Staring the prospect of a fifth set against a dangerous, nationally-ranked opponent in the face, the Marauders responded with an improbable streak in the fourth set of Sunday's match to snatch victory in dramatic fashion.

McMaster won 11 consecutive points to steal the fourth set from Western, consigning the Mustangs to a 3-1 defeat (16-25, 29-27, 25-20, 25-21) at Burridge Gym, as the Marauders avenged one of their two conference losses this season to move to 8-2 on the season.

Right side Matt Passalent continued his torrid return to the Marauders lineup by leading all players with 15 kills and 18.5 points, including an ace, one solo block and three block assists in the win.

Craig Ireland (15) and Andrew Richards (10) also eclipsed double digits in points for Mac, while setter David Doty racked up 35 assists in four sets of work.

It was a nightmarish start to Sunday for the home side, as McMaster fell behind immediately in the opening set and watched Western race to the finish line.

With just eight kills versus seven errors in the set, the Marauders hit just .032, while the Mustangs were efficient by comparison in committing just four attacking errors against 12 kills.

The end result was a one-sided frame, in which McMaster never threatened and lost out by a nine-point margin, being served a stern reminder of the quality needed to prevail against another nationally-ranked opponent.

Their fortunes improved in the second, as Mac's passing and subsequently, its offence, came to life, swelling the team's hitting percentage in the set to .243.

There was little to choose between the teams throughout the second, and McMaster held just a one-point lead at the technical timeout after an attacking error from Western's Brady Fidler. With side-out volleyball holding sway late, the hosts managed to fashion a pair of set points at 24-22 after a Western error, but saw both of those go begging.

A third also went unanswered, before the Marauders took advantage of their fourth when rookie middle Tyler Pavelic killed through the middle for 29-27.

Having averted a two-set deficit, McMaster pressed its advantage in the third, winning five of the first seven points to take an early lead, and retaining that cushion through the technical timeout.

Resolutely denying the Mustangs any way back into the set, the Marauders clung to their lead and sealed the set strongly, winning three of the final four points and taking it on an error from Mustang outside Evan Cranshaw for 25-20 and a 2-1 overall lead.

The match seemed destined for a fifth and deciding set as Western emerged from the changeover the stronger side, and built upon a 16-11 lead at the technical timeout to enjoy a seven-point advantage at 21-14.

That's when the hosts embarked on a nigh-miraculous run, proceeding to win the next 11 points on the trot and dramatically overhaul the deficit to steamroll past the shell-shocked Mustangs.

With Ireland providing constant service, McMaster won points in nearly every fashion imaginable along the way, forcing a timeout from Western with the deficit down to just two at 21-19. The break did the visitors little good, however, and the match was over six points later, when Richards chased an Ireland ace with a kill for 25-21.

NEXT UP: McMaster remains home in a week's time, welcoming the Brock Badgers to Burridge Gym for a 3:00 p.m. encounter. That match can be seen live on OUA.tv.