Marauders Defeat York in Four-Set Away Game

The Marauders defeated the Lions on Saturday night in a four-set game in Toronto. They come off the weekend with two wins on the road as they near the end of the regular season.  

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 first set started as a close match between the teams, with neither finding a lead larger than 2-points for most of the set. Mid-set Fujisawa made the first McMaster service ace of the game, but the Marauders still struggled to find momentum on the Lions’ court. Mills led the offense with seven kills and Fujisawa made 13 assists, but York was strong on their offense. The Lions found the first significant lead of the game late in the set and carried it through to the end to win 25-20.  

After a tough first set, the Marauders came into the second set with newfound motivation, opening with four unanswered points. York began to struggle with their errors and McMaster capitalized on this, gaining a substantial lead early on. They carried this momentum, being led by Mills and Tyler Pavelic (Guelph, Ont.), causing York to call a timeout at 15-9. Shortly after the break, Fujisawa made a kill from a covert dump, lighting up the Marauders’ bench. The Marauders held onto their lead and were able to win the set comfortably 25-16. 

The third set was a close match, as the teams fought to gain an edge on the scoreboard. Gratton led the Marauders in the set with four kills, and they were able to hold onto a lead for most of the set. York continued to struggle with their errors and McMaster used this to their advantage, ultimately winning the set 25-19. 

The fourth set was a similar match to the third, with McMaster taking a small lead early on. They held onto this lead, forcing York into a timeout at a score of 8-3. The Marauders looked dominant on York’s court, continuing to gain distance on the scoreboard. Gratton made two service aces and kills came from many McMaster players, displaying their depth and helping the Marauders to win the set 25-16.  

Up Next 

The Marauders will look forward to playing the Bold on Friday night in Toronto. They continue undefeated as they go into their last weekend of regular season play.