Rebecca Steckle never thought she would be back for a fifth year. Academically driven, on course to graduate, and ready to begin her career as a nurse, it wasn’t until a teammate stated another possibility.
“One of my friends [Kiera Adams] joked one day ‘wouldn’t it be funny if we all came back,’ because we all weren’t planning on it,” said Steckle. “I remembered [laughing], but I never gave it a chance… It was just never on the table [at that point].”
Flash forward to this season, and not only is Steckle back on the court in maroon, she is enjoying a perfect 6-0 record in league play while putting up some of the most stellar performances of her career.
“It got to the point where I thought about it and I just thought ‘why not’,” said Steckle. “I have the rest of my life to do everything else but I only have one more year to play with this team.”
Making the most of every game has been a clear theme among the Mac women this year, and their record shows it. Currently sitting third in the University Sports national rankings, women’s volleyball has yet to lose a game at home, dropping only two sets since October with solid wins over York, Lakehead and Brock in the last three weeks.
As a player, Steckle has transitioned from a first-year recruit out of Kitchener, Ontario who averaged just 0.71 points a game, to a team starter who currently sits third in the Ontario University Athletics league in hitting percentage (0.357) with 51 total kills and 65.5 points on the year.
So what advice does this seasoned player have for her fellow marauders?
Find your Mental Game
Being physically ready is just half the battle. Mental preparation has a huge impact on performance, and needs effort to improve.
“It took a long time for my game not to be dependent on how confident I was feeling,” said Steckle. “I [started to realize] that it wasn’t about ‘do I get this point or do I not,’ it was ‘am I being better?’ It was ‘did I allow my team to get the point or did I make my team better.”
“My mindset is always staying relaxed, and not thinking too much about the game,” said Steckle. “I don’t like to overthink... I just need to remember who I am playing for. My focus before the game is relaxing and remembering why I am in that team room, its for the girls around me.”
Don’t Dwell
Steckle has experienced her own setbacks along the way, from nagging injures to early playoffs exits. But the ability to take something away from each of those setbacks is what is really important.
“There are moments that are really hard… it is easy to look back and be angry, and we have all [done it]. But it becomes to much of an emotional game,” said Steckle. “Learning to take losses and recognize what you have done well or where you have lacked [can] help you focus in on what you need to do next time. As a team, we are much better at that.”
Venture out of your Comfort Zone
Finding your own success means more than just working hard within immediate circles.
“I lot of the time we can get into this bubble within the Mac community, which is cool because I think we have a really strong group, the university itself is just so inclusive,” said Steckle. “But it’s easy to forget that there is a world outside of us, and even easier to forget there are a lot of things that aren’t easy happening around us.”
Walking the Walk
As an executive of the student non-for-profit Athletes Care, Steckle has been an advocate of youth empowerment through sport and currently serves as the hospital visit coordinator for the organization. She has also volunteered with the Abide Family Centre, travelling to Uganda to work with individuals from impoverished communities. For her efforts, Steckle was award the OUA West Division 2016 Award of Merit and was a finalist for the Dr. Edna Guest award for outstanding female graduating student.
Keep the Balance
When it comes to managing school work and other commitments, it is more than just keeping busy and being efficient with the time that you have.
“People always ask how you can do multiple things… but I think when you enjoy two things and you put your full effort into them you are able to do it,” said Steckle. “If you don’t love both its hard because you wont want to do one or the other... but for me I was able to do [school and sports] because I love both and I wanted to do my best in both of them.”
Above everything else? it’s the little things that make everything worthwhile.
“I am so thankful for every moment, because I never expected them to happen. So the fact I get another chance at that for another year, is really special,” said Steckle.
“Just take the little moments and enjoy them, and you will be fine. You will love it.”
By: John Bauer
If McMaster’s women’s volleyball team can take one positive from the past week’s sweeps at the hands of Ryerson and U of T, it is that they have been in the same situation before, and it did not turn out so bad for them. They lost to both teams in the regular season last year as well, before going on to beat Toronto when it counted in OUA semi-finals en route to the Ontario title. The Marauders are no doubt hoping history repeats itself later this year.
The Nov. 19 game was much closer than the 19-25, 25-27, 23-25 decision indicates. Both teams finished with near identical stats, save the Rams’ ten service aces to McMaster’s five, which made the difference in a tight game. Maicee Sorensen led the Marauder offence with 13.5 kills.
