Taking place on Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. at Ron Joyce Stadium, this exhibition between the McMaster Marauders and the Saskatchewan Huskies involves similar storylines for both. Each will want to show the ability to contend on a national scale despite coaching changes.
The Marauders team continues to set their sights high with the Vanier Cup being the end-goal. While it is easy to get caught up in immediate results, the priority and gameplan will continue to be consistent success set up by phenomenal recruiting. One finals appearance will not be good enough.
“[Head coach] Greg Knox has now gotten through the interim year, and he’s done a great job with recruiting class … ranked second in the nation, so that’s good news,” said Glen Grunwald, Director of Athletics and Recreation.
Despite a 6-2 record last season and a narrow loss to Laurier in the OUA semifinals, an extensive amount of changes were made to the staff in order to better contend for the national championship.
On Quinlan specifically, Grunwald noted how he is able to serve a multi-purpose role and undertake the full responsibility of the job.
“He’s obviously a legend, and that helps with recruiting as well as coaching existing student athletes. I think he’s got the whole package, and we’re happy and very thankful that he’s back where he belongs.”
Knox also noted that the new structure and changes means that the full-time staff has doubled.
For this team, the expectations should be high despite the growing pains that may be needed to introduce faces new and old to the program.
On the other side of this game, the Huskies are looking to start a new era. Coming off a 5-3 season and a loss in the Canada West semi-finals, their storyline is mostly based off of a single staffing adjustment.
The departure of head coach Brian Towriss, having lead the team for 33 seasons, the national record in wins by a university football coach at 196, nine Vanier Cup appearances and three championships, left an attractive spot open.
The new coach, Scott Flory, played with the team during three Vanier Cup appearances and two championships from 1994 to 1998 before a 14 year career in the CFL. He then served as the elected president of the Canadian Football League Players’ Association.
“I knew early in my professional career that I wanted to be a coach and get into coaching. To come back here and have the opportunity to do it here is definitely a dream come true,” said Flory back in March.
Both teams have something to prove and questions to answer. While it may not be a regular season game, it will represent the off-season’s progress and serve as the first indicator for each teams’ long-term success or failure.
[adrotate banner="16"]
[feather_share show="twitter, google_plus, facebook, reddit, tumblr" hide="pinterest, linkedin, mail"]
By: John Bauer
Two years ago, the McMaster Women’s Volleyball team made a Cinderella run all the way to an OUA championship and a birth in the CIS quarterfinals. Last year, the Western Mustangs cut the Marauders’ season short in the first round of the OUA playoffs; a disappointing end to a season in which the team toyed with the CIS top ten list all year.
With last season’s entire team returning save two bench players, the addition of three major recruits, several players in their fifth year of eligibility and a chip on their shoulder from the abrupt end to last season, the Marauders are looking to show that their 2014 run was no fluke.
Coach Tim Louks will be able to throw out a potent and recognizable line-up in their opener on Oct. 23. Five starters for the opener are all but decided, with the sixth spot to be determined based on an evaluation of the team’s play during their recent Thanksgiving Tournament.
McMaster’s high-scoring attack looks to again be led by second-year outside hitter Joanna Jedrzejewska, who finished third in the OUA last year with 235 kills. She was the MVP at the Thanksgiving Tournament. Look for setter Caitlin Genovy to continue driving play. Her 607 assists last season were three fewer than the total number of assists opponents registered in games against the Marauders. While she does not get the number of touches that Jedrzejewska or other top scorer Lauren Mastroluisi (thirteenth in the league in both kills and points) does, Genovy is the team’s most efficient scorer, converting on more than a third of her attempts last year. Coach Louks is also expecting big things from her this season; when asked, he pegged her as the player he expects a breakout season from.
Mastroluisi is the team’s biggest threat to score from the service area, picking up a service ace almost every other set in the previous campaign. Overall, the Marauders are actually looking to drop from second overall in team scoring, as this total was inflated by games going more sets than the team would have liked.
Third-year Khira Adams allows the team’s big hitters to do their jobs, racking up 214 digs last year. The Marauders are one of the most prolific blocking teams in the OUA, lead by Taylor Brisebois. First-year outside hitter Rachel Woock brings her 6-1 frame to the team, which should help at the net.
When asked if there are any games circled on the calendar, coach Louks said that he thought the most important game of the season would be: “No cliché, but the first one. It will set the tone quickly...[There are] lots of capable teams.” Other key dates on the calendar include Nov. 20, the team’s first look at the Western team that shocked them in the playoffs last year, a Jan. 23 home game against perennial contenders Ottawa and the team’s final home game on Feb. 13 against Toronto, who is looking to repeat as league champions.
