CIS men's volleyball championship: Marauders and Mustangs to square off in semi

McMaster v. UNB

QUEBEC CITY (CIS) – The third-seeded McMaster Marauders reached the semifinals of the CIS men’s volleyball championship with a 3-0 win over the #6 UNB Varsity Reds Friday afternoon in Quebec City in the first quarter-final game of the tournament.

UNB was able to stay within reach of McMaster in the first set, but the OUA champions gave no chance to their opponents thereafter, winning by scores of 25-23, 25-17 and 25-14 in just over an hour.

“We settled into the match in the second set. Since we were unfamiliar with the opponent, we were not really sure what the match was going to give us. Once we started to settle down, we stuck a bit more to what we do on a regular basis,” analysed McMaster coach Dave Preston.

“We applied some decent serving pressure and we made some critical defensive plays at critical times,” added the CIS coach of the year.

“McMaster played very well in the first and we played point to point. In the second set, we had a bit of a low where we couldn’t pass the ball for another rotation and that got into our heads a little bit,” said UNB head coach Dan McMorran.

“Our setter and our right side players are both young guys. Once your reception isn’t going so well, it’s a tough day against a team like McMaster,” he continued.

Both teams battled hard in the first set. Neither McMaster nor UNB were able to maintain an advantage of more than two points before the technical pause. The Varsity Reds were then ahead at 16-15. McMaster had a nice run after the break, taking the lead at 21-18, but UNB didn’t let the OUA champions escape, tying the mark at 22-22. Thanks to a couple of powerful kills, including some from Vanier, Ont. native Jori Mantha, McMaster snatched the set 25-23.

The Marauders kept the momentum on their side in the second set. Initially very tight, the race quickly turned to the advantage of McMaster. With the score at 6-6, the championship third seed scored seven of the following eight points. Midway in the set, UNB was trailing 16-10. The six-point deficit seemed to weigh heavily on the Atlantic champions, who failed to recover. The Marauders, led by a few kills from Alexander Tyson (Shanty Bay, Ontario), completed the work, winning the set 25-17 and taking a 2-0 lead in the match.

The third set started just like the second one. Both teams exchanged points to start, but at one point, McMaster piled up seven of eight points, taking a commanding lead of 16-8 at the technical timeout. The comeback never happened, and the Marauders had no trouble nailing the third set by a score of 25-14 and securing the win.

Middle Tyson Alexander was named player of the game for the Marauders, while outside hitter Marc White received the same honour for the V-Reds.

McMaster will be in action Saturday evening at 6:00 pm EST against the winner of the clash between Western (#7) and Trinity Western (#2). The loser of this match will play UNB in the first consolation semifinal Saturday at 12:30 pm EST.

Championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/mvball/index

STAT LEADERS

McMaster
Kills: Jori Mantha (10), Jayson McCarthy (8)
Points: Jori Mantha (15.5), Dany Demyanenko (12.5)
Blocks: Dany Demyanenko (3.5)
Digs: Kevin Stevens (7)
Service aces: Jori Mantha (4)

Player of the match: Tyson Alexander

UNB
Kills: Eivind Anderson (11), Marc White (7)
Points: Eivind Anderson (12), Marc White (7.5)
Blocks: Logan Keoughan (1,5)
Digs: Julio Fernandez, Marc White (6)
Service aces: Julio Fernandez (1)

Player of the match: Marc White

QUEBEC CITY (CIS) – New monarchs will be crowned at the end of the CIS men’s volleyball championship this Sunday. Trailing two sets to none, the seventh-seeded Western Mustangs mounted a comeback for the ages to defeat the two-time defending champion Trinity Western Spartans in a thrilling five-set quarter-final Friday afternoon at PEPS Stadium.

Combine to McMaster’s win earlier today, the result means an OUA team will reach the CIS final for the first time since Toronto accomplished the feat in 1991. The only Ontario-based team to win the Tantramar Trophy was Ottawa in 1968, although the Gee-Gees were not competing in the OUA conference at the time.

“It was a little stressful! Each set was a battle and it was fun. We talked about this, our motto for today was ‘all day’. Even down 0-2, we were going to continue. That’s when the momentum started to switch and my guys started to believe in themselves a little more, and they got it,” said the Mustangs’ coach Jim Sage.

“It was a battle of two balanced teams. A five-setter is what that match deserved. We made a couple more plays in the first two sets, they made a couple more in the next two sets. Fifth sets are all about who gets the run first. They made it first, and then there was not enough time to make up for it,” said TWU head coach Ben Josephson.

