The Marauders fell in a close four-set match against the Mustangs on Friday night in London.
Leading McMaster’s offense was Sullie Sundara (Kanata, Ont.), who had a huge offensive game with 18 kills as well as 10 digs and two service aces. Supporting Sundara was setter Christina Stratford (Burlington, Ont.), who made 17 assists, while Hayley Brookes (Burlington, Ont.) was strong on digs, leading with 15. Maddy Lutes (Barrie, Ont.) also had an impressive game with three service aces and seven kills.
The first set was a close match, with neither team able to find the lead. Mid-set, a service ace from Sundara tied up the teams at the 12th point, but the competition remained stiff. Neither team was able to find much momentum, as they tied up until the 24th point. Despite their best efforts and having kept the score close the entire match, the Mustangs were able to edge out the Marauders to win 26-24.
In the second set, McMaster came out with the first two points, hoping to shift the momentum in their favor. They managed to find their largest lead of the game so far against the Mustangs: 15-9. Sundara was playing a strong offensive game while setter Stratford made some key assists. Even with this strong start, the momentum shifted and Western was able to close the gap on McMaster’s lead as they neared the 20th point. Despite this shift, the Marauders were able to hold off the Mustangs and finished the set on top at 25-22, ending on a kill from Christine Hachokake (Ottawa, Ont.).
At the start of the third set, the Mustangs looked confident and comfortable on their home court. Western scored the first nine points of the set without a response from the Marauders, who used both their timeouts in an attempt to rally the team. At the ninth point, McMaster was able to find their first three points of the set. They showed impressive composure and resilience, fighting to close the gap back to 14-12 for Western. Ultimately, Western reached set-point first and they won the set over McMaster 25-18.
The fourth and final set was yet another close match, with the teams tying up until the ninth point. Western started to gain momentum and tore away with the lead, as the Marauders struggled to match the offense they were generating. Late in the set, McMaster went on a three-point run, forcing Western to reassess their strategy during a timeout. Despite this burst of offense at the end, the Marauders were unable to carry it through to the end of the set and ultimately lost 25-16.
Up Next
The Marauders will now look forward to playing the Warriors in Waterloo tomorrow night.