TOKYO, Japan - There are few feats that one can achieve in their life more impressive than representing their country as an Olympian. Come July 24, in the first match of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, McMaster men's volleyball alumni Stephen Maar and TJ Sanders will do just that.

Maar, who studied History and Political Science and competed at McMaster from 2012-2016, will join the 0.0001% of people on earth who share the well-earned privilege of competing at the Olympics. Although, as a four-time consecutive OUA champion, four-time CIA/USPORTS medalist, 1^st Team All-Canadian, and 2016 OUA Player of the Year, it may come as no surprise for McMaster Volleyball fans to see Maar realize this opportunity.

TJ Sanders, who played two seasons for the Marauders (2010-2012), will join Maar and the rest of their squad in Japan. The veteran Canadian National Team setter returns to Tokyo for his second Olympics. The last time he was in Tokyo? The final qualifying tournament for Rio 2016.

With two Marauders in Tokyo and four on the national team at the recent Volleyball Nations League in Italy, Maar spoke on the experience of training and competing with some of his former teammates.

"It's really special," said Maar. "To have that previous experience and to reconnect with the Marauders and see them grow, it's amazing. To see how they have achieved their goals through all the hard work is humbling."

For those who know him, hard work is not a new phrase in Maar's vocabulary. Battling through injury, sacrificing precious time with family and friends while competing overseas, and now overcoming the year-long delay of the Olympic games, his disposition is a product of years of unrelenting hard work.

Even when asked about how it felt to be an Olympian, Maar was quick to set the record straight.

"I'm not an Olympian yet."

Sure, qualifying for the Olympics, achieving arguably the most impressive and sought-after achievement in the athletic world is astounding, but yet still nothing is certain. 

The "yet" in this answer is a brief but enlightening gaze into the mentality of an Olympic-calibre athlete. Each training block, each off-day, even each serve or pass, can be a determining factor in how you perform. Maar stresses the importance of giving each moment the attention it deserves, and never taking anything for granted.

For McMaster head men's volleyball coach Dave Preston, it wasn't surprising to hear Stephen share this mentality.

"You don't learn how to become an Olympian at the Olympics," says Preston. "If you want to develop that mentality, it needs to be fostered from before. His mentality is not that different from what is preached in our program. If you do the work, the opportunities will come."

There is perhaps no better demonstration of this champion mentality than Team Canada's knack for 5^th set theatrics. After defeating Cuba, down 2-0 in a must-win five-set thriller at the 2020 NORCECA championships, Canada went on to sweep Puerto Rico and qualify for the Olympic Games early last year.

Just a few weeks ago in their last game at the Volleyball Nations League, the Canadians once again rallied to defeat a strong Serbian squad in five sets, preventing Serbia from qualifying for the championship round.

For Maar, this capacity for dramatics is a by-product of countless hours of work off the court.

"There's been a lot of work put into the mental fortitude and culture of this team both on the individual and team level," he said. "That preparation has shown itself in those five-setters, but it's also evident in the less obvious moments, like a post-travel training session."

With the victory over Serbia coming at the end of a five-game winning streak, Maar, Sanders, and the rest of Team Canada are hoping to ride that momentum into Tokyo 2020. For Maar, the end goal is to medal, but he and his team are focused on taking it one match at a time.

Coach Preston speaks about his former student-athletes Stephen and TJ with tremendous pride.

"Seeing these young men realizing the dreams that they came to McMaster to try and be a part of, gives me a tremendous amount of satisfaction" added Preston. "It's probably one of my proudest moments as a coach."

Between the Olympic, NextGen, Junior, and Youth teams, the McMaster men's volleyball program currently has representation at every level of the game. For Preston, that speaks volumes to the quality of character that the university, and his program, attract.

"You never want to take these things for granted, but this is what the program and university are designed to do," remarks Preston. "You want to take these amazing people and help them realize their dreams. Even for the young men in first and second year who haven't had the chance to play in the Burridge yet, their attraction to the program is an indicator of the calibre of individual that McMaster university attracts and develops."

Coach Preston was quick to preface that despite the spotlight on the Olympics, he is equally proud of the achievements that his current and former student-athletes have displayed across the wide spectrum of careers and passions.

"We would never expect everyone to be an Olympian, but those principles of success will resonate across any area. Whether academics, workforce, or elsewhere, I see us as a steppingstone towards success. The concepts we teach are not complex but take battle testing to manifest. There are no better examples than our student-athletes who go on to succeed beyond measure in whichever world they choose."

Preston and the rest of the McMaster Volleyball community will be eagerly watching their alumnus and the rest of the Canadian Men's Volleyball team with pride and excitement as they lead off the Olympic tournament in the first match against Italy on Saturday, July 24^th at 8:00 PM EST.

For a complete Tokyo 2020 men's volleyball schedule, visit https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/volleyball/olympic-schedule-and-results.htm