Box Score All of McMaster's considerable firepower was on display Friday, as the Marauders blew past the Queen's Gaels for their 18th consecutive OUA win. Whether it was a breakout performance from rookie Andrew Richards, or an ultra-efficient hitting demonstration from reigning OUA MVP Jori Mantha, the Marauders were relentless in attack in the penultimate game of their conference season.

Richards had a team-high of 13.5 points on a blistering 12-19 hitting, as the CIS no. 1-ranked Marauders sped past the Gaels 25-17, 25-22 and 25-17. Mantha, meanwhile, made the most of his hitting attempts, putting 10 of 16 to the floor without an error (.625). McMaster improved to an OUA-best 18-1 on the season with the result, further cementing their place atop the conference standings, while Queen's suffered a third consecutive loss to drop to 11-8.

Gaels outside Markus Trence was impressive in a losing effort, putting up a game high of 15 kills on 30 attempts, while adding a solo block for 16 points.

Queen's provided a game opponent, and attacked effectively through two sets. But McMaster put their brutal efficiency on display Friday, posting a team hitting percentage of .471. Richards started the match -- a rarity this season given the depth of the McMaster team -- and rewarded Dave Preston's decision by catching fire from the opening serve. He reeled off several early kills as the Marauders established a lead from the get-go, and built a head of steam that they would never truly lose on Friday.

After Richards' excellent early work, Austin Campion-Smith and the Marauder offence put their versatility on display, as the likes of Jori Mantha and Stephen Maar added their own effective contributions from the outside. It was more than enough to stifle a solid game from the Gaels side, where Trence was a constant thorn in the Marauders side.

Queen's was simply outpaced in the first set, but managed to claw their way to a standstill in the second, before the Marauders turned on the class in the late stages to seal it, with Maar providing several emphatic kills along the way. That appeared to take the wind out of the Gaels sails, as their level of play dropped considerably in the final set en route to the sweep.

With another clean and efficient win in the books, the Marauders will look to close out their conference season on a high note when they welcome the RMC Paladins to the Burridge Gym on Saturday night. That match will get underway at 8:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Cogeco Cable 14 and OUA.tv.