Marauders Win Home Opener In Three Sets Against Thunderwolves

The McMaster Marauders won three straight sets against the Lakehead Thunderwolves on Friday night in their home opener. Despite a delayed start to the game due to unforeseeable circumstances, the crowd was invested in the team’s first game of the season and the Marauders did not disappoint. 

It was their first game back for the season and Sullie Sundara (Kanata, Ont.), last year’s OUA West Rookie of the Year, came out swinging. Sundara led the team in kills with 14, while second year outside hitter Maddy Lutes (Barrie, Ont.) put up an impressive eight kills. Christina Stratford (Burlington, Ont.) supported the team in a big way, with 23 assists. On the defensive side, Sundara led the team with 12 digs, while Hayley Brookes (Burlington, Ont.) and Lutes contributed seven digs each. 

The Marauders lost the first point to an attack error but if they were phased it did not show, as the team followed up by scoring eight unanswered points. The team showed their all-around strength, with every starting line player picking up at least one point. Their early lead forced Lakehead into a timeout at a score of 8-1 for McMaster. However, the Thunderwolves weren’t going to let the Marauders get too far with their lead and came in with some impressive blocks mid-set. This didn’t deter the Marauders, who showed composure to push back with some strategically placed attacks. Sundara came in with some strong kills late in the set to keep the momentum rolling and led the team with seven kills. The team secure the set comfortably with a score of 25-11. 

In the second set, the Marauders started out trailing but two consecutive kills from Sundara followed by a kill from Lutes kept them in the game. The score was tight as points went back and forth throughout the set. The Marauders struggled with their attack errors as the Thunderwolves gained momentum, causing McMaster to call a time out. Coming back from the timeout, Lutes scored a valuable kill and Sundara picked up a service ace, and the team got back into their rhythm. They closed out the set with a score of 25-19.  

The Marauders weren’t phased from the tight second set and showed their strength by taking a strong lead in the third set. Mid-set, Sundara showcased her skill with three service aces. Right alongside her teammates, Lutes was on fire, showing her 6’1″ height and power at the net with three kills. Lakehead called a timeout at a score of 14-3 for McMaster, but it was little help as the Marauders carried on strong. Ellie Hatashita (Kanata, Ont.) slammed down a service ace to finish the set 25-9 and sweep the Thunderwolves. 

Up Next: 

The McMaster Marauders will now rematch against the Lakehead Thunderwolves on November 5th at 6pm at home. The Marauders will hope to finish the weekend off the way they started, with a strong all-around performance.