The Marauders swept the Lions on Saturday night for the OUA semifinal game in Burridge. They will advance to the OUA finals and will battle for the Forsyth Cup next weekend.
Leading McMaster’s offense was Sam Cooper (Hamilton, Ont.) with 10 kills and four service aces. Alongside him was teammate Brendan Mills (London, Ont.) with eight kills, while Robbie Fujisawa (North York, Ont.) supported the offense with 25 assists and one solo block.
The Marauders struggled with their errors early in the first set, allowing York to get the first five points without a response. McMaster called a timeout to organize their offense, but they continued to struggle with their defense against York’s blocks and trailed on the scoreboard. Late in the set, two back-to-back service aces from Cooper had the crowd roaring. Another kill from Cooper allowed McMaster to tie the score back up at the 18th point. Throughout the set, 6’0″ setter Fujisawa made some huge blocks that had the Marauders bench lit up. The Marauders were able to shift the momentum in the set to ultimately come out on top, 25-21.
McMaster started the second set with a newfound intensity after having found their rhythm in the first set. York fought back with their strong offense, keeping the score close. The teams continued to exchange points back and forth, with Wojciech Kraj (Gliwice, Poland) and Cooper leading the Marauders in kills with four each. Service aces came from Cooper, Kraj and Tyler Pavelic (Guelph, Ont.), helping McMaster find a lead. They were able to finish the set with a decisive score of 25-18.
The third set was a close match between the teams, as York fought to stay alive in this OUA semifinal game. The Burridge was filled with fans, as the crowd intensified with every point. McMaster was able to start to tear away with a lead mid set, with four kills each from Cooper and Mills. Fujisawa made 12 assists, and the team was strong on their technical skills, making four service aces. The Marauders were able to finish the game with a kill from Maxime Gratton (Ottawa, Ont.) to win 25-20.
Up Next
The Marauders will now look forward to hosting the Forsyth Cup next Saturday night against the Windsor Lancers. They hope to come out on top for a second straight year but will face the Lancers, a team that they did not see in the regular season.