The Marauders take down the Badgers in four sets on Friday night in St. Catharine’s. They extend their win streak to 11 and continue their OUA season undefeated.
Leading the Marauders on offense was Mateusz Wlodarski (Ottawa, Ont.) with 11 kills and two service aces; a season high in kills for the outside hitter. Brendan Mills (London, Ont.) and Peter Rugosi (Toronto, Ont.) both had impressive performances as well, with nine and eight kills respectively and a service ace each. This was also a season high performance for second year Mills. Setter Robbie Fujisawa (North York, Ont.) was consistent with support to the offense, with 31 assists and four digs.
The first set started out close, with points being exchanged from both teams. The Marauders struggled with their service errors at the start of the set, but later were able to find their rhythm, putting down four service aces as a team in the opening set. Mills led the team with four kills, while Wlodarski contributed three. The Marauders found their momentum in the second half of the set, gaining six consecutive points and ultimately winning the set comfortably 25-15.
The Marauders struggled with their attack errors at the start of the second set, as Brock took the first four points. McMaster had trouble generating their offense and the Badgers were quick to take advantage of this, gaining momentum. Trying to close the gap, the Marauders showed strength in their composure under pressure. McMaster worked hard to keep themselves in the game, as five players contributed kills in the set. Brock reached the set point first, but McMaster fought to extend the set, with three consecutive points. Despite McMaster’s efforts, the Badgers came out on top after a confident performance with a score of 25-18.
The third set continued with the teams evenly matched, as the game continued to be a close competition. Brock began to struggle with their attack errors, forcing them to use a timeout to reset as the Marauders started to gain a small lead. Coming off the break in play, Tyler Pavelic (Guelph, Ont.) delivered a well-placed service ace, unsettling the Badgers defense. Shortly after, 6’0″ Fujisawa made a perfectly timed solo block against Brock’s offense, thrilling the away bench. The Marauders showed a dominant response in the third set after their tough second set loss, as they tore away with the lead. Wlodarski had a strong set with five kills and a service ace, leading the offense, as the team played with strength at the net. McMaster was able to win the set with confidence, at a score of 25-12.
McMaster continued their dominant performance into the fourth set. The Marauders gained a comfortable lead early in the set, settling in on the Badgers’ home court. Brock attempted to challenge their lead, responding with four consecutive points, but McMaster remained composed and held on. Three kills each from Rugosi and Pavelic generated offense for the team, as they finished the game on a service ace and a score of 25-15.
Up Next
The #2 nationally ranked Marauders will play again on Sunday afternoon against the #6 nationally ranked Varsity Blues in Toronto. They will hope to continue their winning ways and extend their 11-game win streak.