“This is the most balanced field I have ever seen. Credit to Jim Sage and his team. I am proud of my guys for keeping their noses in the fight,” he added.

The Mustangs didn’t seem to show any complex facing the two-time defending CIS champions in the first set, always answering to the Spartans strikes. Leading 16-13 at the technical timeout, the OUA finalists continued to force the opposing block with powerful hits, especially coming from London, ON native Justin Scapinello. The wind turned when Western was up serving for the set at 24-19. They could not close the game, and Spartans’ Nick Del Bianco (Langley, BC) then managed two aces in a sequence that brought TWU back into the set at 24-24. Western had another chance to close, but failed to do so. In the end, the Spartans were successful in their second try, capturing the lead with a score of 28-26.

The result didn’t discourage the Mustangs, even if the Spartans took a quick lead at the beginning of the second frame. Western kept battling for every point and was only back three at the technical pause, TWU leading by 16-13. Ahead 22-21, the Spartans won a long rally marked by many spectacular digs. Western managed to come back, but couldn’t reach their opponents, allowing TWU to take a 2-0 lead with a score of 25-23.

Western continued the fight despite the score and it paid off. With the Mustangs ahead 16-12 at the technical break, it was the Spartans’ turn to play catch-up volleyball. TWU answered well, making things exciting at the end of the set by getting the opportunity to end the game and win their ticket to the semifinals. However, Western decided it was not the time yet, saving no less than five match points before extending the duel with a 31-29 win.

The Mustangs kept the momentum in the fourth, building quick leads at 8-3 and 12-7. The Spartans showed why they were two-time defending champions by rallying back to 13-13.

Ahead 16-14, Western failed to escape, with the result of another tie at 22-22. TWU saved three set points but couldn’t hold it anymore, with the Stangs finding their way out at 27-25 to provoke a fifth set.

The fifth and decisive frame started with many great rallies, but everything seemed to run in favour of the Mustangs. Ahead 8-6, they scored four consecutive points to put pressure on Trinity Western. Western was able to hold on to their lead, winning the set 15-9.

Justin Scapinello was chosen player of the game for the Mustangs, while Spartans’ Lucas Van Berkel was honoured on the losing side.

Western will play conference rivals McMaster Marauders Saturday at 6:00 pm EST in the first semifinal game. TWU will move on to the consolation side, facing UNB at 12:30 pm EST tomorrow.

McMaster downed Western in four sets in last weekend’s OUA final.

Championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/mvball/index

STAT LEADERS

Kills: Justin Scapinello (26), Garrett May (16)
Points: Justin Scapinello (29), Luke Sim (17,5)
Blocks: Phil James (2,5)
Digs: Sean McKay (20)
Service aces: Sean McKay (2)

Player of the match: Justin Scapinello

Trinity Western
Kills: Lucas Van Berkel (19), Nicholas Del Bianco (15)
Points: Lucas Van Berkel (21), Nicholas Del Bianco (18,5)
Blocks: Daniel Jansen Van Doorn (5)
Digs: Bradley Kufske (14)
Service aces: Nicholas Del Bianco (2)

Player of the match: Lucas Van Berkel

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE & RESULTS

Friday, March 1
12:30 Quarter-final #1: McMaster 3, UNB 0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-14)
14:30 Quarter-final #2: Western 3, Trinity Western 2, (26-28, 23-25, 31-29, 27-25, 15-9)
18:00 Quarter-final #3: No. 8 Montreal vs. No. 1 Brandon (www.CIS-SIC.tv)
20:00 Quarter-final #4: No. 5 Laval vs. No. 4 Alberta (www.CIS-SIC.tv)

Saturday, March 2
12:30 Consolation #1: UNB vs. Trinity Western (www.CIS-SIC.tv)
14:30 Consolation #2: Loser QF #3 vs. Loser QF #4 (www.CIS-SIC.tv)
18:00 Semifinal #1: McMaster vs. Western (www.CIS-SIC.tv)
20:00 Semifinal #2: Winner QF #3 vs. Winner QF #4 (www.CIS-SIC.tv)

Sunday, March 3
11:00 5th place (www.CIS-SIC.tv)
13:00 Bronze medal (www.CIS-SIC.tv)
16:30 Championship final (www.CIS-SIC.tv)

Source: CIS