Box Score It didn't start off as the matchup it was billed to be, as the U Sports no. 2 Toronto Varsity Blues played host to the no. 10 McMaster Marauders inside the Goldring Centre Saturday.
 
Two dominant sets to open the afternoon gave the visitors a shock 2-0 lead, but the hosts battled all the way back through tests in the third and fourth, eventually preserving their perfect conference record and handing Mac their third loss of the season 13-25, 11-25, 25-19, 26-24 and 15-7.
 
Despite the loss to Toronto, the Marauders found themselves with a handful of double-digit point producers in the match. Lead by Alicia Jack's 16-point performance, McMaster would combine for a total of 73 points. Other double-digit point-getters included Joanna Jedrzejewska (15 points), Maicee Sorenssen (14 points) and Rebecca Steckle (13 points).
 
McMaster's defensive play was led by fourth-year libero Carly Heath, who racked up a total of 40 digs during the five-set match. Alina Dormann led Toronto's comeback and eventual victory with a team-leading total of 18 points.
 
Opening the first set, Toronto was already facing an uphill battle as their starter Natasha Lewis suffered an apparent ankle injury in warm-ups. Juggling to make adjustments from Lewis's injury, the Marauders handed the Varsity Blues their first two set losses of 2017. Toronto hadn't lost an OUA set since November 25, against the Ryerson Rams.
 
McMaster limited the Blues to no more than 13 points in the first two sets, their lowest-scoring sets all season.
 

Joanna Jedrzejewska. In the Observatory. With the pipe!

Mac takes set one 25-13 over the #USports no. 2-ranked Varsity Blues. pic.twitter.com/qQ1YKDBt4Z

— McMaster Athletics (@McMasterSports) February 4, 2017

The Varsity Blues regrouped in the third set, and returned to the sort of form OUA observers have come to expect of the defending national champions.
 
Toronto raced out ahead of the Marauders, heading into the technical timeout of the third set leading 16-8. McMaster's head coach Tim Louks took advantage of the quick break, and the visitors began to turn the tide of the set.
 
Unfortunately for Mac, it was too little, too late, and Toronto got on the overall scoreboard after sealing the third by a 25-19 score.
 
After McMaster grabbed hold of the lead in the back half of the fourth set, they looked poised to complete the victory, but Toronto had other ideas. The Blues caught the Marauders at the finish line, eclipsing them 26-24 to wrench momentum away heading into the abbreviated fifth.
 
From there, it was one-way traffic, as the Blues sped away with the win and left the Marauders rueing their missed opportunities for a signature victory.

The Marauders will be face another Toronto squad when they face off against the Ryerson Rams on Wednesday, February 8. The game will be held at Ryerson's Mattamy Athletic Centre with a 6 p.m. start time.