Marauders Lose in Close Four-Set Game Against Varsity Blues

The Marauders lost to the Varsity Blues in Toronto on Sunday afternoon in Toronto after battling in a close four-set game.  

Second year Brendan Mills (London, Ont.) led the Marauders with a career high of 16 kills and a service ace, while Peter Rugosi (Toronto, Ont.) made six kills, a service ace, and five digs. Setter Jason Wildeboer (Bowmanville, Ont.) led the team with 24 assists, two kills, five digs, and a service ace.  

The first set started out with points going back and forth between the teams, until the Marauders found some momentum on a four-point run. Fujisawa made a quick dump on the Varsity Blues, surprising their offense and leading Toronto to call a timeout. Even with the strong start from the Marauders, Toronto was able to tie the game back up at the fifteenth point. Toronto was able to carry this momentum through the set, going on a point run and ultimately winning the set 25-20. 

After a close first match, the second started out similarly, but it didn’t take long for Toronto to find themselves a lead that they carried for the first half of the set. Despite that, second year Haben Yohannes (Toronto, Ont.) had two big kills early in the set, lighting up the Marauders’ bench. Setter Wildeboer made two incredible kills, an impressive feat from a setter, which stunned Toronto’s defense and elated McMaster’s bench. A service ace from Rugosi late in the set brought the score back to 17-15, as McMaster trailed by two. The Marauders found their rhythm, winning 10 of 12 consecutive points late in the set and forced Toronto into a late timeout. The teams tied up until 25-25, but the Marauders made two service errors at the end of the set, allowing the Varsity Blues to take the set 27-25. 

The third set was yet another close match, with the stakes high for the Marauders, as they fought to extend the game. Mills led the Marauders in kills with five, but both teams continued to have strong offensive performances, as they matched each other for points the entire set. They tied up at a score of 23-23, and the Marauders were able to come out on top to win 25-23 and push the game to another set.  

Intensity was high in the fourth set, and Toronto was consistently strong with their offense on their home court. Some point runs by the Varsity Blues led them to find a substantial lead, but McMaster continued to battle it out. Mills led with seven kills, helping the Marauders find momentum late in the set and forcing Toronto to use a timeout at their 21-18 lead. Despite their best efforts to take the game to a fifth set, the Varsity Blues were able to finish the game the way it started, with a score of 25-20. 

Up Next 

The Marauders have now wrapped up their regular season, finishing with a record of 18-2. They will look forward to hosting the OUA quarterfinals on Saturday night for their first playoff game of the season.