Banner season: Marauders dethrone defending champs, win first OUA title since 2016-17
St. Catharines, Ont. (via Brock Badgers) - The McMaster Marauders are back on top of Ontario women’s volleyball.
In front of a sold-out Bob Davis Gymnasium at Brock University, the Marauders silenced the home fans with a 3-0 sweep (25-22, 25-19, 25-18) of the three time-defending OUA champion Brock Badgers on Friday, March 7.
“It’s surreal honestly. We talked about it all year that you build championship habits before you win championships,” said McMaster head coach Nathan Janzen. “We’ve won a championship and it’s crazy to think how many sacrifices they have had to make and for them to play this well in this gym against that team was just a privilege to be a part of.”
This marks the first title for the Marauders since the 2016-17 season.
Leading the way for McMaster was Player of the Game Sullie Sundara, a fourth-year outside hitter, who notched 20 points off 15 kills, four service aces and one block.
“This is every player’s dream to be in their senior year and win a championship,” Sundara said. “I’m here right now with my family and friends, and I couldn’t ask for a better ending to my OUA career. I’m so grateful, honoured and privileged.”
In the first set, McMaster erased an early Brock 4-1 advantage by holding a three-point lead of their own at 13-10 as the Marauders’ Olivia Julien and Angelika Vidmar rejected Sadie Dick.
A service ace from Madison Tuck and a Marauders’ attack error put the game tied at 14-14. One of the longest rallies of the set followed on the next point as Emily Foest notched a kill off the hands and the Marauders called a timeout.
It was back-and-forth late until the Marauders notched three consecutive blocks en route to nine total in the first set where they would win 25-22.
A 3-0 lead for the Marauders was aided by two straight Sundara kills, and their lead expanded to as large as 9-4 forcing the first timeout of the second set from the Badgers’ head coach Steve Delaney.
This did not stop the momentum of the visitors as they continued to go on a big run up 18-12 powered by strong attacking from Julien and a couple of tough serves from Sundara.
Their six-point advantage continued to hold as McMaster finished the set 25-19 off Vidmar’s third kill of the match.
In the third set, McMaster continued with their momentum, going up on their opposition 11-6, forcing Brock’s first timeout.
Despite giving up the next point, the Badgers went on a 4-0 run of their own to bring it back within two at 12-10 as Dick notched multiple kills.
Another service run from Sundara helped extend the Marauder’s lead and forced the Badgers to call their second timeout down 17-12.
McMaster called one of their own up 19-16 and that is as close as Brock would get as they finished off the third set in commanding fashion with a 6-2 run off of Sundara’s 15th kill to win 25-18.
The Marauders’ block was on fire throughout the contest, besting the Badgers in the category by a count of 13-4.
They owned both sides of the net as they finished with a .283 hitting percentage compared to just .164 from the Badgers.
Julien of the Marauders finished with double-digit points with 14 off 11 kills, once ace and four block assists while the Badgers were led by Foest’s 9.5 points from eight kills, one solo block and one block assist.
Tonight’s result marks the end of the Badgers’ dynasty as they won the previous three Quigley Cups and appeared in their fifth consecutive OUA championship match.
The all-stars and all-rookie selections competing at the Quigley Cup were honoured before the game.
