It starts at home

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When I first started covering McMaster Men’s Volleyball regularly in the fall, I was aware of the high expectations that came from both inside and outside of the program. However, I only became aware of our volleyball excellence by watching games and walking through the David Braley Athletic Centre. Mac volleyball isn’t heavily advertised beyond the walls of the building so it took some effort to realize that our school has a championship-calibre volleyball program.

McMaster Men’s Volleyball has become a household name in the CIS and Head Coach Dave Preston is the mastermind behind the perennial powerhouse. McMaster has appeared and medaled in each of the past three CIS National Championships. From 2013 to 2015, the Marauders have come home with silver and two bronzes. I have asked players what they think about those accomplishments and I have gotten the same response.

Nobody wants silver or bronze.

To them, it’s nothing to smile about. I have never seen a team with such a healthy dissatisfaction over medaling at nationals. Some schools would throw a parade for those outcomes, but at McMaster the standard is different. Second is “first worst” and third looks like a pity consolation.

After returning from the CIS Nationals in Saskatoon last February, McMaster was already thinking about the new season. They didn’t win gold in 2015. That’s all they remember. Since Feb. 27, 2015 when they lost in a CIS semifinal to Trinity Western, McMaster has had their eyes on the 2016 gold.

The lining looked sterling silver for this season with a lot of last year’s players returning along with the addition of several skilled rookie recruits. McMaster has made their presence felt across the country from October until now. The target was and is still on their back.

Everyone wants a piece of them.

Their season started with a trip to Poland where they had the unique opportunity to play high-level club teams. Then they beat reigning national champion Alberta, dominated the OUA and stole a couple of wins at Ohio State somewhere in between.

Now they are entering the postseason 18-2 with some defined battle scars. This team is not waltzing in blindly about to get blindsided. What’s even more encouraging is that the second half of their season has seen the emergence of their younger players. Second-years Calvin Lee, Connor Santoni, Jeff Driediger, Peter Khodkevych, Ebbasa Dugassa and first years Craig Ireland and Matt Passalent have produced quality volleyball when called upon. Coach Preston says they’ve come to a point where they can execute Mac’s gameplan like the normal starters would. Not many teams can say that about their bench.

The fact that this team is entering the playoffs battle-tested is scary. They know what it’s like to be down on the road. They know what it’s like to win without some of their best players. They know what it’s like to get punched in the mouth.

But they also know how to get back up and then knock you out.

I know I speak for this team and their coaching staff when I say this: Give them your best shot. They want it.

The postseason has arrived and it starts this weekend at home in the Burridge Gym. McMaster plays Waterloo in an OUA semifinal on March 3 at 8 p.m.

Photo Credit: Jon White/ Photo Editor

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