Saturday’s match showed why the Toronto Varsity Blues are the favourites to come out of the OUA, as they handed McMaster a 9-25, 21-25, 19-25 defeat. Toronto’s defence limited the Marauder’s big guns to a paltry 0.06 kill efficiency, though Joanna Jedrzejewska did manage 11 points.
Following the games, captain Taylor Brisebois felt her teammates and her were not quite back to playing at the level that won them the championship last year.
“We are capable of more than [that] we believe, so at this point we will work on improving intensity at practice and focus on minimizing our errors,” Brisebois said. “We will keep getting better throughout the season and next time we see them we will be a different team and they won’t know what’s coming.”
The Marauders play Brock and Guelph on Nov. 28 and 29, before breaking for exams.
Despite suffering consecutive losses for the first time this season, the final games before the break do not have any special significance in Brisebois’ eyes.
“Every single game is important, no matter the time or the opponent, we are always looking to improve and get the win.”
Although every game is important, Brisebois is without a doubt hoping for another shot at Ryerson or U of T in the playoffs.
“We will definitely see one or both of those teams again and I look forward to it.”
The McMaster Women’s volleyball team had a huge weekend, winning both their final regular season games and securing a spot in the playoffs to finish off their season.
The team’s first win came against the Brock Badgers who hosted the Marauders on Feb. 7 in St. Catharines, Ont.
Rookie player Sophie Bukovec was busy on Friday’s game with a standout performance, converting 17 of 50 hitting attempts and adding six blocks for a game high 23 points.
Taylor Brisebois and Maicee Sorenson were also among some of the Marauders to reach double-digit points in the win.
Brock appeared to seize momentum numerous times in the match but would come back to win the fourth set, tying the match and adding a deciding fifth set into the mix. The Marauders were able to take control early in the fifth set leading the Badgers 7-4 as the team’s approached the changeover.
The Marauders would build momentum and not give up another point, reaching the end of the match with a 15-4 victory over the hosting Brock squad.
McMaster would then return home to Burridge Gym on Feb. 8 and get set to host the visiting Ottawa Gee-Gees for a 6 p.m. start time.
It was Seniors night, a night which honored the senior players who will be graduating after the completion of the 2013-14 season. The Marauders would put up a commendable fight to blow the Gee-Gees out of the water and take the game 3-2.
After an emotional presentation for McMaster’s four graduating seniors, the Gee-Gees took off flying, determined to put a damper on the evening’s festivities.
The Gee-Gees strong start put them up 16-5 early in the match. After the technical timeout, the Gee-Gees lead would prove to great to catch up to, allowing Ottawa to take the first set and reach a 1-0 lead over the hosting Marauders.
With the Gee-Gees fighting for a win in order to secure a home playoff game in the first round of next week’s OUA playoffs, Ottawa was on a mission and was proving to be a difficult opponent for the Marauders.
The second set showed Ottawa once again take an early lead over the Marauders with a commanding 19-10 lead. Mac would eventually close the gap to only seven points but would not get any closer, leaving Ottawa the opportunity to close out the second set with a 25-17 win, bringing their lead to 2-0 over the Marauders.
With the risk of a 3-set sweep on home court in the Marauders midst, they knew they had to come out in full force in order to win an important third set. A fired up group of Marauders stormed the Gee-Gees grabbing an early 16-7 lead at the technical timeout. The Marauders would eventually power through to take the set 25-9 providing the spark the team needed in order to win this game.
With their momentum continuing to grow the Marauders would shake off a trailing fourth set score to grab a lead once again at 16-11. The set would reach it’s conclusion with the Marauders sitting on top, taking the set 25-21 and brining the game to a tie at 2 a piece.
For the second straight night in a row the Marauders would go into a crucial fifth set which would eventually decide the outcome of the match. The Marauders went pedal to metal and showed no signs of wavering throughout the set. Taking an early 8-4 lead the Marauders would continue their push and would eventually take the set and the game with a 15-7 victory and a 3-2 over the Gee-Gees.
Prior to the match, fifth year seniors Amanda Weldon and Kayla Ng as well as fourth year seniors Camilla Thome-Tjomsland and Kierstyn Bakker were presented with tokens of appreciation for the commitment and contributions to the Marauder volleyball program.
The ladies in maroon finish the season with a 13-6 record which gives them a second place finish overall heading into the OUA playoffs starting next week. The Marauders will host the Windsor Lancers in the division semi-final contest to be held this weekend on Feb. 17 in Burridge Gym.
