Marauders triumph over Western in a game of season-highs

HAMILTON, Ont. – Yesterday’s win against the Western Mustangs was punctuated by an impressive rematch victory tonight for the women’s volleyball team. Like yesterday, the Mustangs put up a good contest, but the Marauders persevered to win 3-1. They were led tonight by outside hitter Olivia Julien and other players who put up season-high performances. 

Carrying on the hype from last night, McMaster started off strong. They began to make mistakes on defense, however, which Western capitalised on to quickly close the gap. The Marauders threw in many intelligently-placed hits, which helped them take the lead and win the set 25-19. Olivia Julien was on fire, recording 7 kills and an ace in the first set. Outside hitter Abby Delamere held the team down on defense with 4 digs while also picking up 2 kills from the right side. 

McMaster continued to switch things up by reading the opposing defense and implementing a mix of dynamic swings, tips, and backcourt hits. However, the Mustangs were resilient. Their diving digs and ability to adjust helped them grow a substantial lead late in the set. Improvement in their serving and hitting was also influential as Western went on to take the set 25-20. McMaster setter Lauryn Colpitts was everywhere as she tried to keep her team in the contest, recording 10 assists, 1 kill and 4 digs in the second set alone. 

All tied up 1-1, McMaster started the third set with renewed energy. They bombarded the Mustangs with more strong serves and crafty tips. The usual overpowering offense of the Marauders was back on full display, helping them gain an 11 point lead early on. Keeping their foot on the gas, they blew through the set to win 25-15. Outside hitter Maddy Lutes was subbed in this set and she made her presence felt with an impressive 3 aces, 1 kill, and 1 block. 

The fourth set started as a much closer contest than the third. Western showed their grit on defense early on, looking to come back from their disappointing previous set. However, the Marauders quickly built up a sizeable lead and were able to hold off the Mustangs throughout the rest of the set. Maddy Lutes was unstoppable and recorded yet another 3 aces, alongside 4 kills. The Marauders won the game as they took the fourth set 25-18. 

Tonight’s dominant game saw multiple players reach season-high stats. The star of the game, first-year Olivia Julien, had an astonishing 19 kills. This is 10 more than she had in yesterday’s game, which was also a new season-high for her, as well as the most in a single game across the team this season. Although being subbed in later in the game, Maddy Lutes recorded 6 aces, which is the highest she has had in a single game in her 3 seasons with the McMaster team. Lauryn Colpitts did an outstanding job at the setter position tonight, putting up a season-high 35 assists.

The team is now on a 6-game winning streak, bringing their record to 11-1. Next week’s home game should be an interesting one as the women are up against the TMU Bold, the only team that has beaten them this season thus far. Catch the game at 6 pm this upcoming Friday.