Box Score Facing the toughest test of their young season on Friday, the Marauders passed with flying colours. McMaster dispatched their closest rival in the OUA West, the Western Mustangs, 3-1 (26-24, 25-22, 18-25, 25-20) at the Burridge Gym to take sole possession of the top spot in the division.
Entering play, the Marauders and Mustangs boasted identical 4-1 records, with McMaster edging Western for the top spot in the OUA West on the basis of games won and lost. But that changed on Friday, as the CIS no. 9-ranked Marauders stretched their winning streak to four games and handed the Mustangs their second consecutive loss.
Joanna Jedrzejewska continued her torrid start to the 2015-16 season, leading all scorers with 19.5 points on 16 of 31 hitting versus just three errors (.419) while adding three aces and a block assist. Lauren Mastroluisi (12.5) and Rebecca Steckle (10) also entered double digits in points in the win.
Early momentum in the opening set went the way of the Mustangs, as the visitors jumped out to a 13-9 lead after a kill through the middle from Danielle Grasman, prompting Mastroluisi's entry into the game, which proved to be a turning point. McMaster was struggling to cleanly receive serve, and trailed 16-10 at the technical timeout after a Western ace.
But slowly and surely, the Marauders worked their way back into the first set, challenging the Mustangs with improved defence and finally tying things at 17 after a Mustang attack flew well wide. The teams were neck-and-neck entering the final points, but after saving one set point, Western was unable to save another when Aja Gyimah hit into a double block for 26-24.
After another tight period of play to open the second set, the Marauders crafted a 11-8 lead with the help of two errors from Mustang setter Katherine Tsiofas. That advantage held at the technical timeout, and McMaster defended it all the way to the finish line, sealing the set when Maicee Sorensen denied a weak Western tip at the net.
The long road toward a comeback began for the Mustangs in the third set, where they carved out a mid-set lead before the technical timeout, taking a four-point advantage into the break after a Taylor Beedie ace. Mac proved unable to overcome that deficit, and Western took the set after a Jedrzejewska cut shot sailed wide.
Regrouping well from the setback, the Marauders rebuilt a lead early in the fourth set, challenging the Mustangs from the service line. The hosts carried a respectable, four-point lead into the technical timeout after Jedrzejewska carved a tough shot to the back line, and continued to march toward the win.
Another powerful strike from Jedrzejewska brought up match point at 24-20, and after a long rally featuring two top-quality digs from Khira Adams, Beedie struck a shot wide to end the two teams' night.