Tobi Abdul
Staff Reporter
The women’s volleyball team travelled to Kingston, Ont. this past weekend to take on both the RMC Paladins and Queen’s Gaels.
As the team moves closer to the playoffs, every game must be a win if they are to knock Guelph out of first place.
McMaster currently has one more loss than Guelph, putting them within two points of first place.
During the Jan. 31 game against the Paladins, the Marauders’ five game conference winning streak came to a halt after a five set battle.
The Marauders were able to take the lead in the match after winning the first set 25-23.
In the set, the Marauders worked on having accurate passing and great serving.
They seemed to be developing on skills that cost them sets in previous matches.
“Working through adversity should become easier as we continue to develop as a team,” said first year player Sophie Bukovec, who led with 23 points during the match, including five aces.
McMaster’s next set showed an offensive weakness and they seemed like a different team who had played the set before.
RMC outplayed the Maruaders in the second set, and tied up the match at 1-1, after beating McMaster 25-14 in the second set.
“We just need to have confidence in our ability as a team to perform at its best at all times,” said Bukovec.
The Marauders were back in the swing of things during the third set, commanding a lead and outplaying the Paladins.
The Marauders were able to get the upper hand, reversing the score and taking the set 25-14.
McMaster was hoping to win the match in four sets, after leading 2-1, but fell three points short.
A close match from the start, the Paladins were able to pull ahead and win the set, 25-22, tying the game at 2-2 and bringing it to a fifth set of 15.
The fifth set was a struggle, needing to go to extra points, but eventually RMC came out on top, winning the set 17-15 and the match 3-2.
In a weekend double header, the Marauders knew that losing this game put them one loss behind Guelph, and knew that they needed to win the next game against Queen’s to have a shot at that first spot.
“My goal for the rest of the season is to finish first in our conference, which will require us winning the next few games,” said Maicee Sorenson.
The Marauders lost the upper hand to Guelph after a close first set.
The Marauders had excellent play at the net, and led at the technical time out. McMaster continued to lead and seemed to have the set in the bag at 24-16, however, a dismal performance allowed Queen’s to score eight consecutive points to tie the game at 24 all.
The Marauders fought to stay alive, but Queen’s took the two point advantage, winning the first set 27-25.
The Marauders entered the second set playing as a team that wanted to win the match and started setting up the ball perfectly for kill opportunities.
The Marauders, down a point at the technical timeout, took the opportunity to rack up consecutive points and outscore the Gaels to take the set 25-21 and the match one set apiece.
After a poor start to the third set, the lineup was shifted, hoping to make a difference.
Queen’s got close to winning at 23-20, but McMaster dominated the offense, landing kill after kill to eventually take the set 26-24.
The fourth set saw a similar back and forth play between the Marauders and the Gaels.
Things were in McMaster’s favour as they led 12-10 but Queen’s quickly got the lead, getting within one point of winning the set, but were held off by three consecutive points scored by the Marauders before eventually taking the set 25-23.
The Marauders were headed to another 15 point set.
Despite the last one not ending in their favour, the Marauders were determined to put another win onto their record.
The Marauders stole the lead at 8-6, and ran with it.
The Marauders showed their excellent offense, but won the match point with an amazing defensive double block, winning the match 3-2, making their record 11-6.
Joanna Jedrzejewska led the team with 20 points and 17 hits, and Taylor Brisebois, Maicee Sorenson, Mira Krunic and Sophie Bukovec had 13.5, 13, 12.5 and 12 points respectively.
The cohesion that allowed five players to achieve double digits will help them in future games if it can continue.
“It’s important that we stay focused with every single point of every match we play, and in order to do this, we must stay connected with each other,” said Krunic.
The Marauders take on the Brock Badgers on Feb. 7 in St. Catharines, Ont.
Tobi Abdul
Staff Reporter
The Marauder women’s volleyball team slid into second place in the OUA West by sweeping the first two games of the 2014 conference season.
McMaster took on the Western Mustangs at Burridge Gym on Jan. 10 and despite a slow start to the match, the Marauders were able to come out on top in all three sets, beating Western 3-0.
Taylor Brisebois was a key factor in the win over the Mustangs, completing 10 kills and a kill percentage of 44 percent, along with new national women’s beach volleyball team member Sophie Bukovec who had 11 kills and a kill percentage of 28 percent.
