By: Adriana Skaljin
Rebecca Maxwell, setter for the McMaster women’s volleyball team, is starting off the 2019 with perseverance and a new attitude. As a newer team, the first half of the season was spent trying to figure out how to work together. Now that they have had the chance to play with one another, they are entering the second half with confidence.
“The [influx] of new players brought a new dynamic,” explained Maxwell. “We have had great practices and it’s working. We have found our stride!”
Maxwell described how at the beginning of the season, they focused a lot on developing their team dynamic and skills, such as blocking patterns. Now that they are more comfortable with each other, they have a new mindset focused on pushing for the win and doing what is needed to perform at an Ontario University Athletics gold level.
“We want to win OUA gold and nationals,” said Maxwell. “This is the goal [towards which] we are working.”
Not only is this a new comeback for the team, but Maxwell is coming back from a serious injury as well. During the team’s third practice, Maxwell got a concussion which kept her from playing in the pre-season and the first couple of games of the regular season.
“I came back for one set during the last game against [the University of] Windsor back in November,” Maxwell said. “I am excited to be back in full force, now that I [have the clear] to play again.”
Coach Tim Louks has commended the women’s volleyball team on their performance thus far, as they perform to the best of their ability, resulting in an honest outcome.
“We are going forward fast,” said Louks. “We are building capacity physically and intellectually to contribute to our vision of winning.”
When asked about their toughest competitors going into the season, Maxwell explained how it changes every game.
“Any team that is across from us at that moment in the court is who we want to beat,” explained Maxwell. “There are shocking results across the board, so everyone becomes a good competitor.”
“You have to expect certain elements from certain groups,” added Louks. “This requires our ability to learn more and become better. [Therefore,] we are our own toughest competitor.”
On Jan. 13 and 14, the Marauders kicked off the new year against Windsor and the University of Western Ontario on their home court. The team went into the matches with an enthusiastic approach and a high level of determination.
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“Windsor is a game that we want back,” said Maxwell. “We want to take that three-setter away from them. [The game against] Windsor is going to be a battle, because we know what they can do and what we can do. Our last game against Windsor gives us some confidence, and the loss against Western gives us motivation towards taking the win away from them.”
“A common question we get is, ‘are you ready?’ I think that we are as ready as possible which is important,” said Louks on the team’s readiness. “Western is a great opponent, so there could be some uncertainty in terms of results. We will need to turn it around in a day, after the game results against Windsor [the day prior].”
Unfortunately, a 3-1 loss against Windsor would result in the team’s fourth loss of the year; a tough way to reopen the season. The next day, the Marauders bounced back in a strong comeback-win against Western, winning 3-2.
👩🏐 The Marauders completed the comeback Sunday, re-entering the win column with a thrilling, five-set victory over Western! #GoMacGo pic.twitter.com/a16KLmVM49
— McMaster Marauders (@McMasterSports) January 13, 2019
It is this motivated attitude that will help push them towards the OUA and national championships, while proving that they are strong competitors.
It is certain that the McMaster women’s volleyball team will use their losses as motivation towards a strong second-half of their season, while continuing to build momentum off of their victories.
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The 2017 Ontario University Athletics Final Four did not go as the Marauders had planned. Ending the season at second place in the OUA West division, the team looked like they had a strong chance at moving on to the national championships.
Unfortunately, the trip was never meant to be as Mac struggled in their playoff matches, falling short of bringing home any hardware. The end to the season felt undeserved, but those tough-to-accept losses are far behind the 2018 team as they face the challenges of this young season.
This season appeared to be a tough test right from the start for the Marauders as a significant number of upper-year players were put on a team suspension and were forced to sit out the first four games of the season. This left a hole in leadership, calling for younger players to step up.
One such player is Antonio Sereno, a third-year winger who started six of the 13 games he played in last season. This season he had to step up and be one of the players to lead by example.
“I got to be more of a leader on the field this year because most of the guys were suspended,” Sereno said. “I was one of the older guys, so you kind of have to lead the way, show the rookies and set an example.”
That is something that Sereno accomplished on the field during Mac’s Aug. 31 game against the Western Mustangs, when the third-year notched a goal in the eightieth minute. It was his first goal of the season and gave the Mac men their third straight win to start the year.
