Marauders Defeat Mustangs on the Road in Four-Set Game

On Friday night, the Marauders defeated the Mustangs in London in a close four set game. The Marauders remain undefeated in their regular season as they add another win to their record.  

Leading McMaster’s offense was Brendan Mills (London, Ont.), with 10 kills and six digs, while Tyler Pavelic (Guelph, Ont.) also had a strong performance with eight kills and two service aces. Robbie Fujisawa (North York, Ont.) led the team in assists with 35, and also contributed with a service ace and a kill.  

The Marauders appeared a bit unsettled at the start of the home set, with Western displaying their comfort on their home court. The Mustangs picked up the early lead and held onto a one or two-point lead for the start of the game. McMaster stayed composed and tied the game back up at the 10th point, with kills from Mills and Mateusz Wlodarski (Ottawa, Ont.) helping the Marauders gain the lead. An ace from Maxime Gratton (Ottawa, Ont.) elated the team near the end of the set, and McMaster was able to close out the first set 25-19. 

In the second set, the Mustangs fought hard to shift the game in their favor. Despite this, the Marauders held on strong, remaining composed on their defense. Mid-set, a service ace from Wlodarski thrilled McMaster, as they made a comeback with four consecutive points to tie up the score at the 12th point. The Marauders took a small lead, with Gratton and Mills leading the offense with four kills each, but Western came back to tie them at the 17th point.  

The Marauders opened the third set strong with a service ace from Wlodarski, as the teams continued their competitive battle. The Mustangs managed to find a small lead mid-way through the set, but McMaster held on and remained composed. As the teams continued to tie and neared their 20th point, first year Aidan Palanka (Vancouver, B.C.) made his first career service ace, lighting up the Marauders bench. The Marauders were able to find a small 23-21 lead, causing Western to call a timeout in hopes to hold off their opponents. McMaster was able to hold onto this lead to close the set at 25-23.  

The fourth set was a tight match, continuing similarly to how the game had been progressing. The teams exchanged points, tying until the ninth point, when McMaster was able to find a small two-point lead. They were able to hold onto this lead as Western struggled with some attack errors, and McMaster was able to finish the set on top with a score of 25-19 to win the game.  

Up Next 

The Marauders will now face off against the Lions in Toronto tomorrow night as they hope to extend their undefeated streak.