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Stephen Maar (left) and Danny Demyanenko (right) after a practice earlier this week at McMaster University. Photo: Jeff Tam
The McMaster Marauders took aim at the stars this past year, and for a time, it seemed that the program would be forced back to earth.
Head Coach Dave Preston embarked on a recruiting drive nearly a year ago with the stated mission of chasing down the very best.
The only problem: the best rarely stay north of the 49th parallel.
“I told our players that we were going after some blue chip guys this year,” explains Preston. “I warned them what that could mean.”
The “blue chip” class in question was headlined by Danny Demyanenko and Stephen Maar, two leading members of the vaunted Toronto Crush club team that successfully toured the United States before winning yet another national club title in May.
Graphic: Google
It's the end of the regular season for CIS Men's and Women's Volleyball. Teams are wrapping up their regular seasons and many teams are having their senior nights to say goodbye to their teammates leaving this year. Matches are listed below and if there are live video links, we've posted those too.
Men's Games February 11, 2012
- UNB vs. Dalhousie - 2:00 p.m. AST
- McMaster vs. Toronto - 3:00 p.m. EST - Live Video
- Ryerson vs. York - 4:00 p.m. EST
- Calgary vs. Regina 6:15 p.m. CST - Live Video
- Alberta vs. Brandon - 7:45 p.m. CST - Live Video
- Saskatchewan vs. Manitoba - 8:00 p.m. CST - Live Video
- UBC vs. Trinity Western - 7:00 p.m. - Live Video
- Thompson Rivers vs. UBC Okanagan - 8:00 p.m. PST - Live Video
Men's Games February 12, 2012
- Ryerson vs. Toronto - 1:00 p.m. EST - Live Video
- McMaster vs. York - Live Video
Women's games after the break.
Home Court Advantage is a recurring series that focuses on the court, environment and playing conditions on men's and women's volleyball courts around the country. In this, the second post of the series, we will be focusing on the McMaster Marauders’ Burridge Gym.
The McMaster Marauders' Home Court.
The men’s and women’s teams for McMaster University play at the Burridge Gymnasium. It is located on the main campus of McMaster, toward the north east corner. McMaster is in Hamilton, specifically at 1280 Main St. W. It’s a short distance from the Main St. exits off Highway 403 (for those coming from east of Hamilton, it’s the QEW, which eventually becomes the 403).
More after the jump.
We are live from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada for the second exhibition women's volleyball game between Canada and The Netherlands. We will be posting a photo gallery of action after the game and hopefully get some video interviews as well. Live stream from Hamilton courtesy of sportscanada.tv after the jump.
Click here for live stream.
Laval's 6 Micael Girard attacks the hanging volleyball before the Calgary Dino's are able to set up their block. The two teams competed in the Bronze Medal Match on Sunday.Sunday March 6th, 2011
Langley Events Centre
Langley, British Columbia
Sunday marked the final day of competition in University volleyball across Canada. The women were duking it out in Laval. However, the highest honour of volleyball in Canada would be decided in Langley, as the CIS men's competition really set itself apart. The afternoon held the Consolation Finals between McMaster and Alberta, as well as the Bronze Medal Match between Laval and Calgary. The finals already guaranteed a Canada West Champion, as Trinity Western and Brandon would decide later. However, there was still business to take care of as the RSEQ and OUA attempted to put a dent in Canada West's armor.
Full consolation and bronze medal results and breakdown after the jump:
UNB Varsity Reds' 5 Julio Fernandez gets low to dig a McMaster attack. Already setter 9 Stephane Fontaine has transitioned to offence.Saturday March 5, 2011
Langley Events Centre
Langley, British Columbia
The Consolation Semi-Finals were played out on Saturday, to decide which two teams were to compete for fifth place overall in Men's CIS Volleyball. The two matches to be played on Saturday were McMaster vs. UNB, and Alberta vs. Sherbrooke. The winning teams will play on Sunday, March 5th, at 12:00 pm PST. All of the teams playing today had to deal with a first round elimination on Friday. The emotional drain of having to reassess your goals can often reak havoc on a teams performance. These four squads, each representing a different feeder league for the CIS, had to pull it together to represent their respective provinces appropriately.
Full breakdown and results for both matches after the jump:
McMaster's 18 Tyson Alexander came in from off the bench to provide an unexpected contribution on Friday. At this moment, he beats the isolated single blocker.
Friday March 4th, 2011
Langley Events Centre
Langley, British Columbia
Brandon Bobcats vs. McMaster Marauders
The second match of the 2011 CIS Men's Volleyball National Championships featured Canada West's Brandon Bobcat's and the OUA's McMaster Marauders. Canada West has dominated this tournament historically, and with four teams in this years tournament a sweep of the medals is quite possible. The only other team matched-up against a Canada West squad is the lowly Sherbrooke Vert et Or, who have drawn the number one ranked team in all of Canada. Really, McMaster represented the only true threat of unseating a Canada West powerhouse in the first round.
Full breakdown and results of the match after the jump:
CIS Men's Volleyball bracket image generated from challonge.comThe CIS has announced the seedings for the 2011 Men's Volleyball Championship. The seeds are as follows:
- Calgary Dinos
- Laval Rouge et Or
- Brandon Bobcats
- Trinity Western Spartans
- Alberta Golden Bears
- McMaster Marauders
- UNB Varsity Reds
- Sherbrooke Vert et Or
The CIS has also announced the schedule for the tournament for those looking to attend or follow games live. The schedule is:
More after the jump