Sereno points to the culture of the team, a united front of rookies and veterans, as a key reason why the Marauders were able to remain successful despite some holes in the roster.
“Everybody's on the same page,” Sereno said. “We just really clicked. It's like we've been playing for a while, but realistically, it's been three, four weeks and yet everybody's just on the same page.”
“Everybody wants to be there,” Sereno added. “We celebrate every goal as a team. It's like we've won a championship. Even here at Mac, you got to go over the stands but we just jump up. I love it. Like even at Western, guys are running across the field. It's amazing.”
Throughout their six games, Mac has mostly played in close contests, boasting a goal differential of +4. This is in line with Mac’s style as Sereno described the Marauders as a team that excels on the counter-attack.
“We do our job defensively everybody works hard, and then on the counter we just we just click,” Sereno said. “I don't think we're more of an offensive team, we just work hard defensively and then when we get that chance we go.”
However, the counter-attack was missing over the weekend as the Marauders had a tough time on the pitch, scoring one goal in two games against York and Guelph. They will need to work hard to get that counter-attack back on track and luckily head coach Dino Perri has been able to keep the team competitive while training.
“Like [coach Perri] says, nobody has a guaranteed spot on the team, anybody could come in,” Sereno said. “Rookies could come in and fill in spots without any problem and it's just the hard work people are putting in. Everybody's working hard, even in training. I love to see it. It's amazing.”
After a Sept. 14 match against Brock, Mac will get a little break over Homecoming weekend, where they can use that hard work and grit to prepare for the last part of the season. Sereno believes that this team can end this season with a better result than last year, but to do so they will need to put the work in.
“I just hope things go our way,” Sereno said. “There's a lot of potential on our team and, like [coach Perri] said, if we work and we want to get to that next step I think Nationals is possible for us. That's how much talent and potential we have, we just got to put our mind to it and work.”
Six games into the season, coach Perri and the Marauders are on the right track to amass another successful season on the pitch. With a long road still ahead to the end of the regular season, the team will need to continue to work hard if they want to pull ahead in a division full of tough teams.
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The beginning of the season started out with a heavyweight OUA tilt between the No. 4 Brock Badgers and the No. 8 McMaster Marauders. Right off the jump ball, McMaster had a chance to make a statement win at home and upset one of the top teams in the country. The team led for a good portion of the game, but couldn’t pull the upset off. A few weeks ago, McMaster hosted No. 5 Ryerson and put up a solid fight despite being short-handed due to injuries. They came within five in the fourth quarter, but went cold as the Rams handed the Marauders their second loss of the season.
McMaster is entering their last weekend of 2015 with a 4-2 record and a three-game winning streak. Last weekend they beat Queen’s, 84-71 and beat York, 88-74. Their only two losses (three, if you count the preseason loss to McGill), as Head Coach Amos Connolly points out, have come at the hands of conference opponents ranked higher than them.
Is that an excuse for not pulling the upsets? No.
It’s just something to take note of especially since McMaster was in prime position to grab the win in each of those games. McMaster has shown fight against top-tier competition, and with a banged up roster.
“In every one of those losses our opponents highlighted a weakness of ours. McGill hurt us on the boards and shot the three really well. Brock turned up the pressure in the second half and we struggled with the press,” said Connolly. “Ryerson blocked our down ball screen in a way that we hadn’t seen at that intensity. Each loss opens your eyes up to a different thing.”
Since the Brock loss on Nov. 4, McMaster has outrebounded four of their past five opponents by a margin of 155 to 131. After allowing McGill to shoot 35.3 percent from three, Mac has held their last six opponents to an average of 28.5 percent from deep, with the lowest being 22.2 percent (Toronto) and the highest being 34.4 (Ryerson).
Part of learning from these losses is how McMaster players prepare for games studying scouting reports. The coaches give players information regarding opponents’ strategies and tendencies so that players can prepare and respond accordingly.
“One of the things that was really critical was getting a better understanding of what the guys’ needs were for scouting reports. It was about figuring out what type of information they wanted to see. What we thought was enough for them, wasn’t,” said Connolly. “Now we’re in a place where we’re pretty clear on our end on what they need and we’re giving them the information they want. It really helps them in their game prep. There’s always this risk that you’re going to give them too much to study, but this group loves a lot of information.”
