They suffered their first loss in over three months a week ago, but the Marauders have the opportunity to return to their winning ways on Friday. McMaster welcomes Lakehead to the Burridge Gym for a 7:00 p.m. match, with just two weeks remaining before the onset of the OUA playoffs.
There will some familiarity to Friday's contest, with the two teams having met in Hamilton on November 15. McMaster swept their visitors in three fairly routine sets on that day, and will be hoping for a similarly straightforward encounter this time around.
Enjoying an efficient day on offence, and bringing her trademark blocking presence, Maicee Sorensen was the star of the show when the two teams last met. She led that match with 13.5 points on nine of 12 hitting versus just two errors (.583), while chipping in two and a half blocks and two aces. Another such performance would go a long way in putting Mac over the top on Friday.
The Marauders will be encouraged by their ability to stifle the Thunderwolves offence earlier this season, as Mac held Lakehead to a hitting percentage of just 12 en route to their straight-set victory. Hitting with any sort of consistency has proven difficult for the Thunderwolves this season, as their top eligible hitter by percentage, Leah Mousseau, ranks outside the conference's best 30 players in the category.
By comparison, the Marauders have seen middle Taylor Brisebois deliver as a dependable hitter this season, with the fifth-year senior sitting sixth in the province with a killing rate of 34 per cent. She is offset, as usual, by McMaster's high-usage star Joanna Jedrzejewska, who continues to patrol the OUA's top five in kills per set and total kills.
The numbers tell a daunting story for the Thunderwolves, but they remain a playoff-bound team at the moment and a dangerous invite to any gym in the province. Will they swing the offensive balance on Friday, or will the Marauders make use of their bounce-back opportunity?
The two teams will answer that question live at the Burridge Gym, with the game being webcast on OUA.tv with the commentary team of Fraser Caldwell and Amanda Weldon returning to call the action.
