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.
After winning the OUA title last year, the men's volleyball team kicks off the season with a close win at home
Last year, the McMaster University men’s volleyball team finished the regular season with a near perfect 18-2 record. The Marauders went on to win the 2023 Ontario University Athletics provincial championship and place third at the U Sports national championship.
Amidst the success, the men’s volleyball team gained itself a considerable fanbase, documentary series and some big expectations for this year.
On Sept. 4, the Marauders played their first regular season game at home against the University of Toronto with a close win in the fifth set.
The game opened with a 19-25 first set loss against the Varsity Blues. McMaster fought back to win the second set 25-21 and the third set 25-19 with notable efforts from Maxime Gratton, Robbie Fujisawa, and Tyler Pavelic.
The Marauders lost some momentum and began to stumble in the fourth set, losing 15-25. However, McMaster quickly cleaned up their offense to win the fifth set 15-12 following an electrifying final point from Brendan Mills.
However, McMaster quickly cleaned up their offense to win the fifth set 15-12 following an electrifying final point from Brendan Mills.
Despite the graduation of several veterans players from the roster, including Wojciech Kraj, Mateusz Wlodarski and Sam Cooper, the win showcased some of McMaster’s promising new talent.
Despite the graduation of several veterans players from the roster, including Wojciech Kraj, Mateusz Wlodarski and Sam Cooper, the win showcased some of McMaster’s promising new talent.
Brady Paterson, a first-year outside hitter, was introduced into the starting lineup and finished the game with six kills. Another rookie, Jared Kuiken, also made an appearance in the home opener. Third-year player Haben Yohannes earned more minutes and finished with six kills and three blocks.
This was the first regular season game coached by Hamilton local Brad Douwes, who served as the former assistant coach for the Marauders in the 2021-2022 season. This May, Douwes was named head coach following the retirement of three-time National Coach of the Year, Dave Preston.
Despite all these changes, the first game back shows that there is lots more to look forward to for the men’s volleyball team. The Marauders face off against the University of Waterloo Warriors next on Nov. 10, before heading on the road for a game on Nov. 11 against the York University Lions and games on Nov. 17 and 18 against the University of Windsor Lancers.
By: Griffin Marsh
In a needed bounce back performance, the McMaster men’s volleyball team pushed aside the low-ranked Trent University Excalibur to close out the 2017-2018 regular season.
Following a rare loss to the Western Mustangs on Feb. 17, the Marauders returned to form in Burridge Gym for their regular season finale and wrapped up the match in three commanding sets.
The game was a complete team performance with the hitters completing at an excellent efficiency of .443, which included 36 kills and only nine hitting errors.
Individually, the game was led by Marauders Craig Ireland and Andrew Richards who contributed seven kills and 8.5 points, respectively.
Trent presented a negative hitting efficiency at -.167 in an error prone performance for the Excalibur.
With this victory, McMaster has locked up top spot in the Ontario University Athletics’ West division, and hosting rights throughout the playoffs and into the 2018 U Sports National Championships.
Seeing as McMaster is hosting the National Championships this coming March, Hamilton Volleyball fans will be happy to know that not a single Marauder game will be played away from the Burridge Gym.
This string of playoff games begins on Saturday, March 3, as the Nipissing University Lakers, ranked third in the OUA East division, visit for an OUA Quarterfinal Matchup.
Throughout the season, head coach Dave Preston has stressed this is exactly where the Marauders wanted to be. The goal has been from the beginning to control as much home court advantage as possible through the playoffs, a destiny that was sealed with the Trent victory.
The reality is that that original goal for this point in the season may not have come as easy as some followers of McMaster volleyball may have expected.
The Marauders finished this season with a record of 15-2, matching their loss total from the previous two seasons combined.
This season also started with an early slip, falling to the Ryerson Rams in a loss that was dominantly followed by a 14-game winning streak.
Ryerson, while starting strong and finishing atop the OUA East, amassed six losses, which pales in comparison to the top of the OUA West dominated by the likes of McMaster and the Mustangs.
On the subject of Western’s team, the aforementioned Mustangs were the team responsible for McMaster’s second loss of the season.
Similar to Ryerson’s performance earlier in the season, the Mustangs did it with strength by wrapping up McMaster in Hamilton in four sets, a notable result given the fact that the game was held in Hamilton.
It was perhaps a closer game than that suggests, but still shows that McMaster has their work cut out for them through this year’s OUA Playoffs.
As a note for the casual fan: because McMaster is the host of the National Championships, they have automatic qualification into the big show and do not need to qualify through the OUA playoffs.
That being said, these OUA games present a great way for the Mac men to test themselves in high-pressure situations. Preston reinforced the fact that McMaster will not take these games lightly.
Analyzing this season on an individual level, McMaster was rewarded with some strong performances across the lineup.
Brandon Koppers found himself in the top 15 of hitters across the U Sports field for kills per set. He gathered 203 kills through this season, joined by his teammates Matt Passalent and Andrew Richards, who added 162 and 161, respectively.