Although the game against Western was the Marauder’s first 2014 conference game, the Marauders had just returned from the annual Innisbrook Invitational which took place in Florida.
McMaster went into the finals undefeated where they suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Ottawa Gee-Gees, the number one team in the OUA East and sixth overall in Canada.
“We had some really great performances and that got the confidence level up. In terms of jump starting the second half, we tactically worked out a few things,” said Head Coach Tim Louks.
The game started off slow as the Marauders had a weak offensive start to the match, ending the first set with a kill percentage of 13.9. The Mustangs initially led in the opening set, but the Marauders started to work together and pass accurately, helping setter Kayla Ng hit her stride and place the ball extremely well, leading the Marauders to win the set 25-18.
“I don’t think there was a point where I was ever too concerned. Even though it was a little bit slower, I never felt that there was never a need for me to call a time out,” said Coach Louks.
The Marauders were able to pull ahead in the first set, however, the second set saw a similarly slow start for the Marauders who fell behind early, but better offense would give Mac a 16-13 lead at the technical timeout.
The Marauders then continued to outscore the Mustangs who were only able to score six points before McMaster would take the set 25-19.
The third set saw another sluggish start for the Marauders but soon the offense picked up speed, leaving the Mustangs unable to defend despite an attempt at a comeback, letting the Marauders take the set 25-20 and the match 3-0.
“You have to make sure you get the ball in bounds and you have to make sure you serve the ball well and I think we cleaned up that as we went along and I don’t think that Western had an answer to that,” said Louks.
The Marauders didn’t have much time to rest as they took on the Lancers on Jan. 12 in a game they knew they had to win to keep their second place spot in the OUA West conference.
The sluggish play that Marauders saw in Friday’s game continued in the start of the set, allowing the Lancers to take the early lead as they immediately jumped to 10-5.
Knowing that this game was crucial, McMaster pushed to outscore Windsor but still trailed by four at the technical timeout. Following the time out, McMaster started to serve inbound and attack with great accuracy, allowing them to outplay Windsor and take the first set 25-23.
“We wanted to come out and run a faster paced momentum attack. In order to do that we had to receive the ball at good consistency at a really high level and I think we did that well. I don’t think [Windsor] knew where we were at and I think that we wore them down. They had to defend so much, so often and we played good defence,” said Louks.
McMaster entered the second set with a momentum that continued on in the set. Excellent serving from Maicee Sorenson, who soon after left the game due to injury, allowed McMaster to take the lead at the technical timeout.
The loss of a key player seemed to distract the Marauders however, and Windsor used this distraction to their advantage, eventually pulling ahead and taking the set 25-22, making the match tied at 1-1.
The third set was a complete opposite of the second as Windsor had the lead at the technical timeout, but after the return of Sorenson to the floor, the team found the cohesion that was missing in the second set and was able to outscore Windsor 25-22.
Knowing that this game was a must win if the Marauders were to keep their second place win, McMaster played with a fervency that showcased their technical timeouts as both setters were utilized and the Marauders were placing the ball strategically, great service from Sorenson and Brisebois helped the Marauders to pull ahead ending the set 25-16 and taking the match 3-1.
The Marauders took Windsor’s spot in the conference but they can’t relax yet.
“Crystal ball, we push and shove the rest of the year but Windsor is a team we may see in the playoffs,” said Coach Louks.
The Marauders must utilize their weekend off to get ready for their remaining matches.
The last six matches are crucial as every team in the OUA West conference is in close standings.
The Marauders will travel to Waterloo on Jan. 24 to take on the Warriors and then will play the number one team in the West, the Guelph Gryphons at Burridge Gym on Jan. 26.
Tobi Abdul
Staff Reporter
The McMaster women’s volleyball team has seen a very inconsistent season so far and have had difficulty maintaining a winning streak.
This pattern continued this past weekend as the Marauders added both a win and a loss to their record.
Despite only winning one of two games, McMaster played some of their cleanest volleyball thus far in the season.
McMaster travelled to North Bay to take on the Nipissing Lakers Nov. 22, winning the match 3-1. After the win on Friday, McMaster saw a jump in their record, temporarily however, as they succumbed 3-0 to the number one York Lions in a match they knew would be tough.
“To be among the best, you must behave like the best,” said head coach Tim Louks.
Marauders proved that they could behave like the best in the match against Nipissing.
They played a strong game and achieved cohesiveness on the court that McMaster had been working on all season.
The team started extremely strong in the first set, overpowering the Lakers offensively and playing very precise volleyball.
