Marauders Sweep at Home Against Warriors

The Marauders swept the Waterloo Warriors on Wednesday evening in the Burridge. They extend their win streak to 13 and continue their season undefeated in the OUA.  

Leading the Marauder offense was Peter Rugosi (Toronto, Ont.), with a career high of 11 kills and one service ace. Alongside him was Mateusz Wlodarski (Ottawa, Ont.), with nine kills and two service aces. Setter Robbie Fujisawa (North York, Ont.) led the team with 31 assists and six digs, as well as a kill. 

The set started out close, with Waterloo surprising McMaster at the net with their blocks. The teams appeared to be well matched, as they continued to meet each other point for point. The Marauders struggled to generate their usual consistent offense against the Warriors. Despite this, the home team was resilient, generating offense with Rugosi and Brendan Mills (London, Ont.) each with three kills. McMaster managed to turn the set around to come out on top, winning 25-20.  

The Marauders confidently took the first point of the second set, attempting to set the tone after a close first match. In the first half of the set, Waterloo continued to find one or two-point leads, but the Marauders remained composed to keep the game close. Wlodarski and Rugosi found holes in the Waterloo defense, making four and three kills respectively, with the help of 13 assists from Fujisawa. The teams continued to tie until the 19th point, when McMaster started to gain the lead. The Marauders were able to adjust their defense, with athletic blocks and digs to shut down the Waterloo offense. With this shift in momentum, the Marauders finished the set on top with a score of 25-19. 

The Warriors brought new determination to the third set, fighting to remain in the game. Waterloo took the early lead, but Fujisawa responded with a kill that elated the home crowd. The Marauders trailed by a few points but never let the Warriors get far, as they tied the score up at 12-12. Wlodarski made powerful back-to-back service aces, unsettling the Warriors. Thomas Williams (Oakville, Ont.) and Rugosi led the set with five kills each, while Fujisawa made 11 assists and three digs. McMaster was able to pick up their offense in the second half of the set, looking confident as they closed out the game with a score of 25-20. 

Up Next 

The Marauders will play next on Saturday night in Toronto against the York Lions. They will hope to carry on their undefeated streak as the continue through the second half of their season.