PREVIEW: MARAUDERS WELCOME WARRIORS

The McMaster Marauders women’s volleyball team is gearing up to take on the Waterloo Warriors for the second time this season.

With a 2pm start, the game will take place at home in the Burridge Gym on Feb 20, rescheduled from Feb. 3. It will mark McMaster’s fourth match since their return to play on Feb. 10.

McMaster came back strong after the winter break to defeat Western back-to-back in a two-game series, first at home and then on the road.

The Marauders then made the trip even further west to Windsor on Thursday evening, where they dropped the Lancers in four sets.

After a dominant return from the break, McMaster looks to push their win-streak to five on Sunday.

With a 6-2 record, the Marauders currently sit in second place in the OUA West Division, behind the Brock Badgers.

Details:
McMaster Marauders vs. Waterloo Warriors
Time: Feb. 20 @ 2pm
Locations: Burridge Gym

McMaster:
Record: 6-2
Standings: Second OUA West Division
Streak: Won four

Waterloo:
Record: 4-3
Standings: Fourth OUA West Division
Streak: Won two

History:
The Marauders last matchup against the Warriors took place on Nov. 27 as their final game before the most recent Covid-19 lockdown. The Warriors pushed the match to a five-set thriller, but McMaster came away with the win. The victory marked the third OUA match this season to go to five sets.

McMaster has a trend for success against the Warriors going 16-4 with them since 2010. This week’s matchup at home has great potential to add a win to that record, with only one of Waterloo’s victories recorded in Hamilton.
Though Waterloo’s record has improved against McMaster, with the last 10 matchups sitting at 3-7 for the Warriors, the women in maroon have a history of dominance. In fact, the Marauders longest win streak against Waterloo is 12 games, which took place over the span of six years from 2012-2018.

Players to Watch:

McMaster

Ellie Hatashita: The middle was this week’s McMaster female Athlete of the Week. In her last match against the Windsor Lancers on Feb. 17 she recorded a season high 15 points, 10 blocks, and nine kills.

Jessie Nairn: In her fifth year with the Marauders, Nairn has continued to be a valuable outside hitter for the team. She had a game-high 17 points in McMaster’s last match against the Lancers.

Waterloo

Katrine Eistrat: The fifth-year setter has shown success against the Marauders, recording a season best in kills, points, and digs in Waterloo’s last match against McMaster.

Sarah Glynn: The left-side hitter has been a powerhouse for the Warriors, recording 16 kills in their last match against the Guelph Gryphons, which was pushed to five sets. Glynn currently sits in second place in the OUA for number of kills with 105 — she sits right behind McMaster’s Emma McKinnon, who has 106, and ahead of Nairn in third place with 100.