HAMILTON, Ont. – The Marauders triumphed over the Waterloo Warriors in Burridge on Friday night after five grueling sets. The last time the teams played each other was in November, when McMaster swept Waterloo in three sets.
Tonight was McMaster’s seniors’ game, where they recognized their four graduating players: Ben Kerkhoff, Thomas Williams, Tyler Pavelic, and Evan Bremer. Leading the Marauder’s offense was Brendan Mills with 14 kills and Maxime Gratton with 11 kills. Gratton and Pavelic each made two service aces, and Pavelic held an impressive hitting average of 0.600. Robbie Fujisawa was sharp with his assists as always, making 45 in total. Kerkhoff led the team with 12 digs, while Mills made eight. Helping the defense were Jared Kuiken, Bremer, and Brady Paterson, who each made two great solo blocks.
The Marauders started with an early service ace from Pavelic. Gratton showed up with his well-known spin serve, putting up a service ace. Williams followed up with another ace, showing the depth of McMaster’s serving abilities. Waterloo began to find momentum, going on a four-point streak and forcing the first timeout of the game for McMaster, at a 17-15 Waterloo lead. A big double block by Pavelic and Mills lit up the home crowd, tying the score back up at the 19th point. Gratton came in with a huge kill from the outside to earn McMaster’s 20th point, as the teams remained close. A block from Waterloo late in the set forced a McMaster timeout, as the Warriors had the edge 25-24. The Warriors were able to top the Marauders 27-25 after a tough error by the home team.
After a difficult first set, the Marauders were determined to make a statement early in the second. They found the first three points of the set, including a kill from Gratton. The momentum slowed, as both teams struggled with many service errors. Mills made a kill, exciting the home crowd after the lull of errors. First year Paterson got subbed in, giving McMaster new energy, as he made two huge kills with assists by Fujisawa. The teams were tied up until the 19th point, until the home team distanced themselves on the scoreboard. McMaster won the set 25-19, evening out the score to one set each.
The Marauders found the early lead in the third set with the help of kills from Gratton and Mills. It was a great night for middle Pavelic, who made back-to-back kills with assists from Fujisawa and brought on a Waterloo timeout. McMaster was able to double Waterloo’s score, 14-7. Fourth year Bremer got subbed in and made a perfectly coordinated double block with Kuiken. Pavelic made a service ace, as the Marauders held a convincing 18-8 lead. Grayson Jarrett subbed in as another new face in the rotation, showcasing his vertical with a double block alongside Pavelic. McMaster finished the set with a dominant 25-14 score.
Second year middle Jack Mackley made a smart kill when Waterloo struggled to control the service return, helping McMaster to a small early lead in the fourth set. Mills and Pavelic both made great kills, but the Warriors were determined to survive another set and tied the score at 9-9. Waterloo began to find a 19-16 lead, as intensity increased in Burridge. The Mills-Fujisawa connection helped close the gap, but Waterloo reached set point first. The Marauders fell 25-22, extending the game to a final and fifth set.
Both teams cleaned up their defense as the game progressed, leading to longer and longer rallies. Mills put down the first McMaster point in the final set. McMaster’s middles, Pavelic and Kuiken, continued to make killer connections with Fujisawa, thrilling the home team. At the halfway mark, McMaster led 8-5, and continued to run up the score with the help of kills from Paterson and an ace from Aidan Palanca. The Marauders were able to find the win in this long, suspenseful game,15-8.
Up Next
This game improves McMaster’s win streak to four, and they will look forward to competing against the York Lions next Friday night in Toronto. That will be the Marauder’s last regular season game of the year, as they hope to finish off with a strong record going into playoffs.
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