The Marauders dominated all set with a set total of two errors and 11 kills while Nipissing had ten errors and nine kills. This accuracy led to a win margin of 10 points as McMaster taking the set 25-15.
McMaster continued to play strong offense, but were a little weaker than they had been in the first set and Nipissing was trailing close behind.
The Lakers managed to slide ahead at the technical timeout leading 16-14.
McMaster came out of the timeout looking like a new team and outscoring Nipissing 11-2 and winning the set 25-18.
McMaster took the early lead of the third set but was unable to hold on to it as Nipissing slid ahead to a 16-14 at the technical timeout.
Playing their best set of the match, Nipissing continued to take the lead and McMaster was unable to catch up.
Long point streaks would allow Nipissing to increase their margin to 21-15 and despite the Marauders outscoring Nipissing 5-4, the Lakers eventually took the set 25-20.
A lack of momentum has been a constant issue facing the Marauders all season.
“To keep momentum through the match, I think we need to continue finding ways to keep each other engaged as well as recognize opportunities where we can gain a string of points and stop our opponents from getting on a scoring run,” said setter Kayla Ng.
The Marauders gained their momentum back in the fourth set and it was McMaster’s best performance as they managed a kill percentage of 33 per cent with three errors and 12 kills.
McMaster played an impressive eight-point streak bringing them to 16-9 at the technical timeout.
The Lakers would only get 4 more points in the match as McMaster took the set 25-13 and the match 3-1.
The Marauders were playing extremely well as a team and each player was playing a great offensive game.
Six players had a kill percentage of over 30 per cent but the two standouts were outside hitter Lauren Mastroluisi with 16 digs, 18 points, and 14 kills and middle Taylor Brisebois with 12 points, nine hits, and a kill percentage of 37.5 per cent.
The team’s success largely came from their ability to work as a team and make good use of their setter, Kayla Ng, to make the connection from accurate pass to the perfect kill.
“To ensure cohesiveness, everyone needs to know what’s going on in the game. I try to stay level-headed and calm after every point, regardless of the outcome, to keep the team focused in the right direction,” said Ng.
Ng had a total of 23 assists in the game, after being inserted halfway through the second set.
As a grad student, Ng has had experience playing with different teams and this experience is an asset on the court.
“I’ve had the opportunity to play with a wide variety of players, adjust to various playing styles and fulfill different roles on the team as needed,” said Ng.
“We as a team need a shared vision and common goals anchored by a continuous, consistent, and authentic communication of information,” said Louks.
The vision is making the playoffs, a goal that McMaster is working towards through daily practice and learning from each game and fixing their mistakes.
“We’re focusing on performing well in each game and with each good performance, we’ll be one step closer to finishing first in the west,” said Ng.
Finishing first may be the ultimate goal but it is not the end all according to Coach Louks.
“Standings don’t make all the difference but they must factor into the equation. You must take care of the elements to success and the wins will come. Playing with a sense of urgency regardless of opposition is a learned trait,” said Louks.
McMaster will attempt to enter the holiday season with a win as they take on the Waterloo Warriors at Burridge Gym Nov. 29 in the last game of 2013.
Tobi Abdul
Staff Reporter
The McMaster women’s volleyball team travelled to Guelph to face the Gryphons this past Saturday, Nov. 16 in an attempt to continue their two game winning streak but were met with a heartbreaking loss of 3-1.
Nov. 17 saw them return home to Burridge Gym to face the Brock Badgers where the team seemed to get their rhythm back, taking the game in four sets.
“Against Brock we were better in most aspects of the game,” said head coach Tim Louks.
“We just created a slightly higher level of consistency and our gymnasium is a little bit friendlier for sure.”
McMaster came onto the court prepared to take the win and even out their record after their loss to Guelph.
Brock took the early lead with a 6-3 score, but was not given a chance to push forward as great offense and strategic defence soon gave McMaster the lead by two with a 16-14 score.
The Marauders were able to increase the gap to 22-14, due to amazing serving from Sophie Bukovec who served for seven straight points. McMaster could start to cruise slightly, leaving Brock to try and catch up. McMaster would eventually take the set 25-21.
The second set saw an even battle, with McMaster leading but not by a huge margin. At the technical timeout, the Marauders were leading 16-15.
