Marauders Fall in Tough Five Set Match Against LBSU

On Thursday night, the Marauders fell in a hard five-set battle against Long Beach State University (LBSU) in the North America Challenge.  

Leading the Marauders offense was outside hitter Sam Cooper (Hamilton, Ont.), who had an outstanding performance with six service aces and 16 kills. 6’9″ Mateusz Wlodarski (Ottawa, Ont.) also put up a consistent effort with 10 kills. Setter Robbie Fujisawa (North York, Ont.) supported the offense with 34 assists and made some big defensive plays with two blocks and nine digs.  

The game started out close with points being exchanged between both teams. LBSU was strong in their kills, and the Marauders struggled to defend them. McMaster took a timeout early in the first set in an attempt to rally the team and slow the LBSU lead. Cooper and Wlodarski were able to lead the Marauders offense with three and two kills respectively, as they fought to close the gap on LBSU’s lead. Cooper delivered two service aces late in the set, forcing LBSU to use their first timeout. The Marauders started to gain momentum, but LBSU was still able to hold onto their lead, reaching the set point first. Ultimately, the Marauders fell to LBSU in the first set 25-17. 

The Marauders started to gain momentum in the second set, as the team brought a new intensity to their offense. They were able to take their first lead of the game, 10-9, and the excitement could be felt in the home crowd. Cooper showed impressive consistency with two more service aces in the second set. The team showed grit and determination, tying the game 18-18, pressuring LBSU to use their timeout. Leading the offense was Brendan Mills (London, Ont.) with four kills and 12 assists from setter Fujisawa. The set was close through to the end, but the Marauders were able to come out on top with a score of 25-23. 

At the start of the third set, LBSU fought to take the lead after losing the second set to the Marauders. McMaster showed their determination as they attempted to slow down the LBSU offense. Cooper was consistent, leading the offense with four kills while teammate Wlodarski contributed three kills. Despite their efforts, the Marauders continued to trail LBSU and fell 25-15 in the set. 

The Marauders showed that they weren’t going to give up the game easily, keeping the start of the fourth set close. McMaster looked strong on their offense and defense, making big kills and blocks to stay in the competition. They continued to tie the game up until 13-13. Mid set, LBSU called a timeout after three consecutive McMaster points. Late in the set, 6’0″ setter Fujisawa made back-to-back blocks at the net, making the McMaster bench erupt. The Marauders were able to stay strong on their offense and came out of the set on top, winning 25-19. 

The final set began with service errors from both sides, but a big block from Cooper and service ace from Peter Rugosi (Toronto, Ont.) brought life to the crowd in Burridge. Points went back and forth but the Marauders were able to keep the score close, with Cooper making back-to-back service aces and stunning the LBSU defense. The game continued to be closely matched, as the teams tied up until the 11th point. Despite a strong performance from Cooper with four kills, LBSU edged out the Marauders 15-12 to finish the game. 

In a post-game interview, head coach Dave Preston spoke about the adjustments made to their structure, saying, “It really challenged the structure of our defense. We were adjusting to some things that we don’t normally see. And I thought we did a pretty good job of those in-match adjustments today.” Setter Fujisawa spoke about the preparation this North America Challenge gives the team, saying, “I think these two games are definitely to get ready for the OUA action with December having essentially no games”. After the North America Challenge, the team will be back to their regular OUA schedule, where they have 10 more regular season games left. 

Up Next 

The Marauders will rematch against Long Beach State University on Saturday afternoon in the Burridge as they seek redemption.