HAMILTON, Ont. – The Marauders swept Brock in three sets in the Burridge on Saturday night after a close four-set game on Friday.
Leading McMaster’s offense was Maxime Gratton with 12 kills and two service aces, while Brady Paterson had a strong performance with nine kills and one service ace. Setter and captain Robbie Fujisawa made 25 assists, one impressive kill, and eight digs.
After a close match last night, Brock opened the score in the first set. The Marauders were quick to respond, with Gratton putting the ball over the net after Brock couldn’t control the service return, giving the home team a 3-1 lead. Gratton made a staggering service ace, while setter Fujisawa made a rare kill at the net, firing up the home team. Fujisawa was on a roll, making a service ace to bring the score to 9-7 for McMaster. Tyler Pavelic came through with another ace for McMaster, as they continued to increase their lead. Brock tried to fight back, bringing the score to 22-16. They were unsuccessful, as Gratton made a kill to bring McMaster to set point, and Paterson finished the set with a service ace, 25-16.
The Marauders came out firing in the second set, earning themselves the first four points. Gratton made a service ace early on, bringing the score to 7-2. First year Paterson was having a great game, making a huge block mid-set to force a Badgers timeout. The Marauders were relentless with their offense, finding a ten-point lead, with the help of another ace from Pavelic. McMaster took the set 25-18, warding off Brock’s momentum that started late in the set.
Brock earned the first point of the third set, looking to survive for another set to extend the game. The Badgers were able to find a substantial lead, 4-1, quieting the home crowd. The Marauders showed resilience and fought back, tying the score back up at the eleventh point with a kill from Gratton. The teams continued to tie until the fifteenth point, until the Marauders went on a four-point streak. The Marauders started to distance themselves on the scoreboard, finding a 23-18 lead. Brady Paterson made a kill to the far corner of Brock’s court, earning McMaster set point. They were able to swiftly close out the game in three sets, with a score of 25-19.
Up Next
The Marauders will look forward to facing off against the Waterloo Warriors next Friday night. They improve their record to 14-4 and will look to pick up another win next weekend.