WINNIPEG (U SPORTS) – The No. 2 seeded McMaster Marauders defeated the No. 8 seeded Manitoba Bisons in the consolation final to secure a fifth-place finish on the third and final day of the 2022 U SPORTS Men's Volleyball Championship at the Investors Group Athletic Centre.

Led by first-year outside hitter Brendan Mills, who tallied a team-high 12 kills in the match; the Marauders completed their national championship campaign with a 3-1(25-17, 25-14, 16-25, 27-25) victory.

The Marauders came out in dominating fashion, starting the first set on a 7-0 run. The sizable early lead proved to be insurmountable for Manitoba as McMaster went on to take the opening set 25-17. The 2022 OUA champs continued to display their dominance in the second set, taking it by a score of 25-14. In the third frame, it was the Bisons who turned in a convincing performance, winning the set 25-16. The two sides battled to a 25-25 tie in the fourth set before the Marauders took the set 27-25 to secure the match.
 
Second-year Marauder, Peter Rugosi, registered ten kills along with four digs to help clinch the fifth-place finish for his squad. Darian Koskie recorded 7 kills and a hitting percentage of .467 to lead the Bisons, who as the hosts of the championship, will finish in sixth.

As a team, McMaster recorded a .284 hitting percentage in the match while Manitoba posted a percentage of .189. It was the final appearance for fifth-year libero, Jordan Pereira, who captained his team through a tumultuous season riddled with challenges that ended in an 11th Forsyth Cup in program history.

"I'm overcome with emotion right now," said Pereira, looking for words to describe his thoughts. "That was my last game as a Marauder, and it's been a crazy journey. Not many teams get to finish their season with a win, so it's great that we're able to finish on a good note."

Pereira, the only player competing in their fifth-year of eligibility, made a return to the Marauders after graduating during the pandemic season in hopes of a storybook ending, but also received the opportunity to guide his younger teammates.

"I hope they learn the Marauder legacy that the older guys taught me," said the captain, reflecting on his season with the young squad. "I hope they see how much work it takes to get [to nationals], and how much work it takes to win so that we can be the next ones. There's a lot of good young players here, this team has a really bright future, and I'm excited to watch."

"That's the downside to collegiate sport in Canada, that they have to move on," added Head Coach Dave Preston. "[Jordan's] legacy will be known forever."

"The stuff that he does in the team room, the board room, the leadership council is outstanding. The guys are going to miss him, there's no way you replace a guy like that - we have other guys that will play that position, but you don't replace a JP."

The Marauders came into the weekend ranked No.2 but were upset in their quarterfinal matchup against the University of Calgary Dinos, 3-1. McMaster responded with a 3-1 win in the consolation semi-finals over the Queen's University Gaels before claiming victory over the host Bisons in the consolation final to close out their tournament.

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McMaster Marauders: Peter Rugosi
Manitoba Bisons: Darian Koskie