HAMILTON -- Their last meeting was a shock, with Ohio State reeling out of the gate and gone from the Burridge Gym in the blink of an eye.

But, Saturday night, the Ohio State Buckeyes meant business. And, over the course of five pulsating sets in Hamilton, the McMaster Marauders absorbed the pressure of the two-time defending NCAA champions before ultimately coming out the victors.

McMaster mounted a comeback from a 2-1 deficit through three sets to defeat Ohio State 3-2 (27-25, 14-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-8) in the first match of the teams' two-day Nike Team North America Challenge preseason event.

The win was Mac's fourth straight win over the Buckeyes in the two teams' cross-border head-to-head, which now stands at 4-2 in the Marauders favour.

Third-year opposite Matt Passalent was the game's leading scorer, with a whopping total of 23.5 points which included 22 kills, an ace and a block assist. He was easily the most efficient attacker on the floor, hitting 65 per cent (22-34) without an error.

Across the floor from Passalent, fifth-year veteran Brandon Koppers was McMaster's workhorse, with 16 kills from a game high 41 attempts versus five errors (.268), while adding three aces and two and a half blocks.

French international Nic Szerszen was the Buckeyes leading scorer in a losing effort, with 23 points including 18 kills from 35 attempts versus seven errors (.314) and five aces. He led a trio of OSU attackers who shared the ball equally, as Maxime Hervoir added 18 kills of his own on 36 attempts, while Martin Lallemand had 15 from 35.

TROUBLE WITH THE SERVE: Ohio State's inability to serve consistently in the Burridge Gym was a massive factor in the five-set decision, as the Buckeyes posted a -17 differential from the service line (11 aces versus 28 errors), while the Marauders boasted a comparatively successful -4 (eight aces versus 12 errors).

FRESH FACES: Saturday marked the first appearance at the Burridge Gym for Marauders rookies Bennett Swan and Nathan Delguidice. Swan made his presence felt with a pair of thunderous stuff blocks in the fourth set, which helped the Marauders pull away en route to the 25-21 win.

PART TWO: The Marauders and Buckeyes resume hostilities Sunday at 2:00 p.m. in the second half of the Nike Team North America Challenge at the Burridge Gym.