More game prep information has helped McMaster respond and adjust to what they’ve learned from their losses. Homework for student-athletes doesn’t just involve course material — they also study their opponents from what dribble moves they like using against different defenses to where they like to shoot on the floor.
“I think what we’ve done a great job on is learning from the losses. I think this is what this team does in general over the years. We’re good at not overreacting to wins and taking lessons from losses and going forward with them. I really like this group,” said Connolly. “I like their commitment to success, their commitment to each other, and their willingness to bring issues forward. I’m really happy with what I’m seeing from them right now.”
McMaster will host Guelph this weekend in hopes of ending 2015 on a winning note. Tip-off is at 3 p.m on Saturday, Nov. 28. This will be their last game until Jan. 13, 2016 when they head to Waterloo to start their second half of the season.
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People say that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. For the McMaster Women’s Volleyball team, this saying is certainly true.
They are, as Head Coach Tim Louks calls it, “coming to want” instead of coming to work.
“They want to be at practice. They want to perfect that passing technique. That’s not fun stuff. That’s just repetition,” said Louks. “They all want to be better passers and they want to touch the ball better. They want to master the details.”
Fifth-year captain and outside hitter Lauren Mastroluisi understands the importance of details.
“We are so prepared for every team that we play against. We are studying them hard; we know individual and team stats,” said Mastroluisi. “I honestly don’t think we can study teams more than we do right now.”
This high-level preparation has translated itself well.
Two preseason tournament titles, a 6-1 record, and consistent appearances in the CIS Top Ten are on the resumé of the McMaster Women’s Volleyball team a month and a half into their season. Their only loss was a five-setter on the road at Guelph — a team that they beat in the Thanksgiving Classic in Burridge. Since the Guelph loss, McMaster has won 15 of its past 16 sets and is on a five-game winning streak. The team wants greatness and is willing to put in the work to attain it.
You could say they’re on a roll. They’re even doing it with a little swagger.
“Oh yeah. You should’ve seen Rebecca Steckle. She had career-high numbers against Western. She’s bringing a little energy, a little swagger to that whole thing, but not arrogantly,” Louks said. “It’s fantastic to watch. I think her attitude is representative of our team and I think we’ve got something special.”
“We do have swag. I think it’s sort of a confidence. We’re not cocky. It’s a quiet confidence that we carry around with us. We have such a talented team and we know that, but that Guelph loss humbled us and we’ve used that as an extra kick to get us back on track,” said Mastroluisi.
McMaster knows they have a lot to play for and that opponents have a target on them. This seems to be the case for both the men’s and women’s teams. In the latest CIS Top Ten poll, McMaster and Toronto were the only two OUA teams at No. 9 and No. 4, respectively. McMaster is also currently atop the OUA West.
“100 percent I think this team has what it takes to win the OUA. We have so much potential this year to do well,” said Mastroluisi.
McMaster heads to Kingston this weekend to play Queen’s (Nov. 27) and RMC (Nov. 28) for their last games of 2015. Both matches start at 6 p.m.
Photo Credit: Jon White/Photo Editor
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This past weekend, the CIS no. 1-ranked McMaster Marauders took a road trip to Toronto and beat the Varsity Blues and Ryerson Rams in straight sets.
It looks good on the surface.
“If you look at it from a pure results point of view it looks awesome,” said Marauder Head Coach Dave Preston. “But from our standpoint it was far less than awesome. We played average against Toronto. We served poorly, passed okay and hit alright. But from a gameplan and defensive point of view there were certain things that we wanted to accomplish, and I don’t think we did that.”
McMaster’s performance against Toronto on Saturday, Nov. 14 was graded “okay” by Preston, but the team’s win on Sunday, Nov. 15 against Ryerson received more praise. Despite only having a film session between the Toronto and Ryerson game, the Marauders rallied around each other and made sure they didn’t allow a one-game problem to stretch into a second game.
