On Saturday night, the Marauders took down the Gaels in an intense five set match at home.
On the attack, Sullie Sundara (Kanata, Ont.) led with a staggering 19 kills and four service aces, while Maddy Lutes (Barrie, Ont.) had an impressive performance with 11 kills. Paige Entwistle (Jerseyville, Ont.) was confident in her serves with three aces along with nine kills and 12 digs. Supporting in a big way was Christina Stratford (Burlington, Ont.) who made 36 assists in the game. On defense, Hayley Brookes (Burlington, Ont.) led the team in digs with 14.
After a close five set game yesterday, the first set started with points from both sides. The Gaels were strong in their offense as the Marauders took a bit longer to settle into the game. A service ace from Entwistle followed by a kill from Stratford thrilled the bench. The teams exchanged points back and forth to tie up until 13-13. The McMaster offense was led by Sundara with four kills and two service aces from Entwistle. With these offensive plays, the Marauders were able to hold onto a small lead, but the Gaels were determined and tied the game back up at 23-23. The teams were closely matched but ultimately Queen’s came out on top with a score of 27-25.
The second set started out close, but the Gaels looked confident on the court and began to take the lead. The Marauders struggled to generate consistent offense, but Entwistle continued to be strong in her technique with another service ace. McMaster stayed composed and fought hard to overturn the lead late in the set with the help of four kills from Sundara and seven assists from Stratford. Two service aces late in the set from Queen’s unsettled the Marauders as the teams continued to tie up until the 23rd point. Despite their efforts at a comeback, the Marauders were not able to upset the confident Gaels offense and fell 25-23.
The Marauders picked up momentum in the third set, gaining their first prominent lead of the game. Strong offensive plays came from Lutes with four kills and Sundara with three. Mid-set, both teams struggled with their service aces as four went back and forth. Despite holding a large lead for the majority of the set, the Gaels were able to tie it back up at 21-21. The Marauders fought to stay strong on their home court, and were successful, winning the set 25-21.
McMaster opened the fourth set strong with four unanswered points, but the Gaels didn’t let them get far. Both teams continued to struggle with their service errors, but McMaster capitalized on their offense. The Marauders showed strong technical skills with back-to-back service aces from both Ellie Hatashita (Kanata, Ont.) and Sundara, thrilling the team as they gained the lead. Mid set, the teams had an intense long rally with Entwistle making an impressive dig to save the play, resulting in a McMaster point and igniting the home crowd. Leading the attack was Sundara with three kills alongside Lutes with two. The Marauders looked confident and that was reflected in the score as they won 25-15 to take the game to a fifth set.
In the final set of the game, the teams fought hard as pressure rose in the Burridge. The teams matched each other for points until the 5th point, after which the Marauders were able to settle into the lead. On defense, Entwistle had an impressive performance, making incredible solo blocks throughout the game. McMaster looked confident in their kills, with Sundara leading the attack with five. After five closely matched sets, the Marauders came out victorious with a score of 15-9.
Up Next
The Marauders will now have a break until the new year when they return to play the Badgers on January 13th. They improve their win streak to four and hope to carry this momentum into the new year.