For five years running, McMaster has housed the OUA's year-end championship tournament, and come away with the Forsyth Trophy at its conclusion.

If the Marauders can make it six this weekend at Burridge Gym, they will make conference history.

 

After compiling a 15-2 record to finish the regular season as the top seed in the OUA, the U SPORTS 10th-ranked Marauders host the Final Four on Friday, March 9 and Saturday, March 10 with the possibility of boasting the longest championship dynasty in OUA history.

 

McMaster has won the conference title in eight of the past 10 seasons, and a string of five consecutive championships at Burridge Gym since 2012-13. No team in the 53-year history of the Forsyth Trophy has claimed it for six straight seasons, but McMaster could change that with a pair of wins this weekend.

 

Entering the Final Four tournament after one of their most resounding wins of the year, in which the Marauders made quick work of the Nipissing Lakers in a March 3 quarter final, McMaster vaulted back into the national top 10 in the final poll of the season Tuesday.

 

Their quarter final triumph put the Marauders back into a familiar situation, a primetime, Friday night semi final in front of their home fans at Burridge Gym.

 

Opposite them when the first serve flies, the Windsor Lancers arrive at Burridge Gym as a surprise feature, after shocking the OUA East's second-seeded York Lions over four sets in North York on March 3.

 

A standout performance from OUA Second Team All-Star Pierce Johnson, who had 15 kills and 19 points to lead the Lancers, and the match, paced Windsor to victory at the quarter final stage and kept them in contention for their first OUA title.

 

The Lancers and Marauders meet in the second of Friday's semi final matches at 8:00 p.m., after a clash between the Ryerson Rams and Queen's Gaels opens proceedings at 5:30 p.m.

 

Three of the four teams competing this weekend will move on to the U SPORTS Championship tournament at Burridge Gym next week. McMaster already enjoys a berth due to their status as tournament hosts, while the OUA features two berths in 2018.

 

Ticket packages for the two-day event are available at Marauders.ca, while tickets for individual days can be purchased at the Marauders box office within an hour of the start of each match day.

 

All matches of the OUA Men's Volleyball Final Four can be seen live and on demand on OUA.tv.

 

LAST MEETING

 

McMaster 3-0 Windsor (25-16, 25-21, 25-23) - January 13, 2018

 

The Marauders swept the season series with the Lancers, dispatching them in straight sets with the help of a sterling performance from OUA West Most Valuable Player Andrew Richards (London, ON). The London, Ont. native had a match high 16 kills and 19 points, committing just two errors while hitting .519 in what was an efficient night for McMaster as a whole.

 

Hitting .315 as a team, the Marauders boasted a 33-assist night from setter David Doty (London, ON) and held the Lancers to just .151 hitting.

 

SCHEDULE

 

Day 1 - Friday, March 9

 

Semi Final 1: Ryerson vs. Queen's (5:30 p.m.)

Semi Final 2: McMaster vs. Windsor (8:00 p.m.)

 

Day 2 - Saturday, March 10

 

Bronze: Loser SF1 vs. Loser SF2 (5:30 p.m.)

Final: Winner SF1 vs. Winner SF2 (8:00 p.m.)