HAMILTON, Ont. – Following last night’s dramatic win against the TMU Bold, the women’s volleyball team played another match today, winning 3-1 against the Toronto Varsity Blues. It was a game full of back-and-forths and long rallies. Despite their tired legs, however, the women persevered to add onto their impressive winning streak. As head coach Nathan Janzen said after the game, the team “is responding to the adversity [they’re] facing” which he says will prepare them for the tough national championships ahead.
The first set went just how McMaster wanted it. It was as if the women were still high on their energy from last night’s monumental win, as they served strongly and delivered a mix of confident attacks from all around the court. Outside hitter Emma McKinnon had back-to-back aces early on, which helped push the team forwards on offence. The Marauders won the set by a landslide, 25-12.
After that utterly one-sided first set, nobody could have guessed what the second set would bring. McMaster started down by a few points. They worked hard to slowly close the gap, but Toronto’s well-placed and powerful serves helped them take a significant lead towards the end of the set. Olivia Zhu from Toronto, who currently leads the OUA in total kills this season, played with grit to gain 6 important kills for her team. The Varsity Blues also have Julia Murmann on their roster, who is second in kills in the OUA. Although the Marauders were down 23-18 against these powerhouse hitters, they were able to muster up a comeback. Outside hitter Victoria Potvin was subbed in to take two crucial serves, and she did not disappoint. Her back-to-back aces brought McMaster to a 25-24 lead. The next few points were dramatically frustrating as neither team was able to break the deadlock. Eventually, despite McMaster taking the advantage in the first few win-by-2 situations, the Varsity Blues ended up winning it 32-30. McMaster setter Lauryn Colpitts was phenomenal as she recorded 17 assists in that set alone. Outside hitter Olivia Julien also picked up an impressive 5 kills and 8 digs.
The Marauders shook off that disappointing loss and started the third set off strong. As middle Jenna Woock stated after the game, they kept a positive mentality by “instead of focusing on the scoreboard and where [the team was] at, focusing on each other.” Toronto played resiliently though. Their flying digs and their ability to capitalize on their chances helped the team catch up. It was back-and-forth from there, but the Marauders came out on top to take the set 25-20. Emma McKinnon recorded 6 more kills and libero Hayley Brookes held the team down on defense with 8 digs.
McMaster was now up 2-1. With victory in sight, they played with a confident energy. Outside hitter Maddy Lutes had an emphatic kill to start the set and the Marauders went on to build a comfortable lead. There were plenty of long rallies as Toronto gave it their all to get themselves back in the game. Like she had been in the past few games, Lauryn Colpitts was everywhere on the court as she not only set the ball but also had a crowd-hyping solo block that ended an especially long rally late in the set. McMaster pushed through to win 25-19, ending the game.
The team has had many stressful moments in the past few games. Emma McKinnon says they keep strong by “relying on each other for those moments”, which is evident when looking at the stats and seeing how every teammate was so actively involved. It seems as if every game, the women reach new heights. Emma McKinnon had a season high of 17 kills. With her 42 assists, Lauryn Colpitts also achieved a season high. Aside from these new records, Olivia Julien worked hard on both offense and defense to gain 14 kills and 17 digs, while middle Ellie Hatashita had a well-rounded game of 8 kills, 10 digs, 1 ace, and 2 blocks.
With their 13-1 record, the team seems unstoppable as of now. However, taking a look at their schedule, they still have many tough teams to face in the OUA season, as well as the national championships that begin in March. The women have proven time and time again that they can overcome the hurdles that are thrown their way, which they hope to continue to do. Catch them next weekend as they play two important away games against the Queen’s Golden Gaels, who currently sit at 3rd place in the OUA standings.
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