Mac brings in Polish pros
After playing host to Ohio State University’s powerhouse volleyball team in each of the past two years, McMaster is changing things up a bit this season. Out go to the 2016 and 2017 NCAA champions and in comes an academy team from Poland.
Which sounds like a much easier matchup for the maroon.
“Oh, they’re way better,” corrects Marauders head coach Dave Preston. “These guys are future pros.”
Yup, after beating the Buckeyes in every match they’ve ever played — to the surprise of many around here — Preston is looking to up the ante a bit and trying to make things even more difficult for his players. Which means bringing the farm team for one of the top leagues in the world for a pair of matches on Jan. 4 and 5. A squad loaded with talent.
“Last time we played them they had three, six-foot-11 middles,” he says.
For the record, he doesn’t. Anyway, that was last year on a pre-season tour of Poland. Mac lost that one to Jastrzebski Wegiel in five sets. But it was competitive for sure.
So after flying to California to face the defending national champions from Long Beach State (which Mac swept in a twomatch series last year) and 12thranked Santa Barbara in five matches between Dec. 29 and 31, the Marauders will fly home to take on a team at Burridge Gym that really should beat them.
“There’s a chance we could play out of our minds and still not win this match,” Preston says.
If this sounds like a fool’s errand, you’re missing the point.
With only 18 regular-season matches on the schedule, the coach is always looking to add opportunities to compete. And if you’re going to do that, there’s no real benefit in finding some outfit you can smush. Better to face stiff competition so you improve.
That’s not always easy if you’re the six-time defending Ontario champion and medallists in sixstraight national championships. Because of scholarship limitations at American schools, the top universities north of the border are every bit the equal — and then some — of their U.S. counterparts.
That means there are a handful of NCAA schools you could try to bring here to fit that bill. Or you look to Europe. Trouble is, you want to be pushed but not obliterated.
So you don’t really want to play the most-elite pro teams that are at a whole other level from even an excellent McMaster side.
The Polish pro league is one of the top in the world and the main Jastrzebski Wegeil team is fourth in the Plusliga standings. That really wouldn’t be a fair fight or, honestly, do much good. Besides, it and the other franchises in that loop are in season right now and unavailable for an exhibition tour.
The perfect solution then? The organization’s U23 roster which is populated by guys just a step behind who are working to break through onto the big team.
“The whole volleyball community knows exactly who they are,” Preston says.
In fact, he’s had several people sending him notes asking how he was able to lure this team across the ocean.
As always though, this is about more than just a match with his Marauders. These events are also designed to grow the game by exposing volleyball at its highest level to folks who might never otherwise watch but are curious.
Yeah, Mac could lose this one. Preston’s OK with that as long as his side gets better through the experience. Because six provincial titles are good but seven would be even better. And that national gold medal that’s eluded him and his players so far is still out there waiting.
If this helps make that happen, bring it on.