Marauders prepare to take on NCAA titans

The Marauders men's volleyball team will trade the sub-zero temperatures of southern
Ontario for the relatively balmier climate of southern California next week for
exhibition matches with some of the NCAA's best squads.

The team will leave for Los Angeles on December 27 and play games at Pepperdine on
December 29, at UCLA's historic Pauley Pavillion on December 30 and close out the trip
with a New Year's Eve match at Long Beach State.

While the climate should be comfortable, the competition is expected to be intense as
all three NCAA teams were ranked in the top 15 of last season's national coaches' poll.
The NCAA does not release men's volleyball rankings for the current season until the
new year.

Playing against top competition has always been part of head coach Dave Preston's plan
for getting the Marauders ready to challenge for top honours in the CIS.

“Men's volleyball is one of the few sports that can compete on equal terms with teams
from the NCAA,” said Preston. “As much as we prepare and worry about playing UCLA,
UCLA prepares and worries about playing McMaster.”

The Marauders finished the first half of their OUA season on an eight-game win streak
that moved the team into second place in the standings behind the Western Mustangs.

Conference play resumes on January 7 with McMaster at Laurier. Their next home
games are a pair of critical games against Windsor on January 14 and against league-
leading Western on January 15 in the Burridge Gym. Those games are part of
doubleheaders with the McMaster women playing at 6 p.m., followed by the men at 8
p.m.