HAMILTON (U SPORTS) – Brendan Mills tallied a team-high 10 kills to lead the No. 2-seed and host McMaster Marauders to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-23) victory over the No. 1 Alberta Golden Bears in the bronze medal match of the 2023 U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball Championship, presented by Mikasa, at Burridge Gymnasium on Sunday. Mills recorded a .217 hitting percentage on 23 total attacks while adding five digs and two blocks.
Robbie Fujisawa was nothing short of impressive for the Marauders in the bronze medal match, tallying 25 assists and four digs while adding a solo block.
In a battle between the two top seeds in the tournament, McMaster started strong, going up 6-1 early in the first set. Alberta got within three on a number of occasions, but the Marauders never trailed and picked up a 25-21 Set #1 victory.
Looking to even the scoreline, the Golden Bears recorded the first point of Set #2 but the hosts responded to go up 14-10. Alberta battled back, scoring five straight points to retake the lead. The Marauders regrouped and stole the second set by a 25-23 final to take a 2-0 lead into the third set.
Both squads went back-and-forth in the third, exchanging points throughout much of the contest. Despite being challenged late by the Golden Bears, the Marauders held the advantage for the entirety of Set #3 and secured the victory with a 25-23 score to take the bronze medal match 3-0.
Jordan Canham led the way for the Golden Bears, putting down 15 kills in the contest and adding two digs. Cam Kern chipped in 30 assists, three kills and one service ace.
The Ontario University Athletics Champion Marauders cap their season off with a bronze medal, while the Canada West Champion Alberta Golden Bears finish the tournament in fourth.
Mikasa Players of the Game:
- McMaster: Wojciech Kraj
- Trinity Western: Cam Kern
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