Marauders Take Down York On Their Home Court

The McMaster Marauders defeated the York Lions at home in four sets on Saturday night. They improve their win streak to four and hope to continue their strong performance. 

Outside hitter Sullie Sundara (Kanata, Ont.) led the team with an impressive 14 kills and 16 digs. Showing their strength on offense, Ana Strbac (Oakville, Ont.) and Maddy Lutes (Barrie, Ont.) each posted seven kills. Christina Stratford (Burlington, Ont.) supported the offense by making 29 assists, while Hayley Brookes (Burlington, Ont.) had an incredible defensive game with 20 digs.  

Coming off a long five set game last night, the Marauders fought to find their rhythm at the start of the first set. The home crowd was tense in Burridge as the Marauders struggled to generate offense. The teams continued to tie up until the 24th point. Sundara was able to generate some powerful kills mid set, tallying up five in the set, while Stratford supported with six assists. Outside hitter Paige Entwistle (Jerseyville, Ont.) made an impressive five digs to help the team on defense, but despite the Marauders’ best efforts, the team fell 26-24 to the Lions. 

After a tough first set, the Marauders held composure in the second set. The team showed their dynamic strength, with kills coming from seven different players. Mid set, Ellie Hatashita (Kanata, Ont.) had an impressive service ace, and the Marauders began to gain momentum. Libero Brookes showed impressive athleticism with a huge dig and the crowd going wild. Brookes continued to have a strong defensive set, collecting six digs. Intensity was high in Burridge the teams kept the score close but ultimately, the Marauders won the set 25-20. 

The Marauders opened the third set strong with three unanswered points, but York was determined to keep the game competitive. First year outside hitter Abby Delamere (Toronto, Ont.) had a strong set, with three kills. Despite this strong start to the set, York was able to tie the game up at the tenth point. The Marauders were strong on their defense with the team making strong blocks on both sides of the court. Sundara and Brookes had impressive performances on defense, each with eight digs. The Marauders were able to stay consistent and win the set 25-20. 

Hoping to win the game in four sets, the Marauders fought hard in the fourth set. McMaster settled into their home court and looked comfortable as they took a dominant lead. Service aces from Stratford and Entwistle motivated the team, while four more digs from Brookes kept them strong defensively. The team pleased the home crowd by winning the set comfortably 25-18 to win the game. 

Up Next 

The Marauders will now look forward to facing the TMU Bold on Nov. 18th in Toronto. They will hope to continue to extend their win streak with this strong start to their season.