PREVIEW: OUA semifinal sees No. 3 McMaster host No. 10 York

HAMILTON, Ont. – Just two weeks away from the 2023 U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball Championship, the No. 3 McMaster Marauders men’s volleyball team is one of four teams left standing in the OUA playoffs. The maroon and grey will face the No. 10 ranked York Lions on Saturday night at Burridge Gymnasium. First serve is set for 7pm.
 

York vs McMaster
OUA Semifinal
Burridge Gymnasium | Hamilton, Ont.
March 4th, 2023 @ 7pm

 
The McMaster Marauders and York Lions have already met twice in 2023. The maroon and grey came out on top in the first contest, earning the victory by a 3-1 final. The first set started out close, with points going back and forth, but the Marauders were able to best the Lions to go up by a set. York held onto a three or four-point lead for the majority of the second set and evened things up with a 25-22 set win. The Marauders turned their momentum around in the third set, taking a strong lead to finish on top, 25-21. McMaster had found their rhythm and cruised to a 25-13 final set to earn the win. Less than a month later, the two teams matched-up once again with the Marauders showing their skill in another 3-1 contest. Second year Brendan Mills (London, Ont.) led the Marauders with 16 kills and one service ace, while Maxime Gratton (Ottawa, Ont.) contributed 13 kills, two service aces and six digs. Robbie Fujisawa (North York, Ont.) was strong in supporting the offense with 45 assists and one service ace, and Matthew Rugosi (Etobicoke, Ont.) had a great performance on defense with eight digs.

The defending Forsyth Cup Champions had a tough end to the regular season, dropping two contests to the TMU Bold and Toronto Varsity Blues. Despite that, the McMaster Marauders returned home to Burridge Gymnasium and found their rhythm in last week’s OUA quarterfinal in a rematch with the TMU Bold. The Marauders have impressed on home court and will look to continue that momentum this Saturday. Despite only playing in a handful of games this season, Sam Cooper, a fourth-year English and cultural studies student, leads the Marauders in kills per set with 3.13 and has recorded nine service aces. Since his return to the court, Cooper consistently challenges opponents’ offences and defences alike and adds depth to the Marauders’ lineup. Brendan Mills has been dominant late in the season and led the Marauders with 20 kills in last weekend’s quarterfinal contest. The London, Ont. local averages 2.77 kills per set and has nine service aces on the season. Mills will need to be a constant threat at the net in this Saturday’s semifinal if the maroon and grey are going to book their ticket to the Forsyth Cup Final.

The York Lions have been a solid team this year, finishing the regular season 13-7 to clinch fourth spot in the OUA standings. The Lions have had an impressive 2023, racking up eight wins to just four losses since the December break. Last weekend, York hosted the Queen’s Gaels in an OUA quarterfinal where the home squad picked up a 3-1 victory. The Gaels kept it close with two sets going 26-24 in favour of the Lions. York has a number of statistical leaders on its roster, led by Josh Fadare, ranking fourth in the OUA in kills per set averaging 4.00. The second-year outside hitter also ranks fourth in points per set (4.8) and sixth in hitting percentage (.280). Teammate, Andrew Tauhid, a veteran outside hitter, averages 3.51 kills per set (6th in the OUA) and has recorded an impressive .316 hitting percentage throughout the regular season, ranking him third in the OUA. 

The winner of Saturday’s contest will earn a berth to the Forsyth Cup Final and will face either the Windsor Lancers or the Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday March 11th. 
 

Last Time Out

McMaster defeated the TMU Bold in an OUA quarterfinal last Saturday night by three sets to one. Leading the Marauders’ offense was Brendan Mills (London, Ont.) with 20 kills and a service ace, while Sam Cooper (Hamilton, Ont.) made 16 kills. Supporting the offense was setter Robbie Fujisawa (North York, Ont.) with 47 assists, 11 digs and one solo block. Alongside them was Tyler Pavelic (Guelph, Ont.) with nine kills and one service ace. The Marauders took the early lead in the first set, with Mills coming out strong with huge kills and a service ace. The Bold defense struggled to control McMaster’s offense, as the home team continued to steal away with the lead. The Marauders were able to close out the set comfortably 25-15. The second set started out as a close match, as the Bold began to find their momentum on the McMaster court. The Marauders were able to tie the game back up at 8-8, as the teams continued to tie until 17-17. McMaster reached set point first, but the Bold fought back to tie at the 24th point and force a McMaster timeout. The teams continued to battle but ultimately TMU came out on top, with a score of 28-26.  TMU took the early lead in the third set, but the Marauders tied it up quickly at the third point after a huge solo block from Mills. McMaster found themselves a lead, with five kills in the set coming from Cooper. Late in the set, the Marauders had a six-point streak, which included three serves by Wlodarski that the Bold could not return, as the Marauders approached set point. McMaster was able to finish the set comfortably with a score of 25-14. The fourth set started out similarly to the second, with both teams exchanging points back and forth. TMU was fighting to stay alive, with this set holding the potential to end their playoff season. The Bold brought out a newfound offense, challenging the Marauders until a score of 18-18. McMaster was able to take the lead on their home court, ultimately finishing the game 25-20. 
 

Game Coverage

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