The Marauders were playing well, with 13 successful kills in the set but Brock was playing their best set allmatch. Brock took the lead 22-20 and it looked as though they may take the set, but stellar defence, accurate passing, and consistent serving from the Marauders allowed them to take the set 25-22 and lead the match 2-0.
The third set was McMaster’s weakest offensively as they only had 9 successful kills and a kill percentage of 3.8 per cent. Brock came out with an 8-2 lead, a large part due to McMaster’s subpar offense.
McMaster continued to struggle offensively causing Brock to lead 16-8 at the technical timeout. Brock’s offense gained some momentum and the gap widened to 24-10, with Brock eventually taking the set 25-13.
Despite Brock taking the third set, it would seem as if the set was highly dictated by McMaster who had 18 unforced errors in the game out of 25 points. “Those 18 unforced errors are specific to outcomes,” said Louks.
“When we’re hitting a ball or if we’re touching a net or any of those kinds of things, we’re in charge of those things. You need to take care of that ball better. Don’t try and do too much or score every point.”
The McMaster team was back in full swing in the fourth set and they took the early lead of 9-3. The offense that awarded them the first two sets was back and their momentum continued to a lead of 16-8 at the technical timeout. Brock tried to regain control and started to close the gap, eventually reaching 21-15, however McMaster’s offense allowed them to take the set 25-19 and the match 3-1.
It was the rookies who had the best showing during the game as the two leading scorers were Player of the Game Bukovec with 18 points, and fellow rookie Maicee Sorenson with 12.5 points.
With five players being in their first year, the Marauders had to account for the adjustment period.
“There are things every first year player has to go through, balancing an academic work load, being away from home for most of them, and all the things that go with that, practicing every day, a new set of teammates, all of that is a process that they have to stay attached to,” said Louks.
These first years seem to have found their stride and are adjusting to playing with a new team with extreme ease, playing as if they have been a Marauder for years.
“This team has made the adjustment to university as easy as it would’ve been for me. Being here has actually improved my own game because I work so much harder to play well when my family is in the crowd, I don’t get to see them as often, so I need to be on my game impressing them when they are here,” said first-year player Maicee Sorenson.
“All the players on your team are there to win, everyone around you is so committed to being successful, this raises the level of intensity forcing you to keep up and push yourself as hard as the rest of the team is pushing themselves.”
“The best thing with our team is their support, not only in volleyball but with life,” said another first year all-star Sophie Bukovec.
“The cohesiveness required to be successful can only be accomplished with the love and support by everyone on the team.”
McMaster’s record is even at 4-4, but the team seems to have found a rhythm that works for them both on and off the court.
For future games the Marauders need to improve consistency and control the rally.
“It’s continuing to be better,” said Louks.
“Our peaks and valleys are a bit large at times and we need to control that.”
“If we can replicate some of the pieces that are helping our performance then that will start to steady out a little bit.”
The Marauders will travel to Nipissing University to take on the Lakers Nov. 22 at 6 p.m. and will then travel to Toronto to play the undefeated York Lions on Nov. 24 in a match that will arguably be their biggest challengethus far this season.
Tobi Abdul
Staff Reporter
With a healthy roster for the first time in the regular season, McMaster women’s volleyball team proved that they have what it takes to be a powerhouse team as they defeated the visiting Lakehead Thunderwolves in a weekend double header Nov. 8 and Nov. 9.
McMaster took the match 3-0 on Nov. 8, in arguably their best match of the season, playing with a rhythm and consistency that had not been seen thus far.
This match was the season debut for previously injured middle Taylor Brisebois who came back full swing aiding the team defensively at the net and offensively with an impressive six skills.
“It feels amazing to be back playing with the team, I missed it a lot. The most frustrating thing was to not be able to contribute at all, just doing my best cheering from the sidelines,” Brisebois said.
“I think we just have been practicing really hard and slowly but surely, as a young new team, will find a rhythm.”
Lakehead took the early lead of the match at 6-2, but great defence from the Marauders tied the score at 10-10. The Thunderwolves outplayed McMaster for the next 6 points, bringing the score to 16-10 but didn’t see many points after that as McMaster ended the set 25-18.
The start of the second set saw an even playing field for both teams as the score was tied 10-10 before McMaster gained momentum and dominated the next points, bringing the score to 16-10 at the technical timeout. McMaster continued to lead and won 25-16, now leading the game 2-0.
