No. 2 Marauders Welcome NCAA No. 1 Ohio State to Hamilton

The contract has been signed...and the event is being billed as the Nike Team North America Challenge, to be played at McMaster's Burridge Gymnasium on Friday, December 30th between the Marauder men's volleyball team, ranked No. 2 in Canada, and the defending NCAA men's volleyball champions and topped-ranked team in the coaches' preseason poll, the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Tickets for that 7:00 p.m. tilt can be found HERE, or purchased on game day.

With both schools being affiliated with Nike, the sporting goods giant has come aboard to sponsor the cross-border competition.

Always looking for ways to challenge his team, McMaster Coach Dave Preston is excited to host such a prestigious program as Ohio State, adding, "This will be a great opportunity to play one of the best men's volleyball programs in North America, and to get ourselves ready for the second half of the OUA season."

In 2015, top-ranked McMaster accepted an invitation to Columbus, Ohio to ring in the New Year and play a pair of matches against the Buckeyes; the Marauders ended up coming out on top in those matches, winning 3-2 on December 31 and 3-1 on January 2. Preston says that familiarity between the teams will make for some very exciting volleyball when the Buckeyes come to Hamilton.

Tickets for the Nike Team North American Challenge are $ 8 for adults, if pre-purchased before December 30th, or $ 10 at the door.  Student tickets are $ 5. Tickets can be purchased online at Marauders.ca.  McMaster students wearing maroon and with a valid student card receive FREE admission.