Marauders men’s volleyball heads into the break with a winning streak

C/O McMaster sports

The Marauders are one of only three undefeated teams remaining. 

If there is any team that McMaster students can depend on to win, the men’s volleyball team is as safe a bet as it comes. After having won the championship nine times in a span of only eleven seasons from the 2007-2008 season to the 2018-2019 season and finishing first in their division every year for the last eight years, they’ve become one of McMaster’s premier teams to watch. 

This season has kicked off successfully once again, with the team beginning their season on five consecutive victories. They have become one of only three teams to remain undefeated thus far, along with the Nipissing Lakers and the reigning back-to-back champions Queen's Gaels. 

The Marauders started their season off with an exhibition game against the Gaels, which does not count towards the standings. They would do away with their rival school fairly easily, taking the game three to one. 

The first game of the season kicked off on Nov. 6 against the Windsor Lancers and ended up being their closest game of the season as they won by a slim score of three to two. The following game came against the Guelph Gryphons, in which they won their second game with a final score of three to one. 

The third and fourth games of the season saw the Marauders match up against the Brock Badgers, with the fifth game coming against the Waterloo Warriors. All three of these games ended with a three to zero sweep.

With a perfect winning percentage on the season heading into the winter break, the team is looking to continue their streak in 2022, when they will match up against the Long Beach State University Dirtbags in a pair of exhibition games, to be hosted by McMaster on Jan. 6 and Jan. 7.

Although the games don’t count for the regular season, the exhibition games against Long Beach State University might be the most highly anticipated match of the season. The NCAA division one team based in Long Beach California is largely considered a volleyball powerhouse school, having won the national championship in both 2018 and 2019. Additionally, for a second consecutive season, the Dirtbags’ recruiting class sat atop the entire nation, having been ranked first in the United States and beaten out rivals such as the UCLA Bruins, UC Santa Barbara Gauchos and the Ohio State Buckeyes. 

The Marauders have squared off against the Dirtbags in the past, having faced them twice in the 2017-2018 season, which was also the first year of their back-to-back national title seasons. The Marauders won both games, the first by a score of three to one and the second by a score of three to two.

Beyond these exhibition games, the Dirtbags will return to the United States, where they will match up against their “big name” division one rivals, such as Harvard Crimson, Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, USC Trojans, UCLA Bruins, Stanford Cardinal and others. 

The Marauders will also be getting back to their regular season, beginning the new year against the Lancers on Jan. 15. It will be the first of a nine game marathon before the playoffs begin. The regular season ends on Feb. 27. Should the Marauders follow their long and successful streak, they are highly likely to be one of the teams who will continue to play.