McMaster's women's volleyball team got back to OUA action Saturday against the Guelph Gryphons, following a break that hadn't seen the women take the court competitively since November 26, 2016.
Encountering a stubborn opponent on the road, the U Sports no. 10-ranked Marauders suffered just their second loss of the conference season, falling to the Gryphons in four sets (25-17, 21-25, 23-25, 25-27).
With the loss, McMaster sits second in the OUA West with a record of 7-2, while the Gryphons improve to 6-4.
Mac's Aleks Arsovic led her team with 14 kills and 18 points, including two aces and two solo blocks. Her hitting average of .333 was a bright spot for a Marauders team that reached just 12.3 per cent as a unit.
The Gryphons entered the match at their newly-opened Guelph Gryphons Athletic Centre having swept the Brock Badgers a week early.
In the first set, McMaster showed little to no rust as they surged to an early 16-6 lead heading into the technical timeout. The Gryphons struggled to get their offence past the blocks of the Marauders, as McMaster took the first set 25-17. Alicia Jack would end the set with authority after blasting Caitlin Genovy's pass down for a kill on the set point.
Mac continued their dominance to begin the second set, leading to a Guelph timeout as the Marauders led 5-1. That timeout, however, may have been the turning point for the Gryphons squad, as they swung momentum and battled back to take the set 25-21.
Things would continue to go the Gryphons way as they fought off the nationally-ranked Marauders in the third set as the visitors fell short in a 25-23 set win for Guelph.
McMaster couldn't find a resolution in the fourth set despite a late momentum shift that saw them make a push to force the set past 25. Unfortunately for the Marauders, the comeback came too late, as the Gryphons would eventually win 27-25 to take the set and the victory in four.
Mac will look to get back into the win column next weekend as they host the OUA West-leading and fifth-ranked Western Mustangs (8-0) at the Burridge Gym on January 21.
