Tuesday, March 2nd 2010
Once again, the sporting gods throw us a karmic curveball.
In a fitting twist to the OUA volleyball campaign, the Marauders will meet the Guelph Gryphons in their semi-final encounter on Friday. The Gryphons have been a perpetual thorn in Mac’s side this season, beating the OUA leaders in both of their previous games (3-1 and 3-0). Considering that the Marauders lost only three games in total, Guelph’s achievement is both impressive and puzzling. Either way, Mac will have the chance to redeem themselves in elimination play and put an end to the giant-killers.
Keys to the Game: In their home loss to the Gryphons after the Christmas break, the Marauders looked tired and out of sorts, unable to play with any conviction on either side of the ball. Guelph wreaked havoc with the hosts when they began to effectively time the Mac attack rhythm and shut down the usually unstoppable Jeremy Groenveld down the wings. In addition, the Gryphons managed to do what no other team consistently has: outmuscle the Marauders vicious middle duo of Tyler Santoni and Shawn Bench at net.
If they are to stop that trend on Friday, Mac will need to greatly up the tempo, and use a varied attacking game to keep the Gryphon blockers on the back foot. Once the Marauders’ hitting warms up, look for the boys to ratchet up the emotion and the noise on court. The team plays noticeably better when angry, empowering the big men to swing for the fences and put their stamp on the game and the score sheet.
Bottom Line: Guelph’s success in the regular season can neither be understated nor ignored. To have beaten the premier squad in Ontario as handily as they have demands some serious respect. However, as the Marauders themselves will readily tell you, Mac has consistently found another gear when they find themselves in clutch situations. Just ask the Gaels and Mustangs (the two prospective final opponents coincidentally) how they liked playing the Marauders when the OUA standings were still in doubt.
As such, expect an entirely different game in this semifinal from the disappointments of the regular season. It is in these championship circumstances, with an energized crowd at their back, that a great team truly shows their form. The difference in ability is just too great to overlook in this one. I believe that we’ll see a statement game from the Marauders, who will clear the skeletons out of the closet with an emphatic victory in straight sets.
Tags: jeremy Groenveld, men's volleyball, Shawn Bench, Tyler Santoni, volleyball
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[...] fun tomorrow. An upset in the making, or a time for revenge? As my esteemed colleague F. Caldwell points out, the boys will need to come out and play like big angry men. I’m expecting an awesome crowd. [...]