Women's volleyball beat Brock for OUA champion title

In a rematch of last year's OUA championship final, the women's volleyball team emerge as OUA champions in final match against the Brock Badgers

In the first season under the reins of new head coach Nathan Janzen, the Marauders women’s volleyball team had a season filled with ups and downs. They ended the 2024 calendar year on a four-game losing streak.

Janzen weighed in on some of the reasons the team went on that losing streak before the turn of the new year.

“In that first game against Western, one of our best players, Sullie [Sundara], got hurt so she didn’t play in those four games leading up to Christmas. It forced us to adapt and it took a bit of time for sure,” Janzen said.

Janzen also spoke about a special training endeavour the team embarked on during the winter break—the first of its kind since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Over New Year’s we did a training camp in Florida where we practised on the beach all day. We did a bunch of team building and talked a lot about who we are, what we wanted to be and what our goals were. The girls also did a bunch of team-building activities,” said Janzen.

“It was a really phenomenal trip. I think coming out of that trip we were way better prepared both technically and tactically as a team, but also in terms of our culture, we were ready to put a run together,” said Janzen.

Following the training retreat, the Marauders went on an 8–2 run to end the regular season before the commencement of the Ontario University Athletics championships.

Janzen touched on some of the preparations the team undertook before the OUA playoffs.

“We didn’t do much different compared to the regular season, but the team was definitely more nervous,” said Janzen.

However, this team apparently thrives under pressure.

“This bunch of girls are high competitors. These are the high-pressure moments they are looking for. They love these moments,” said Janzen.

To start their OUA championship run, the Marauders secured a narrow win against the Waterloo Warriors on Feb. 21, before sweeping the Toronto Varsity Blues on Feb. 28 in a dominant win at home.

They then faced the Brock Badgers on Mar. 7—familiar foes. The Badgers had won the past three OUA championships and were looking to win their fourth in a row. The Marauders lost to Brock in last year’s OUA final but defeated them at U Sports in a consolation semifinal.

“. . . going into the final this year, our athletes were driven and excited to get the chance to go again. There was definitely that hunger within the team,” said Janzen.

This year at the OUA championships, the Marauders didn't just beat the Badgers—they swept them 3–0.

“We never expect to sweep anybody. We’re always expecting the game to be a two-and-a-half-hour battle going straight down to the wire. Even when we were up 24–17, there was definitely an urgency among us that the game was not done yet,” said Janzen.

Janzen also discussed some of the tactics that worked well this time against the Badgers.

“We served and blocked really well, and it was really important for us to defend strongly since we’re a good block-defence team,” said Janzen.

Following their OUA win, Janzen hoped the team could take home a medal from the U Sports championship over the weekend of Mar. 15.

“A medal would be nice. It would be the best result this program would’ve ever had, so if we can compete for a medal, we will be thrilled,” said Janzen.

For this year's U Sports competition, the Marauders travelled to Winnipeg and lost to eventual silver medalists, the Montréal Carabins, on Mar. 14. Despite not medaling, they bounced back on Mar. 17, coming out victorious in a close match against Saint Mary’s University to secure a program-best fifth-place finish at U Sports.