapt to the new position in order to help the team.
It can’t be easy to split time with someone, though. Athletes at the university level have a high competitive drive and sharing floor time with anyone can be tough to manage. When you have one of the best recruiting classes in the country, this issue is bound to arise on multiple occasions.
McMaster combats this through a philosophy Preston calls “positive rivalry.” What it boils down to is accountability: if your teammate is good that day, you have to be good that day. The coaching staff shies away from letting players evaluating each others’ performances to validate playing time. So far, the philosophy is working seamlessly.
Preston remains optimistic about the rest of the season, just as he was at the start of the season. He’s not looking too far into the future; he’s focussing on the short-term goals.
“We want to make sure we secure first place and homecourt advantage through the [OUA] Final Four. The only way to 100 per cent do that is with an 18-0 season,” said Preston.
But given the success of the program this year, a CIS tournament berth is more than a possibility right now. A Final Four victory would send the team to the championship tournament in Laval.
“At the CIS Championships, if we’re fortunate enough to make it, we’re not going to bother going in it if we don’t think we can win it. We’re going there to win it.”
McMaster’s season has appeared to be a breeze. Undefeated record with convincing wins over their toughest opponents. Beyond the box scores, it hasn’t been that simple.
And as the head coach sits in his Maroon office, splattered with memorabilia of past champions, he couldn’t seem more proud.
