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.
C/O Travis Nguyen
As the Ontario tennis season comes to a close, there’s lots to look forward to in the coming year
After more than a year and a half of the COVID-19 break, the Ontario University Athletics made a return, which got student athletes back in the spotlight. One of the sports to make a comeback was tennis, who had their season start in September and subsequently end in October.
Going into the new season, both of the McMaster teams had no previous championship-winning experience. In the previous years the OUA championships were dominated by the Western Mustangs and University of Toronto Varsity Blues, with the Mustangs winning six out of eight times in the Men’s category.
Overall, the season for both the Marauders men’s and women’s tennis teams did not end as well as they’d hoped. Both teams failed to make it past their regional qualifiers and therefore missed out on the OUA championship spot which took place in the Western Tennis Centre on Oct. 23. The OUA championships ended with the Varsity Blues winning in the women's section, while the Mustangs clinched their third successive title in the men’s section.
Jovana Paramentic, one of the women's varsity tennis players, described how it felt to be back on the court after such a long time away from it.
“Obviously, the break affected me as a student athlete more than I thought it would. I grew up playing tennis on a regular basis, so not being able to play whenever I wanted felt odd. It definitely did alter my ability overall, but I am glad that after such a long time I am able to play once again,” said Paramentic.
When asked about how she felt to be back, Paramentic described how happy she was to be representing McMaster once more.
“Representing McMaster in any varsity sport is a big deal. I was looking forward to trying out and playing last year, but that obviously wasn't possible. The tryouts did make me a little bit nervous, but I was confident and I managed to get in. Even though it wasn't the best season performance-wise, I am just really happy that I am able to play with some competitiveness,” explained Paramentic.
When asked about outlooks on the next season, Paramentic explained that she is certain that the team will continue to improve.
“This season wasn't the best, but I am confident that next will be better. I am sure that during the off season period we will all work hard on improving and hopefully come back stronger,” said Paramentic.
Although the season for the Marauders has ended for this year, there is a lot to look forward to for the 2021-2022 season, in which McMaster will have another chance to impress in the OUA qualifiers.