McMaster started out strong in what would be the final set of the match, taking an early lead of 9-6. Lakehead fought back hard and for the third time in the match, the score was tied at 10-10. McMaster played with accuracy and skill and led 16-12 at the technical time out. They continued to widen their gap with stellar serving from Sophie Bukovec, and Big Mac Player of the Match, Mira Krunic.
The Marauders showed that they had found their rhythm as four players had five or more kills during the game, with Bukovec leading with 10 kills. Offensively, the Marauders were looking strong, but were even stronger on defence with Brisebois being a big help at the net, and Krunic on the floor with seven digs.
This rhythm continued into the second game of the weekend on Nov. 9 as the Marauders took the match 4-1.
The Marauders proved that they were a team full of talented players as Saturday’s game saw a rotation of hitters and nine out of 11 players had at least one kill during the match with a match total of 42 hits. The most consistency came from the middles with Brisebois scoring 14 points, including 11 kills and Maicee Sorensen scored 12 points with six kills but overall, Marauders played an impressive match, including great plays from every player.
McMaster had an impressive start to the game wasting no time and soon had a lead of 15-11. The Marauders continued to demonstrate that they were both an offensively strong team as well as a defensively strong team and outscored the Thunderwolves 6-3 to bring the score to 21-14. Rebecca Steckle scored the last two points with consecutive kills, bringing the set to an end at 25-18.
The second set saw a sloppy Marauder team unable to get the ball cheapest viagra to buy online in uk up to the setter and overall inconsistent passing. Despite attempts to shake up the rotation with substitutes, the Marauders were unable to find their footing and Lakehead took the lead of 16-13 at the technical timeout. McMaster was unable to improve scoring and lost the set 25-18.
The Marauders started out strong in the third set taking an early lead but quickly lost momentum, allowing Lakehead to outshine them. After a time out called by head coach Tim Louks, a new McMaster team stepped onto the court, one with precision, accuracy and communication, taking a 16-13 lead at the technical timeout. After a solid kill from Joanna Jedrzejewska, the Marauders would pick up speed and continue to dominate, taking the set 25-16 thanks to a final ace by Steckle.
The fourth set was one of incredible defence, including amazing combo blocks by Lauren Mastroluisi and Maicee Sorenson. McMaster continued with unparalleled consistency and went into the technical timeout with a 16-11 lead. Mastroluisi played a solid set, an even more solid match with 8 kills. A double touch by Lakehead would give McMaster the set 25-19 and the match 3-1.
The Marauders continue to improve their rhythm with each game played and their success in the weekend’s games can be attributed to communication and consistency.
“We brought a consistent energy to the court right from the beginning of the game to the end, not allowing small mistakes to get us down,” says Sorenson. “Instead we came together as a team and played how we should have been playing the whole time”
The Marauders hope to continue their winning streak as they will travel to Guelph on Nov. 15 to take on the Gryphons then return back home to host the Brock Badgers Nov. 17.
Tobi Abdul
Staff Reporter
Despite a highly promising pre-season run, the McMaster women's volleyball team is off to a rocky start. The team pulled their first win last week against the Western Mustangs but lacked the momentum to keep their winning streak going when they took on the Toronto Varsity Blues at Burridge Gym on Nov. 2.
The game, ending in a heartbreaking score of 3-1, showed just how different the team is in comparison to the pre-season.
"We have different personnel right now. Our injury reserve is long and that's probably had the biggest impact on our season," said women’s head coach Tim Louks.
Even though they were missing a few key players, McMaster started the first set off strong, taking an early lead of 8-5. After a time out, Toronto started playing strong defense, and McMaster's momentum ended, giving Toronto a chance to take a 16-14 lead. McMaster was unable to catch up and Toronto took the set 25-21.
Toronto took the early lead of 7-5, causing the Marauders to try and fight back. Offensively, McMaster was a little weak with a kill percentage of -6.5% in the second set. Toronto continued to dominate the entire set, causing McMaster to pick up speed with a stellar block from Mira Krunic to make the score 18-12 Toronto. McMaster continued to fight, with no avail, as Toronto now led 2-0 with a set score of 25-17.
Toronto may have taken a lead of 6-4, but it was a different Marauders team that emerged during the second half of the third set. Toronto continued to lead but great defense and a huge hit from Maicee Sorenson gave McMaster the momentum they needed to turn the set around. Two consecutive aces from Player of the Game Joanna Jedrzejewska gave McMaster a lead of 13-12 for the first time since the first set. McMaster's inconsistent offense allowed Toronto to take back a lead of 17-14. Marauders take the lead just 3 points away from game point and are able to keep it up to take the set at 25-23, making the score 2-1 Toronto.
