The Marauders fell in a close five set game against the Lions on Saturday night in Burridge for their OUA quarterfinal game. This puts a close to the Marauders’ 2022-2023 season after a hard-fought battle. Regarding their tough loss, head coach Tim Louks said, “Right now it doesn’t need to be positive, it needs to be what it is. Last match for some of them, disappointing outcome for this particular match; we’ll celebrate when the time comes and move along that path.”
Leading the Marauders offense was Sullie Sundara (Kanata, Ont.) with 20 kills, 20 digs and two service aces. On defense, Hayley Brookes (Burlington, Ont.) led with 28 digs and an impressive four assists. Setter Christina Stratford (Burlington, Ont.) supported with 40 assists.
McMaster started out strong in the first set with the first three points of the game, but the Lions responded quickly with some huge blocks at the net. York started to gain momentum as they found a small lead, forcing McMaster to call a timeout. Once they returned after the break, the Marauders were able to generate some offense, but they struggled with some errors that allowed York to hold onto the lead. The Lions reached set point with a comfortable lead and were able to take the first set 25-15.
The second set started out with some strong kills from McMaster, as they were able to generate some consistent offense. The Lions didn’t let the Marauders get too far with their lead and fought to keep the score close. Mid-set, an ace from Sundara forced the Lions into a timeout. For McMaster, kills came from four different players, with Sundara leading with five. The Marauders reached the set point first, but York fought back with three consecutive points to stay alive, but ultimately McMaster won the set 25-21.
The third set started out as a close match, with points being exchanged between the teams. Neither team was able to find a substantial lead until late in the set, when York was up 20-16, causing McMaster to call a timeout. In the set, Sundara led the Marauders’ offense with seven kills while Stratford supported with nine assists. Maddy Lutes (Barrie, Ont.) had a strong offensive game, making a kill late in the set to tie the score at 21-21. The Marauders went on a staggering seven-point streak to overturn the York lead and finish the set 25-21.
York took the early lead in the fourth set, scoring five consecutive points and causing McMaster to call a timeout early on to slow the Lions’ momentum. Coming back, the Marauders were strong on their offense and confident with their blocks at the net, fighting to keep the score close. Lutes and first year Christine Hachokake (Ottawa, Ont.) made some huge blocks at the net, lighting up the Marauders bench. Despite this, York continued to generate strong offense and the Marauders struggled to respond, with the Lions taking the set 25-18 and extending the game to a fifth set.
York took the early lead in the fifth set, forcing McMaster to take the early timeout. Tension was high in the Burridge, but McMaster fought back, with a service ace from Sundara and two consecutive kills from McKinnon tying up the score at 5-5. The teams continued to match each other, tying up until 14-14. The final set was a nailbiter, but despite McMaster’s best efforts, the Lions edged out the Marauders 16-14.
When asked about the game in a post-game press conference, second year Sundara said, “We’re playing for ourselves, the coaches and the graduating seniors. This was a very special group this year and it felt really different throughout the entire season and I’m extremely proud of us.” Looking forward, libero Brookes comented “This was our home court, we wanted to give it our all, we came up a little bit short, but that’s what learning opportunities are for.”
The Marauders finish their season while York will move on to the OUA semifinals to face off against Brock in St. Catherines.