Onwards and upwards

By: Ryan Tse

Marauders fans filling Burridge Gym on the March 10 weekend barely got their money’s worth — not that they were complaining. After an early scare dropping the first set to Windsor, the Marauders wasted no time in establishing their dominance by winning the next three sets. They then commanded the finals on Saturday, winning in straight sets over Queen’s.

In doing so, McMaster captured an Ontario University Athletics record-breaking sixth-straight title. It’s not supposed to be easy to make history, but the team made it look that way with their quick work of the Lancers and Rams.

Coach Dave Preston was happy with his team’s performance and how they were able to execute the game plan.

“That first set was more about Windsor than us,” Preston said. “They were amazing. So we kind of weathered the storm. We knew that they were going to be good. In the second set, I thought we did a really good job of responding and waiting for our opportunity to capitalize.”

“I thought we played defence pretty well all weekend,” Preston added. “Even against Queen’s in the final, I thought our block was real good, our defense was real good and our serving strategy worked. I think we executed pretty well. Overall, I was pretty pleased.”

However, the path to becoming the top team in Ontario was not always smooth. Fourth-year outside-hitter and OUA Player of the Year Andrew Richards admitted that he was not sure what this team would look like coming into the season, especially with the departure of key players last year like Danny Demyanenko and Andrew Kokur.

“There was a little bit of a question mark earlier in the season as to what kind of team we would be or if we could live up to what we had done in past years,” said Richards. “But our older guys and even some of the younger guys have stepped up big and filled those roles. We opened up the season with a loss, so right from the beginning we had a bit of a wake-up call and we learned some valuable lessons that teams are going to bring their best stuff when they face us. So if we’re not prepared or if we’re not 100 per cent engaged, it’s not going to go our way just because we think it should.”

Without some familiar faces leading the way, this year provided ample opportunity for young players to blossom. In particular, Preston mentioned the emergence of all-rookie middle hitter Bennett Swan, second-year libero Jordan Pereira and sophomore setter David Doty. Doty leads the charge as setter, masterfully organizing the potent Marauders offence.

“As leaders, our leadership council has been outstanding,” said Preston. “But it’s not always about leadership, sometimes it’s about fellowship. Leaders are only as good as the willingness of people to follow. Our other guys are very willing to step in line and do what is necessary. I’m proud not just of our leaders, but also our younger guys who have stepped up in big roles this year.”

One pivotal moment that gave the Marauders a special boost was a loss to Western in the second-last game of the regular season, which provided an opportunity for the team to refocus and get back to basics.

“Near the end of our season, there were a couple weeks where we were squeaking out wins just by a little bit, and then finally, we lost to Western in our own gym,” said Richards. “That was kind of the last straw. We realized that how we had been playing isn’t really good enough for where we wanted to get to.”

What becomes apparent as you speak to the Marauders is how mentally composed the team is, never looking too far ahead or letting any semblance of arrogance or distraction infiltrate the locker room. The team always remains focused just on the game immediately ahead of them, stepping over one stone at a time to achieve their long-term goals.

“Dave’s not concerned with the outcome,” Doty said. “He’s just concerned with how the outcome was executed.”

Both Doty and Richards credit the team’s winning mindset in large part to Preston’s guidance. Preston’s been on the Marauders’ sideline for 16 years and was awarded Coach of the Year for the fourth time this year. An interesting insight into Preston’s mentality is that he always wants to keep the team grounded so that they are not caught up in long-term championship goals or breaking records.

“[Six straight OUA championships] didn’t come up all season, not once. It wasn’t in our language. It wasn’t in our conversations. We talked about it after that match and said, ‘That’s kinda neat.’ But some of these guys have only been here a year, so six means nothing to them,” said Preston. “It’s my job to simplify this as much as I can. It’s a nice thing to talk about on a Monday afternoon, but the truth is before the games we’re talking x’s and o’s and how we want to maintain a composure, not how we’re trying to rewrite the history book.”

Another factor that makes him successful is how much he cares for the players, not just as players, but also as men and students. Preston views his role, especially for today’s athlete, as one where he is “facilitating opportunity”.

“They’re self-motivated, self-directed athletes,” said Preston. “They don’t need me screaming and yelling at them. What they need is someone in front of them who’s showing them the way and telling them how we can do things a little bit better.”

All of Preston’s work in developing the talent of this Marauders squad has put them in a great position to chase down more history this weekend, as they vie for McMaster’s first U Sports national championship. While the Marauders finished with a bronze medal last year at nationals, this year comes with a new team with fresh faces and another chance at glory.

What makes this weekend even more special is that the championship will be hosted by Mac for the second time in the past three years. The players know it will be special to compete in front of their home fans.

“We have the greatest advantage we could ask for in playing at home,” said Richards. “Now it’s about competing hard, enjoying ourselves and trusting all the hard work we’ve put in. We know that these next couple of days will be some of the best memories of our lives so we’re really just gonna soak it all in and leave it out on the floor. We’ve taken care of the OUA so many times, but I think we’re all ready to win the big one, so this is a good year to do it.”

No matter what happens, it is undeniable this season has been a high-flying, successful journey for the Marauders.

“This year we’ve really, really meshed well and I think the team culture has been good,” Richards added. “We don’t have to prove anything to anyone, we kind of do it for ourselves and do it because we enjoy the game and enjoy playing with each other. It’s been a really enjoyable season, and the guys have had a great time along the way.”

For now though, reflection can wait. It’s all about U Sports and the challenge awaiting them this weekend. There’s no doubt the team has the tools to win the championship. Now it’s time to see if they can execute at Burridge Gym and step into the spotlight on the national stage as Canada’s best.

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