The Burridge was alive on Saturday night as the McMaster Marauders defeated the Trent Excalibur in three straight sets. The Marauders started their season off with confidence on their home court, collecting two wins in their opening weekend. 

Outside hitter Thomas Williams (Oakville, Ont.) had an impressive performance, posting eight kills, three service aces and two block assists. Right alongside his teammate, Wojciech Kraj (Gliwice, Poland) showed his 6'10" height and power with six kills. Supporting the offense, 6'6" Jason Wildeboer (Bowmanville, Ont.) led the team with 14 assists.  

In the first set, the Marauders seemed a bit caught off guard by the confidence Trent brought into the game. Despite this, it didn't take long for the team to gain momentum after Williams made two kills followed by a powerful service ace from Maxime Gratton (Ottawa, Ont.). As the Marauders took off, Trent used both of their timeouts early in an attempt to rally their team. The match was competitive and you could feel the intensity brewing in the home crowd, and ultimately the Marauders came out on top with a score of 25-15.  

The Marauders seemed to find their power at the beginning of the second set. However, after Trent's time out, they seemed to unsettle the Marauders, as Trent scored three consecutive points. Maintaining their composure, McMaster fought back with heart to hold onto their lead. Williams made strong contributions, with a service ace and two kills. Matthew Rugosi (Etobicoke, Ont.) was strong on defense with four digs, while Gratton was powerful in his four kills of the set. The Marauders showed consistency, matching their score in the first set to win 25-15.  

Wildeboer made a powerful service ace right at the start of the third set to unsettle Trent. Williams continued to play a great game, with two service aces and three kills in the set. The Marauders looked composed and versatile late in the set, as Peter Rugosi (Etobicoke, Ont.) subbed in to collect three kills. The team finished the game with a confident score of 25-12 to sweep the Excalibur. 

Up Next 

The Marauders will now look forward to playing against the Western Mustangs in London on Nov. 11th at 8pm, as they hope to extend their win streak.