Three first years should see game action this year. Highly touted setter Michelle Chelladurai was forced into action during the team’s preseason tournament in Ottawa when Genovy was injured, and was impressive in the Thanksgiving Tournament, finishing the weekend as a tournament all-star. Outside hitter Woock is being groomed to step in next year for Mastroluisi and Mira Krunic, both in their final years of eligibility. She played spot duty in Ottawa and during the team’s trip to Edmonton earlier in the preseason. Libero Zoe Mackintosh is coming off a U18 provincial championship with her club team last spring, and brings speed and beach volleyball experience to the team.
The Marauder’s 2014-15 season was a tale of two teams, as the squad looked unbeatable some nights and very ordinary for others. Not helping them was the fact that they played the other two elite teams in the OUA, Ottawa and Toronto, in games three and eight, respectively, of a nineteen-game season, meaning most of the second half of the season was spent playing .500 or worse teams. This will not be the case this year.
With the team having one of the strongest offenses in Ontario, Coach Louks is focusing on the defensive side of the court this year. While he would not call it the team’s motto, he stressed that “offense will shape points, but defending will win championships.”
In terms of pure talent, the Marauders belong in the conversation as one of the best teams in the province. A young team last year, it was the superior focus and execution of a motivated Western team that brought McMaster’s season to an end. Coach Louks recognizes this, and is optimistic about his team’s prospects for the season.
“I expect us to be steady and compete tactically at a high IQ. We have enough in the tank to do that right now.”
If the Maroon can learn from last year’s mistakes and develop their mental game to match their talent on the court, a return to the CIS championships is not out of the question.
Photo Credit: Yousif Haddad
[adrotate banner="16"]
[feather_share show="twitter, google_plus, facebook, reddit, tumblr" hide="pinterest, linkedin, mail"]
There is no doubt that last season did not end the way the McMaster Men’s Basketball team hoped.
Though a loss crushed playoff dreams for the Marauders, there were positives to take away from the year. The team was ranked No.4 for most of the year and competed at a high level of basketball.
A new page has been turned and the future is in the hands of a team that wants to make an appearance on the national stage.
With the new season soon underway, the team shows a lot of promise and is ready to make a lot of noise this season.
With eight new additions on the roster, players finding their place on the team takes time.
Finding team rhythm after time off of competitive basketball does not happen overnight. The best kind of learning can come from pre-season games where the outcome does not hurt the standing of the team, but where play is still competitive nonetheless.
In the last month, the Marauders have played six non-conference games, all helping to build team morale and success.
Their current record for the pre-season is 5-1, losing to the McGill Redmen by a close score of 59-62.
After the loss to McGill, Head Coach Amos Connolly gave his players a chance to give the staff feedback.
“We were able to implement and install some of the comments and their feedback was translated into technical changes that showed success on the court,” said Connolly.
Though the team has come out with wins this past month, there is room for improvement before the regular season starts where wins will count for something bigger than bragging rights.
Turnovers, rebounds, foul shots and decision making are all components that the team can further develop.
“This group is really, really talented, but that’s not enough in the CIS. The coaches are really good, the technical stuff is really well done and so talent alone just cancels out at a certain level,” said Connolly.
Some new faces have touched hardwood, giving first-year players exposure on the court. As the season approaches, a more definite rotation will be noticed all dependent on individual performance to solidify a starting spot.
“Our rotation will be eight or nine. By the end of October, you’ll probably see a little bit more of a concrete picture of what that rotation will look like,” said Connolly.
The team will play two more non-conference games at home when they welcome University of Victoria on Oct. 23 and Saint Mary’s University on Oct. 25.
Regular season begins on Nov. 4 against the Brock Badgers in Burridge Gym.
Photo Credit: Jon White/Photo Editor
Heading into the annual Thanksgiving tournament, the Marauders women’s volleyball team was an unknown quantity.
After finishing second to Toronto without some key contributors, it is clear the Marauders will be a competitive team regardless of who is able to suit up.
The opening game against Royal Military College saw some miscommunication among players, but their confidence grew as the game went on. Granted, RMC is a weaker team, but for Mac to handle them in straight sets is a good sign. The first two sets saw the Marauders win 25-8 and 25-12 before RMC found their footing a bit in the third set and only lost 25-16.
Their second game against the Queen’s Gaels was closer, with Mac still winning in straight sets (25-22, 25-20, 25-19). Queen’s is typically a powerhouse in the conference, but is undergoing a transition year with a new coach.
Beating the Gaels meant Mac would take on the Varsity Blues – a team head coach Tim Louks expects to be at the top of the standings this season. McMaster gave them a challenge, but were ultimately straight-setted to earn silver at the tournament.
McMaster’s Maicee Sorensen and Joanna Jedrzejewska were named to the tournament All-Star team.
The regular season gets underway on Friday against a tough Western squad. Mac has a tough schedule to start the season, playing Windsor and Ottawa before a trip to Thunder Bay, Ont. to take on Lakehead.