“Sunday’s improvement was 100 percent due to team leadership,” said Preston. “Alex Elliott, Danny Demyanenko, Stephen Maar and Andrew Richards are our leadership council right now. During our film session preparing for Ryerson those guys really spoke up and got other guys engaged. That came from within. It wasn’t me harping on the team.”
The experience that this Marauder team has is one of its greatest strengths. The majority of players on this team have played on big stages like the OUA and CIS championships, and a number of them have national team experience. Eight of the seventeen players on the roster have been with this team for three or more years. Leadership is not measured on the boxscore, but locker room conversations and influences in team huddles play a big role in what appears on the court. It’s one of the vital intangibles in team sports.
McMaster responded to the call from their locker room leaders with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-13) win over Ryerson, hitting a solid .400 and committing only 12 errors, while racking up 42 kills. They also had five service aces and 21 digs.
“Our attention to detail in terms of our gameplan about what we wanted to do in certain situations when they had certain players on the floor was better against Ryerson,” said Preston. “Our defense, serving and offensive schemes were exemplary. By the end of the first set Ryerson had to adjust because we exposed them.”
Earlier this season I introduced the concept of the performance standards that this team uses as a benchmark for their success. Although the box scores and raw stats communicate “easy” victories, Head Coach Dave Preston believes that there is more beyond the surface to be considered. “Happy, but not satisfied” were the words he used to describe his thoughts on his team despite two victories, 19 consecutive set wins, a 7-0 record and a top national ranking. There is more to be done.
Those sentiments aren’t unfamiliar to the McMaster community. After last year’s Yates Cup victory, McMaster football Head Coach Stefan Ptaszek was quoted as saying, “It’s okay to be proud. It’s not okay to be satisfied.” We’ve heard this before and it is a shared attitude among McMaster coaches regardless of sport.
You could say the bar is high at McMaster.
But realistically, where else should it be set?
The Marauders Men’s Volleyball team has medaled at three consecutive CIS national championships and has been ranked no. 1 for all of this season. One thing that has evaded them, however, is CIS national gold. If you want to get something you’ve never had, you’re going to have to do some things you’ve never done. So yes, you can leave the bar that high for this team because their potential demands that.
“It’s not just about wins and losses,” said Preston. “It’s about maximizing your opportunities and playing at your potential. We didn’t do that against Toronto, but we did that against Ryerson. The Toronto game was a little bit uncharacteristic of us. We have a couple more gears that we haven’t reached yet.”
This week the Marauders have big conference games against Windsor and Western on Nov. 20 and 21, respectively. Both games start at 8 p.m. in Burridge Gym.
Photo Credit: McMaster Athletics
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Great teams are able to turn any loss into a lesson.
Though a disappointing 74-64 loss against the Ryerson Rams last Wednesday night ruined the McMaster Women’s Basketball team’s perfect record, the Marauders were able to get back into a winning mindset this past weekend when they welcomed the Toronto Blues to Burridge Gym.
With a gym full of fans, the Marauders headed back into their locker rooms with an 87-79 win against the Toronto Blues.
When both teams first met this pre-season, the Marauders took that win by over 30 points.
This game was a tougher competition between the Marauders and the Blues.
At the end of the first quarter, both teams were tied at 22 points. The game slowly changed in favour of McMaster as the halftime score was 48-40.
In the final quarter of play, second-year guard Linnaea Harper helped strengthen McMaster’s offense. The second-year forward led the team with 24 points and ten rebounds. Because of her great performance, Harper was named a Pita Pit Athlete of the Week.
Another noticeable mention goes to second-year guard Hilary Hanaka, as she scored 15 points and is continuing to find her rhythm after time off the court due to an injury.
Danielle Boiago and Rachael Holmes were also able to put points on the board, adding 19 and 15 respectively.
While the team walked out of that game with a win, only 19 of the team’s 87 points came from the bench. As the season goes on, fans can hope to see more opportunities for bench players to produce and that is crucial for the team’s development and success. The season will only get more competitive for a team fighting for an OUA banner.
Currently ranked fourth in the nation, the talent of this young team can definitely take them back to the number one spot they held just weeks ago.
With the team holding a record of three wins and one loss, it aims to continue its winning streak on the road as McMaster plays Queen’s and York this weekend.
