Box Score The Marauders showed off their killer instinct to dominate the Brock Badgers in the fifth and deciding set, and notch a hard-fought 3-2 victory in St. Catharines on Friday.

Set scores were 23-25, 25-22, 25-20, 21-25 and 15-4 for McMaster (12-6), who are guaranteed to finish second in the OUA West and host a home quarterfinal.

Rookie outside Sophie Bukovec was busy on Friday, converting 17 of a whopping 50 hitting attempts versus five errors (24 per cent) and adding six blocks for a game-high of 23 points. Taylor Brisebois (14.5), Maicee Sorensen (13), Mira Krunic (10.5) and Joanna Jedrzejewska (10) also reached double digits in points.

The trio of Shenise Power, Lucy McLay and Tori Stirling starred for the Badgers, scoring 19, 18 and 16 points respectively in a losing effort.

Brock appeared to have seized momentum in the see-saw match when the Badgers won the fourth set to level things at two apiece and send the teams into the abbreviated decider. But McMaster took control early in the fifth, leading 7-4 as the teams approached the changeover. The Marauders would not concede another point, and instead raced to the finish line to stun the Badgers and the home crowd in St. Catharines.

McMaster closes its conference season tomorrow at the Buridge Gym, when the Marauders host the Ottawa Gee-Gees. That match is scheduled to get underway at 6:00 p.m.