McMaster advances to final four as Saskatchewan falls at the hands of the closer
Marauders men’s volleyball sweeps their way through the first round as they head into a semi-final matchup against a historically difficult opponent
Mateusz Wlodarski with the recovery, Robbie Fujisawa with the set and Thomas Williams seals the deal with a spike to secure the third and final set. It’s not just déjà vu. The closer has struck again.
After a disappointing finish to their 2021-2022 national championship run, the Marauders made sure that they would not be upset again by way of a dominant victory and sweep against the Saskatchewan Huskies. The second seeded Marauders did away with the seventh seeded Huskies with final set scores of 25-19, 25-20, and 25-20.
The Huskies immediately move into the consolation bracket, where the best result they can achieve is a fifth place finish. The Marauders will continue on into the semi-final round, where they will face off against the western powerhouse Trinity Western University Spartans. The Spartans have proven a challenge for head coach Dave Preston and co. historically speaking, having taken four of the last six matchups.
“They’re one of the premier programs in the country. . . You’re into the top of the top, there’s no ducking. This is what [fans] pay for, this is why we’re here, this is what we want to do. Are we concerned? No. Are we excited? Yeah, very,” said Preston.
“They’re one of the premier programs in the country. . . You’re into the top of the top, there’s no ducking. This is what [fans] pay for, this is why we’re here, this is what we want to do. Are we concerned? No. Are we excited? Yeah, very.”
Dave Preston, Head Coach
The major points of optimism from this game come in the form of superstar Sam Cooper, and breakout star Brendan Mills. After a concerning provincial championship game, Cooper is finally looking like himself again, finishing as the game leader in both kills, and aces. Meanwhile, Mills would continue showcasing his balanced style of play, taking home player of the game honors.
In a strong team showing overall, the game would finish in a familiar style with the closer, Thomas Williams, locking up the victory, just as he did to secure the Marauders the provincial championship one week ago. The team will look to continue their high level of play on Mar. 18 at 6:00 PM on their quest to the finals.