Photo Credit: Jon White/Photo Editor
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After losing to Ryerson a few days before, the McMaster Marauders came out on Saturday, Nov. 14, bent on making sure the outcome was different against Toronto.
The Marauders built a healthy 26-13 lead in the first quarter and never allowed Toronto to score more than 18 points in a quarter. Mac won 89-64 and lifted their overall record back to .500 at 2-2.
McMaster forced Toronto into 24 turnovers and scored 28 points off of them, also pulling in an impressive 19 steals, 13 of which came courtesy of guards Aaron Redpath (three), and Trevon McNeil and David McCulloch who contributed five apiece. The need for tough defense to force turnovers and lead to points is exactly what Marauder Assistant Coach Seth Wearing called for last week.
“We need to use our length and our athleticism,” said Wearing. “We need to turn people over and get easy scores. It has to start with our defense and our ability to turn people over.”
Toronto’s 18-point third quarter was the only blemish against the McMaster coaching staff’s benchmark of 17-point defensive quarters. The only game in which McMaster has held a team to 17 or fewer points in each quarter for the whole game was at Algoma on Nov. 7.
“We want to be able to hold our opponents to under 17 every quarter,” said Wearing. “Our goal is to limit teams to 17-point quarters and we want to score 24 or more each quarter. If that works out we should win by 30 and dictate the whole time.”
McMaster beat Toronto by 25 and mostly satisfied Wearing’s offensive and defensive benchmark. If McMaster does meet those standards, they definitely should be dictating the games they play.
On the glass, forward Troy Joseph grabbed a monstrous 16 boards (five offensive, 11 defensive) to go with his 13 points, completing his first double-double of the season. Joseph’s strong rebounding accounted for a striking 35 per cent of McMaster’s total output of 47 rebounds. Of those 47, 19 rebounds came on the offensive glass, which gave McMaster extra possessions. McMaster took advantage of those extra possessions and turned them into 18 second-chance points.
Fourth-year swingman Leon Alexander had his best scoring performance of the young season, dropping 26 points on a stellar 11-for-18 shooting from the field, while adding six rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes of play.Fourth-year guard Lazar Kojovic came off the bench and had an incredibly efficient game scoring 14 points in 14 minutes on 5-7 shooting (4-5 from three-point range).
The CIS No. 9-ranked McMaster hits the road this weekend with a Nov. 20 matchup at Queen’s and a Nov. 21 date at York. Both games tip off at 8 p.m.
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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
McMaster’s Thanksgiving weekend was spent on the road this year, traveling the less-than-scenic southern Ontario stretch between London and Windsor.
The women’s soccer team achieved lukewarm results against Western and Windsor. The 5-0 loss to Western is a negative, but the team bounced back to following day to grab a 0-0 draw against fifth-place Windsor.
This weekend’s goal was to not drop any points, but two weekend wins from Guelph means McMaster is battling the Gryphons for fifth place. Brock is tied with McMaster, but the Marauders have the upper hand because they have conceded four fewer goals. Fifth-place Guelph has only 17 goals against, but they have to play Laurier, Western and Windsor – teams who may be keen to run up score lines to improve playoff seeding. The Gryphons would need to lose all their remaining games for Mac to jump ahead in the standings.
With a double-header against the lowly Algoma Thunderbirds, it is fair to pencil in the McMaster squad for a playoff spot. In their first year of OUA conference play, Algoma has 150 goals against in 14 games – an average of 10.7 goals against per game.
Mac will face a tough opponent in the quarterfinals of playoffs, but playing Algoma for the final two games of the season gives the team an opportunity to get some offence going and inject the team with some confidence in the final third of the pitch. The Marauders have only scored nine goals all season, second-last to Algoma. Granted, all other teams have had the opportunity to beat up on the Thunderbirds and inflate their goal totals.
A fifth-place finish has incredible value because of the top-table strength in the OUA West. York, Western and Laurier are all top-ten ranked teams and one of those teams will finish in third place. Right now, Laurier sits third but they only two points separate them from first place.
As the regular season wraps up, McMaster will have their eyes on the scoreboards from around the league as their playoff fate won’t be decided by their own play alone.
