Remarkable run brings home playoff

Fraser Caldwell

Sports Editor

Just over a month ago, it seemed almost unthinkable that the Marauders would host a playoff game this season. The team was 3-6 as they resumed conference play, having struggled through the growing pains of a young squad searching for a collective identity.

Indeed, a playoff spot of any variety was in danger as McMaster faced a daunting second half with matches against all four of the conference’s top teams.

Yet, as the OUA season wrapped up on Feb. 12, the Maroon and Grey knew that they were to return to the Burridge Gym. From the province’s middling ranks, the Marauders had rocketed to its upper echelons on the back of a winning streak that reached eight matches.

Even while their incredible run came to a halt in their final match at York, no score line could rob the McMaster team of their accomplishment.

Speaking in the midst of quarterfinal preparation, Marauder coach Tim Louks indicated that the prospect of a home playoff contest was the proverbial carrot constantly dangled in front of his battling players.

“For the players, it was that specific comment that kept them on track,” said Louks. “We still had a lot of ground to cover, but at the same time, to give them a little bit of focus we threw it out there. We were going to need some help and at that time you didn’t know what help it was going to be.

“It wasn’t out of reach, and lo and behold, here we are.”

The crucial victory that cemented McMaster’s remarkable comeback came at the expense of the Toronto Varsity Blues on Feb. 11, as the Marauders leapfrogged their long-time rivals into the fourth spot in the OUA standings with a four-set win in the big city.

For his part, Louks believes that his team’s performance was far from perfect in their Saturday afternoon triumph, and indicated that the Marauders will address their attacking choices as they look forward to a rematch with the Blues in their upcoming conference quarterfinal on Feb. 18.

“On our side, I thought we were okay, but I don’t know if we executed as well as we could,” said Louks. “I think we were a little inconsistent. Our hitters hit some balls in places that will be better this weekend. We’re going to continue this week to address some of the decision-making that I thought could have been better.”

In his evaluation of the Toronto victory, the coach reserved special praise for hitters Lauren Skelly and Patricia Raso. The two outside players have struggled with injury and been held off court for much of the season, but exerted positive influences in McMaster’s all-important win.

“I thought Skelly was great and so was Raso,” said the Marauder bench boss. “Both of them had windows of opportunity and they opened those windows. Skelly was tactically very good and had a big impact. Raso was neutral – didn’t hurt us and didn’t help us – but put enough stress on our opponents and played some good defence.

“You’ve got to keep your eyes open throughout the week and see how these players respond. Are they going to press the envelope? All of this only makes us better.”

With Toronto looming in the quarterfinals, McMaster will be given a unique opportunity to institute lessons quickly from week-to-week. Louks argues that one such lesson will be the necessity of serving tougher to the Blues, who were able to pass efficiently in the face of unchallenging service.

“We allowed them to pass that well,” said the coach of Toronto’s ability to move the ball well on Feb. 11. “Their hitting pieces were mediocre at best. We won’t go in with a reliance on that [on Feb. 18]. They beat us here in October with similar personnel.

“We’re going to serve tougher, and when I say tougher I mean crisply. Some of our service over the weekend was a matter of caution, and some of it was getting first-year kids into some tough situations.”

In order to overcome the caution that dulls his players’ game, Louks believes that the team must create the conditions for a more assertive mindset.

“We’re going to create a more dynamic environment to help us be more aggressive,” said the coach of his aims heading into the playoffs. “We’re going to bunch up and really spring out outside hitters to get into some swing blocking that we’ve been rehearsing. Get our blockers attacking the hitter, and getting hands across rather than up.

“We’ve got enough in the tank that I think people can enter with a real intent and not caution or fear. But you’ve got to put players in a situation to take advantage of that.”

Having earned the right to host a quarterfinal match, Louks emphasizes the need for his players to stay grounded and not be carried away by their regular season success.

“From the beginning of the year, my expectation was that we would be in the postseason. 11-7 was a fabulous league season, but you take a deep breath and then you let it out. This is where the fun begins. This is where you start playing for the right to call yourself the best.”

McMaster continues their quest to earn that right on Feb. 18, when they welcome the recently beaten Blues to the Burridge Gym for their quarterfinal rematch. The Saturday night tilt is set to begin at 6 p.m.