The Marauders struggled with their offense on Friday night as TMU won in a three-set sweep. TMU had an incredible performance on their home court, as they end the Marauders’ undefeated streak.
Leading the Marauders offense was Peter Rugosi (Toronto, Ont.) with seven kills and eight digs, while Tyler Pavelic (Guelph, Ont.) made four kills and two service aces. Robbie Fujisawa (North York, Ont.) supported with 17 assists.
The Bold came out with the early lead in the first set, forcing McMaster into an early timeout. The Marauders struggled with their errors, which was quite uncharacteristic of their usual consistency, however, they were missing a few players from their regular lineup. McMaster took another timeout at 18-11 for TMU, as head coach Dave Preston hoped to rally the team and save the set. The Marauders continued to struggle to defend TMU’s offense and were only able to make three kills, as the Bold finished the set 25-18.
TMU took the first three points of the second set, but the Marauders were quick to reply with three points, including a service ace from Pavelic. McMaster continued to struggle with their attack errors, while TMU was strong on their blocks. Three Marauders were able to make two kills, with Fujisawa making four assists and Jason Wildeboer (Bowmanville, Ont.) making three, but they struggled to generate consistent offense. The Bold were able to take set two 25-16, which is only the second time this season that the Marauders have lost two sets in a game.
The Marauders took the first point of the third set, as they knew they were fighting to extend the game. McMaster took a small early lead, but the Bold were strong on their home court, coming back to tie at the eighth point. The score continued to bounce back and forth between the teams, and TMU continued to be consistent on their offense against the undefeated Marauders. The game was an incredible performance from the Bold, who are battling for a playoff position. Ultimately, in a thrilling final match, the Bold were able to come out on top with a score of 25-23, ending the Marauders’ undefeated streak.
Up Next
The Marauders will now look forward to playing the Varsity Blues in Toronto on Sunday afternoon for their final regular season game and they will hope to close their season out with a win.