Serve’s up!

Five months. From the time the first whistle of pre-season is blown to the final match of the Ontario University Association playoffs, the McMaster women will have been in season for over 20 weeks.

Already underway, McMaster has started strong posting a clean sweep of their opponents on route to a gold medal at the Thanksgiving classic and a big 3-1 win against Guelph to kick off their regular season at home. But with so many games still left on their docket, forecasting the rest of the season can be a daunting task.

One certainty lies in Mac’s depth as a squad, which will lend itself to the versatility of their team. With a strong contingent of fourth and fifth-year players, Mac has ability to change their look from week to week, keeping opponents on their toes with a tailor-fitted style of play.

“Our reliance will be kind of night to night,” said head coach Tim Louks. “So how can we [change] and what can we do given our opponent and what they are prepared for… We have some flexibility, maybe they aren’t expecting this lineup, or to block in this fashion or to play offensively fast or slow. Without trying to drive inconsistency in our team, we are trying to [think about] what we present to our opponent.”

An early 3-1 pre-season loss to Toronto predicts another year of dense competition within the OUA. The usual suspects,Western, Ryerson and Windsor, will all be looking to build on strong performances from last year. A slight shakeup in playing conferences on the woman’s side also saw a contender in the University of Ottawa depart the OUA to compete in Quebec, with Trent’s varsity program called up as a replacement.

“Where the competition may come from could be pretty close to home,” said Louks. “It could come from different sources, but Western will be, Ryerson will be [right there]. I could talk about most teams having improved, and having the ability to make an impact.”

To stay competitive, Mac will look to improve on recognizing the state of their opponents, and being more patient offensively when they fall out of system. Doing so will help to extend scramble plays into longer rallies, producing more efficient scoring chances for the Marauders.

“We don’t need to necessarily score immediately, we may not be able to do that readily if we are under pressure,” said Louks. “We can rely on our defensive side and keep more balls in play. That has been the theme through pre-season, and we are starting to trust that a little more.”

But in a game where trust and experience go hand in hand, fans have every reason to expect another high flying season for the McMaster women. Strap in folks, this team is here for the long haul.

Middle Ground 

Mac had a strong off-season solidifying their lineup with three new recruits for the middle position. Hailey Kranics, Jessie Nairn   and Kamila Haase will look to fill the spot left the departure of OUA second team all-star Taylor Brisebois, although fans may need to give them time to adjust to a U Sports level of play before they become regulars in the Marauder rotation. York transfer Aleks Arsovic will add a new look to the outside hitter position, while fifth-year veteran Alicia Jack is slated to return from a knee injury later this season.

“We have three good first year additions that can have an impact,” said Louks. “We are probably going to rely, at this stage in the game, as we have through exhibition pieces, on us being a year older for most of us and with some very good injections on the top end.”

Players to watch

Joanna Jedzejewska 

The fourth-year outside hitter was a go-to for the Marauder’s offense last season, finishing fourth in the OUA in kills per set (3.16) and earning OUA first team honors. “Jo is a very good player and will lead in moments when she can sustain what she has to do athletically” said Louks. Look for her to be a reliable threat offensively in Mac’s lineup.

Maicee Sorensen 

The fourth-year middle made a defensive stand last season, finishing sixth in the OUA for total blocks and earning second team all OUA honours. She also sat in the OUA top 10 for total service aces. With another 4 blocks to start the season against Guelph, expect Sorensen to be a strong presence at the net.

Rebecca Steckle 

The fifth-year player had a breakout season last year, earning her place as a regular starter as she skyrocketed to third in hitting percentage (.253) and fourth in kills per set (1.82) on Mac’s roster. “Leaders have to lead, and at the end of the day… Rebecca has arrived there,” said Louks. “She is constructive, she is positive… she is playing the game at a high level of confidence, and it’s fun to watch that.” Expect Steckle to translate her experience into leadership on the court.