HAMILTON, Ont. – The No. 3 nationally ranked Marauders start their playoff campaign this Saturday night as they host the TMU Bold at Burridge Gymnasium.
OUA Quarterfinals
McMaster vs TMU
Burridge Gymnasium | Hamilton, Ont.
February 25th, 2023 @ 8PM
As the first seed in the OUA, the Marauders have earning hosting rights throughout the playoffs, starting with a quarter-final match that is taking place at 8pm on Saturday.. McMaster went 18-2, racking up 36 points, led by Head Coach, Dave Preston. This will be Preston's final season as head coach of the Marauders.
The Maroon and Grey started the regular season with back-to-back games against Trent University, dropping the Excalibur in three quick sets both games. The Marauders then made quick work of Western, Waterloo, Brock, TMU and Nipissing, winning the matches in four sets or less.
In the last game of the 2022 regular season, the Queen's Gaels proved to be tough competition, forcing McMaster to go to five sets, however the Marauders ultimately came out on top (23-25, 30-28, 25-19, 22-25, 15-10).
In the 2023 regular season, the Maroon and Grey went on the defeat Brock, University of Toronto, Waterloo, York, RMC, and Western in four sets or less. The Marauders were on an 18 game win streak up until the final weekend of the regular season where they fell to both the TMU Bold and the Toronto Varsity Blues.
After taking home the Forsythe Cup last season, the McMaster men's volleyball team looks poised to make yet another deep playoff run. Six Marauders rank in the top 10 in multiple statistical categories.
Leading the charge for the Maroon and Grey has been outside hitter Mateusz Wlodarski (Ottawa, Ont.). Offensively, he recorded a hitting percentage of 0.246, and averaging 0.37 service aces per set. Wlodarski also posted a strong performance defensively, ranked sixth for solo blocks (21), and 11th for blocks per set (averaging 0.7). Defensively, liberos Matthew Rugosi (Etobicoke, Ont.) and Ben Kerkhoff (London, Ont.) keep things steady with Rugosi recording 1.72 digs per set, and Kerkhoff recording 365 receptions.
Also producing defensively are fourth year middles Wojciech Kraj (Gliwice, Poland), and Tyler Pavelic (Oakville, Ont.). Kraj recorded 21 solo blocks and 33 block assists, for a total of 54 blocks this season, ranking him fifth in the OUA. Kraj also averaged 0.77 blocks per set. Pavelic recorded 33 block assists (ranked eighth in the OUA), averaging 0.72 blocks per set, ranking him tenth in the OUA. On the offense, Pavelic posted 27 service aces, to average 0.42 service aces per set, ranking him fourth in the OUA.
Much of the credit also goes to second-year setter, Robbie Fujisawa (North York, Ont.) for keeping the team's play at pace, recording 516 assists, ranking him ninth in the OUA.
TMU sit middle of the pack when it comes to their regular season success. The Bold finished their season with seventh seed and a 10-10 record. In the 2021-22 post-season, the Bold lost in the OUA Quarterfinals to the University of Toronto Blues in four sets (25-23, 21-25, 21-25, 19-25). After finishing the OUA regular season with a win against the Marauders, the Bold is looking strong as they head into post-season play.
Leaders on the team include Jacob Walker, a second year outside hitter who recorded 259 kills, averaging 3.65 kills per set, ranking him fifth in the OUA . Walker also posted 606 total attacks, with a hitting percentage of 0.266. Defensively, middle Alex King ranks first in solo blocks (50) and second in total blocks (68), and blocks per set (0.94). Libero, Lhexen Rabit, ranks third in the OUA for both digs, recording 143 and digs per set, averaging 2.10 digs per set.
The winner of Saturday's match-up will go on to play in the OUA semifinals, which is slated to take place Sat. March 4th, with the Forsythe Cup final scheduled for Sat. March 11th.