Across the OUA, Passalent and Richards ranked in the top five for hitting percentage, both being in the .290 range.
At the setter position, second year setter David Doty led a commanding season, finishing in the top 20 across U Sports volleyball for assists. He supported his hitters with just under 500 assists. He did this with the 12th best ratio of assists per set in U Sports at 9.24 per set.
This team has high expectations for this playoff run, and it ends with the elusive U Sports National Championship, which is an accolade that has remained out of reach for McMaster despite winning the previous five OUA Championships.
Two years ago when McMaster hosted this very same tournament, their journey was cut short similarly to last year in Edmonton, Alberta. This is now about redemption and resiliency.
For anyone who has seen the promotional video surrounding the National Championships that has been circulating for the past few months, one can expect the intensity in the Burridge Gym to be high and the expectations of world class volleyball to be even higher.
It’s playoff time. There is no more hiding behind your record, your inconsistencies or your future schedule. It is do or die.
As the motto for this year’s tournament so aptly suggests, it’s time to come “Back to Mac”.
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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
If the rest of the men’s volleyball final four teams played ice during the Ontario University Athletics final games, then McMaster played fire. They swiftly melted the flame of the Ryerson Rams on March 10 and the Waterloo Warriors on March 11, sweeping both squads and securing their fifth consecutive OUA championship to cap an undefeated regular season.
The conference title win matches the longest streak in OUA history.
Although a close second set against Ryerson could have planted a seed of doubt amongst fans and players, the Marauders succeeded in qualifying for the championship match against Waterloo the next night.
Mac dominated Waterloo, though head coach Dave Preston was not surprised by the result.
“Our preparation for that match was top notch, one of the best we’ve ever had,” said Preston. “Watching them [practice], I even said, ‘Wow. They’re ready.’ ”
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The championship tilt had a bit of intrigue as Waterloo took the Marauders to five sets during the regular season.
“They’re the only team in the OUA to do so,” said fifth-year middle Danny Demyanenko. “They’re a really good team. Definitely the most challenging team to deal with in the [conference].”
Waterloo showed that the five-set loss from earlier was no accident, jumping out to a four-point lead heading into the first technical. After the early stumble, the Maroon and Grey steadied and completed the sweep, 25-21, 25-11, 25-21.
"Big things are about to come. We're hoping for nothing but first."
Andrew Socur
Fifth-year setter
Men's volleyball
“I think we started off a little slowly,” said fifth-year outside hitter Jayson McCarthy. “But once we got into the groove of the game, I think everyone really stepped it up and once we started executing everything we wanted to do it all came together.”
The faces of the team as the final point was added to the score board that night were indescribable. Pride and joy came cheering from the stands as the whole team rushed onto the court, celebrating that final point that won them the gold medal match of the OUA championship game. While conference championships are something to be proud of, the team hopes this isn’t the last banner they’ll claim this year. Mac flew out to Alberta to compete in the U Sports national championship taking place March 17-19 at the University of Alberta.
“We have to put this one [against Waterloo] behind us pretty quick because we have a pretty big task in front of us,” said Preston. “You’re in a national championship now. Everyone in this tournament has good a chance to win it. All the teams are there for a reason. So are we.”
Mac is seeded fifth at the tournament and face an uphill battle to claim the program’s first-ever national championship.
“Big things are about to come. We’re hoping for nothing but first,” said fifth-year setter Andrew Kocur. “Nothing but first.”
It is time for the McMaster women’s volleyball team to find their early-season groove.
Following their gold medal performance at the Thanksgiving Classic in October, the women’s volleyball team started the season undefeated before losing their last two games to the Western Mustangs (9-0) and the Guelph Gryphons (6-4).
Their hot start to the season came as no surprise. Starting the season ranked sixth in the University Sports top ten rankings and a number of fourth and fifth year veterans returning from last year’s campaign, the Marauders made quick work of their opponents, who up to this point in the season have a combined record of 22-36. Winning their first seven games of Ontario University Athletics conference play, the Marauders never gave up more than one set in each game, losing only a total of four sets in that span.
Up to that point, the team looked unstoppable in the OUA West, reaching No. 3 in the U Sports top ten rankings, behind only Alberta (12-0) and the OUA East division leaders Toronto (8-0). Things were looking up for the Marauders, until they suffered their first loss of the season on Nov. 26 to the Mustangs in London in their last game of the fall semester. Even though the Marauders were swept in three sets, the first two sets were decided by a combined seven points, showing that this team on their best day can compete with top level competition.
There are still 10 games left for the Marauders to fine-tune their game and set themselves up for success come postseason play.
Following the winter break, the Marauders travelled to Guelph on Jan. 14 to face the Gryphons, who they had previously defeated in the gold medal game of the Thanksgiving Classic and the opening game of the regular season. Unfortunately for Mac, they were unable to replicate their previous success, losing the match in four sets, the last two of which were decided by two points apiece.