This set was a crucial one for McMaster, shown by amazing defensive skills that had not been present thus far in the match. Despite this, Toronto managed to take a lead of 5-0. The Marauders were giving their all on the court but it just wasn't enough as Toronto continued to lead 18-7. With things looking grim, the Marauders started playing aggressively with accurate passes, smart plays, and amazing combo blocks from Sorenson and Jedrzejewska. McMaster began closing the gap with a score of 22-14, but Toronto won the set 25-16, taking the game 3-1.
It became evident that consistency, momentum, and communication were needed to ensure wins in upcoming games.
"Probably the most significant thing is chasing our consistency," said Louks. "Volleyball moves so quickly point to point and each point can be dramatically different from the point before and the point after. That shapes our momentum differently. If we can get [the team] to focus and refocus more frequently, more consistently, that should help us in terms of playing each point independent of the others"
For the team, the rest of the season will be about finding their rhythm and playing a consistent game.
"We have to learn to finish sets and work collectively on the court. We need to bring what we do in practice into games and the main thing is just to communicate," said Maicee Sorenson, who had a phenomenal eight kills during the match.
The Marauders clearly have the skills needed in order to turn their season around, it's just a question of whether they can communicate on the court and keep momentum going through consistent plays.
"Every match for us is certainly a chance to be a little bit better and going into the matches this weekend, it will be a matter what personnel based on who's healthy and who's been practicing. That kind of information will have some effect, and then we can stabilize the consistent pieces of the games, so our serving and our passing," said Louks.
For McMaster, this weekend will be a test to what they can do as the McMaster Marauders take on buy soft viagra the Lakehead Thunderwolves at Burridge gym on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9, both at 6 p.m.
The McMaster women’s volleyball team has a lot to look forward to this season. Although their season hasn’t kicked off the way they would have hoped, the women’s volleyball team had an outstanding preseason run, not to mention the fact they landed recruit Sophie Bukovec.
The former beach volleyball player has represented Canada in both the U19 and U21 championships and has now committed to play a little closer to home.
The Etobicoke, Ont. native began her volleyball journey at age 11 becoming truly committed to the sport in her grade nine year.
Standing at a towering 6” 1’ it’s no surprise that Sophie decided to play volleyball instead of soccer, a sport she was originally committed to.
“I started out playing soccer actually,” Bukovec said. “But I soon figured out I was too tall for the sport.”
With is it legal to bye viagra from canada playing volleyball for McMaster being a new thing for the first year, her form and ability to read the game shows that her adjustment from beach to court volleyball has not been a difficult task.
“Beach is very independent,” Bukovec said. “You’re kind of on your own and have your own responsibilities but in court it’s kind of more shared because there are so many more people on the court.”
“I really like the team feeling and the girls are amazing,” she added.
Her commitment to the McMaster volleyball team she says was not a hard decision and it was the community feel that made it an easy decision.
“Mac was the only Canadian school I was looking at. I was also looking at Columbia University in the States, I was looking at Indiana, I looked at Michigan State, I looked at Syracuse and those were my top choices,” said the first year.
“I didn’t even get to see any of the girls play before I committed here I just met Tim and some of the girls, didn’t even see any of the facilities I just committed.”
So far her experience with the McMaster Marauders volleyball squad has been one she cherishes, commending the community feeling that McMaster encompasses.
“McMaster is such a home, its such a family community,” she said. “I have a really bad shoulder and physio has been taking care of me like I’m their own child.”
With the ability to travel to Greece and Portugal for world championships, Bukovec was the youngest Canadian women’s volleyball player ever to play on the women’s world tour event, which took place in Thailand last year.
“It was amazing just getting to play next to Olympians and girls that just play on tour,” Bukovec said.
“Just getting the chance to travel was amazing.”
With volleyball being a main part of her life and something that she has been committed to for over five years, Bukovec is hoping to gain a social aspect when it comes to getting to know her teammates and others at McMaster who play the sport.
“I have always been very independent and volleyball has always been my life, so I have never really ever gotten a social aspect of anything because I have been so competitive.”
“I hope to gain a social aspect in terms of knowing the girls on my team and even the guys team, and even different sports teams in general.”
With hopes for an improvement this season and the chance to capture an OUA title, Bukovec along with the women’s volleyball squad hope to maintain momentum and continue to work together to achieve success.
