Marauders Fall in Competitive Five-Set Game Against Bold

The Marauders fell in a close five-set battle on Friday night against the Bold. This is the team’s last weekend of regular season games and they will hope to pick up a win tomorrow against the Varsity Blues. 

Leading the Marauders’ offense was Sullie Sundara (Kanata, Ont.) with 20 kills and a service ace, while Maddy Lutes (Barrie, Ont.) made 11 kills. Hayley Brookes (Burlington, Ont.) led the defense with 20 digs, while first year Payton Entwistle (Jerseyville, Ont.) made a career high of 41 assists.  

At the start of the first set, McMaster struggled with their errors, leading them to call a timeout early on as the Bold took the early lead. Returning from their timeout, the Marauders were able to find their groove and came back from a 9-3 deficit to tie 10-10. Despite this, they couldn’t carry the momentum through, as TMU went on a staggering 12-point run, tearing away with the lead. The Marauders continued to have problems with their errors, as they made some substitutions in an attempt to hold onto the set. McMaster made a small point run at the end of the set, but weren’t able to comeback as TMU took the set 25-16. 

The second set was a much closer match, with the Marauders looking more comfortable on the TMU court. They were making more kills than the Bold, but TMU was able to limit their errors and capitalize on the Marauders’ errors. Mid-set, the Bold found themselves a comfortable lead, and despite a good effort at the end from the Marauders, TMU was able to take the set 25-22. 

The third set started out on a high note with a service ace from Paige Entwistle (Jerseyville, Ont.). McMaster was able to make some kills as they gained their first substantial lead of the game. The Marauders were able to limit their errors in the set to continue to distance themselves on the score board. Momentum was on McMaster’s side, with Ellie Hatashita (Kanata, Ont.) leading in kills with four, and they were able to win the set 25-12 to stay alive in the game. 

The fourth set was a competitive match, as TMU fought to finish the game and the Marauders battled to extend it to a fifth set. McMaster took the early lead, with Sundara leading with five kills. They were solid on their offense and improved their consistency, holding onto a consistent lead. At the end of the set, TMU challenged the Marauders’ defense, gaining some points, but ultimately the away team was able to win the set 25-22 and force the game to a fifth set.  

Intensity was high in the fifth set, with strong plays coming with the TMU defense at the start of the set, pushing the Marauders into an early timeout. McMaster tied the game back up at the fifth point and the Bold struggled with some errors, allowing the Marauders to take the lead. Near the end, TMU made an impressive run, forcing McMaster to use a timeout at their own set point. The Bold gave an impressive performance to end the set, surviving three match points and making two more consecutively to win 16-14. 

Up Next 

The Marauders will now look forward to their last regular season game against the Varsity Blues in Toronto on Sunday afternoon.