LONDON, Ont. — The McMaster Marauders are headed back to the OUA women's volleyball championship match after a 3-1 (19-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-21) semifinal road victory over the Western Mustangs Friday.

After dropping the opening set, the Marauders responded with three straight to defeat the No. 2 seed and advance to the Quigley Cup final for the third consecutive season.

"It's a lot of adrenaline on a win like that," said McMaster head coach Nathan Janzen. "You're playing hard on the road, great crowd, lots of noise. Getting a win like that is incredible. I think all of us are still trying to comprehend that we won that game, that we played as well as we did, and that we beat a really, really good team."

Western controlled the first set, hitting .500 as a team, but McMaster gradually took hold of the match by leaning into its serve pressure and defensive discipline. The Marauders held the Mustangs to a .079 hitting percentage in the second set and .000 in the third, shifting the momentum after the early setback. 

"We just didn't feel like we were using our eyes really well in the first set, and the moment was pretty big" Janzen said. "Once we calmed down, we started playing some good volleyball. Especially in the second set, our serve came around and really started putting them in trouble, which was one of our big goals."

Following the quarterfinal win a week ago, setter Charlie Dean said the team's approach had been simple: "Every match we play gets harder and every set we win gets harder," while keeping their focus on "one point at a time." On Friday, that composure showed in a steady road performance against a Western side McMaster had split with during the regular season.

Dean recorded 19 assists, while Chayse Victoria added 17 off the bench as the Marauders distributed the offense effectively.

McMaster was led offensively by Olivia Julien, who posted a match-high 16 kills while hitting .429. Lucie Shaver added 14 kills and seven digs, Angelika Vidmar had eight kills on 12 attacks for a .667 hitting percentage and three service aces, and Abby Delamere chipped in five kills on six swings, good for a .833 mark. As a team, the Marauders hit .308 with 48 kills, eight aces and 10 block assists.

Julien's performance reflected the all-around role she has embraced throughout the season. "I just try to contribute in every way I can," she said after last week's quarterfinal. "If my offense isn't on its A-game, then I'm just there to contribute defensively, serve receive, my serving … just contributing in any way I can."

Janzen again pointed to McMaster's depth in another high-pressure road environment.

"Chayse Victoria, Jennifer Wu and Lauren Pastor all came off the bench and were awesome for our team," he said. "We needed them tonight and they were ready for the call. They stabilized things for us and made a whole bunch of neat things happen."

Western was led by Nyla Tukker's 14 kills, while libero Madeline Pelosi finished with 20 digs.

With the win, McMaster will face the Brock Badgers in the Quigley Cup final next Friday in St. Catharines. The championship match will mark the third straight OUA final meeting between the two programs at Bob Davis Gymnasium, with McMaster winning there in 2025 after Brock claimed the title on its home court in 2024.

Now, with another shot at the Quigley Cup ahead, the Marauders head back to St. Catharines carrying the belief that has fueled their playoff run: "Why not us?"

--

For the latest news and updates on McMaster Marauder Volleyball, follow @mcmastersports and @mcmasterwvb on Instagram, or visit marauders.ca.