This has the women’s team sitting second in the OUA West division, with a 7-2 record. As of Jan. 17, the team has dropped out of the U Sports top ten rankings entirely.
Their next game takes place on Jan. 21 at 6pm, where the Marauders host the visiting Mustangs, and will look to evenge their first defeat of the season. The next day, the Marauders will welcome the Windsor Lancers (3-5) to Burridge Gym, who currently sit fifth in the OUA West division.
While their start to the winter part of their schedule is not what they hoped for, there are still 10 games left for the Marauders to fine-tune their game and set themselves up for success come postseason play, and a return trip to the OUA Final Four.
Tobi Abdul
Staff Reporter
With a healthy roster for the first time in the regular season, McMaster women’s volleyball team proved that they have what it takes to be a powerhouse team as they defeated the visiting Lakehead Thunderwolves in a weekend double header Nov. 8 and Nov. 9.
McMaster took the match 3-0 on Nov. 8, in arguably their best match of the season, playing with a rhythm and consistency that had not been seen thus far.
This match was the season debut for previously injured middle Taylor Brisebois who came back full swing aiding the team defensively at the net and offensively with an impressive six skills.
“It feels amazing to be back playing with the team, I missed it a lot. The most frustrating thing was to not be able to contribute at all, just doing my best cheering from the sidelines,” Brisebois said.
“I think we just have been practicing really hard and slowly but surely, as a young new team, will find a rhythm.”
Lakehead took the early lead of the match at 6-2, but great defence from the Marauders tied the score at 10-10. The Thunderwolves outplayed McMaster for the next 6 points, bringing the score to 16-10 but didn’t see many points after that as McMaster ended the set 25-18.
The start of the second set saw an even playing field for both teams as the score was tied 10-10 before McMaster gained momentum and dominated the next points, bringing the score to 16-10 at the technical timeout. McMaster continued to lead and won 25-16, now leading the game 2-0.
McMaster started out strong in what would be the final set of the match, taking an early lead of 9-6. Lakehead fought back hard and for the third time in the match, the score was tied at 10-10. McMaster played with accuracy and skill and led 16-12 at the technical time out. They continued to widen their gap with stellar serving from Sophie Bukovec, and Big Mac Player of the Match, Mira Krunic.
The Marauders showed that they had found their rhythm as four players had five or more kills during the game, with Bukovec leading with 10 kills. Offensively, the Marauders were looking strong, but were even stronger on defence with Brisebois being a big help at the net, and Krunic on the floor with seven digs.
This rhythm continued into the second game of the weekend on Nov. 9 as the Marauders took the match 4-1.
The Marauders proved that they were a team full of talented players as Saturday’s game saw a rotation of hitters and nine out of 11 players had at least one kill during the match with a match total of 42 hits. The most consistency came from the middles with Brisebois scoring 14 points, including 11 kills and Maicee Sorensen scored 12 points with six kills but overall, Marauders played an impressive match, including great plays from every player.
McMaster had an impressive start to the game wasting no time and soon had a lead of 15-11. The Marauders continued to demonstrate that they were both an offensively strong team as well as a defensively strong team and outscored the Thunderwolves 6-3 to bring the score to 21-14. Rebecca Steckle scored the last two points with consecutive kills, bringing the set to an end at 25-18.
The second set saw a sloppy Marauder team unable to get the ball cheapest viagra to buy online in uk up to the setter and overall inconsistent passing. Despite attempts to shake up the rotation with substitutes, the Marauders were unable to find their footing and Lakehead took the lead of 16-13 at the technical timeout. McMaster was unable to improve scoring and lost the set 25-18.
The Marauders started out strong in the third set taking an early lead but quickly lost momentum, allowing Lakehead to outshine them. After a time out called by head coach Tim Louks, a new McMaster team stepped onto the court, one with precision, accuracy and communication, taking a 16-13 lead at the technical timeout. After a solid kill from Joanna Jedrzejewska, the Marauders would pick up speed and continue to dominate, taking the set 25-16 thanks to a final ace by Steckle.
The fourth set was one of incredible defence, including amazing combo blocks by Lauren Mastroluisi and Maicee Sorenson. McMaster continued with unparalleled consistency and went into the technical timeout with a 16-11 lead. Mastroluisi played a solid set, an even more solid match with 8 kills. A double touch by Lakehead would give McMaster the set 25-19 and the match 3-1.
The Marauders continue to improve their rhythm with each game played and their success in the weekend’s games can be attributed to communication and consistency.
“We brought a consistent energy to the court right from the beginning of the game to the end, not allowing small mistakes to get us down,” says Sorenson. “Instead we came together as a team and played how we should have been playing the whole time”
The Marauders hope to continue their winning streak as they will travel to Guelph on Nov. 15 to take on the Gryphons then return back home to host the Brock Badgers Nov. 17.
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.
