By DAVID WINER
Mississauga Sports
McMaster Marauders have occupied the throne for the better part of two decades in U SPORTS men’s volleyball.
The kings of Ontario University Athletics, the Marauders won 12 of a possible 17 titles dating back to 2008, only occasionally relinquishing the throne to Queen’s Gaels, the other seven years in that span.
With such an illustrious history, it came as a shock to see the Marauders languish in ninth place this season after a sixth-place showing in the previous campaign.
But, there’s a brilliant star on the horizon, former Pakmen standout Mekhi Fitzgerald.
Like Pakmen greats before him, Fitzgerald could be a shapeshifter, leading the Marauders back into the spotlight for years to come.
Just completing his freshman season, Fitzgerald certainly made a name for himself capturing Ontario University Athletics Rookie of the Year honors, named to the All-Rookie Team and a Third Team all-star. As a bonus, the 6-foot-6 leftside from Milton was also named to the U SPORTS All-Rookie Team.
Anointed such honors, the future is looking up for Fitzgerald and the Marauders under the tutelage of third-year head coach Brad Douwes.
Fitzgerald won’t be alone on the Marauders quest. A popular destination for Pakmen grads, next season will be no exception.
“It’s great to have such a strong volleyball club located so close to Hamilton …”
Brad Douwes
“We will have four Pakmen on our roster – Mekhi, Brendan Lyons, Aleksa Rakic and Luke Armstrong,” said Douwes. “We are excited about each of these athletes and their ability to play at the U SPORTS level. Each of them have played in big matches during their club careers, which helps prepare them for some of the pressure they will feel in post-secondary volleyball.
“It’s great to have such a strong volleyball club located so close to Hamilton and we’re looking forward to continuing to have Pakmen alumni play for us here at McMaster!”
The foursome are just the latest of Pakmen stars who have named Hamilton their home over the past two winning decades.
Key alumni include Brandon Koppers, Jordan Pereira, Calvin Lee, Craig Ireland, Peter Khodkevych, Thomas Williams, Seyar Karimi, Shayne Herbert, Tyler Pavelic, Peter Rugosi and Matthew Rugosi, who just completed his final season as a Libero earning OUA third team all-star honors.
When the Marauders captured six straight titles from 2013-18 the likes of Koppers, Pereira, Lee, Ireland and Khodkevych were key components.
Fitzgerald and Lyons, a 6-foot-5 setter, will enter their sophomore seasons, while Rakic, a 6-foot-1 Libero from Mississauga and Armstrong, a 6-foot-6 middle blocker from Etobicoke, will dip their toes into the OUA waters as freshmen.
Both are former Team Ontario members, while Rakic also attended Volleyball Canada’s National Excellence Program.
Should Rakic or Armstrong approach Fitzgerald’s inaugural season, the Marauders will be making headlines once again.
Fitzgerald, who is majoring in Computer Science, had a good reason, or reasons, to choose McMaster for his scholastic future.
“My mother, a McMaster alumni, told me how much history the school had and how it would be good for me.”
A nerd when it comes to crunching numbers, McMaster added up as the appropriate choice.
“McMaster has a distinguished volleyball history. Third at Nationals? OUA champions? Yea, I want to be a part of that!,” said Fitzgerald. “The legacy is amazing. After watching the 2022-23 National semis against Trinity Western University, I was automatically hooked. I told myself that I wanted to be a part of this school. No matter what.
“On my visit I was looking through the list of programs and something that stuck with me was the math and stats course. I have always been pure math my entire life. Whether it was doing spirit of math (extracurricular math program introducing math subjects beyond your current grade), or participating in math clubs in my elementary school.”
“My mom told me I had to manage my time well otherwise I wouldn’t survive.”
Mekhi Fitzgerald
The ability to juggle the pluses and minuses came in handy when facing a daunting choice in subjects, paired with competing in volleyball. Fitzgerald realized he had to schedule enough time to excel in all of the above.
“My mom told me I had to manage my time well otherwise I wouldn’t survive.
“Well, I think I can speak on behalf of a lot of first-year athletes. It was mainly a learning experience – balancing academics with volleyball. Life seemed almost impossible at first, but it did improve, although it took time to adjust. My time on campus revolved around studying and volleyball, that’s where I dedicated all my time. I did make a few friends away from the team, but that’s about it.
“My plan for the future may vary based on the specialization I’m going to make in the near future. The main goal and a major reason I chose MAC, is to be an actuary, which requires math and stats as a course. Then, through that, one option is to double major in mathematics and economics.
“This allows me to keep the opportunity to be an actuary while also expanding into different economic-based jobs such as quant (quantitative analyst).
“To be honest, I underestimated how much busier it would be from high school,” continued Fitzgerald. “But, I also underestimated how much of a community it is. Since the MAC campus is pretty compact and walkable, everything is condensed. You may see the same person many, many times in a day even though you may attend different classes. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to enjoy the community as much as other first years due to commuting. (The travel) wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. But it is sometimes tiring having to drive at 7:30 to make an 8:30 a.m. mandatory tutorial. This winter was absolutely horrible driving, it felt like every morning I’d see a car spin out on the same sharp turn. On some days, where it was impossible to drive, or I was too tired due to studying, I would just sleep at a teammate’s place, or at one of my friends. I am super grateful to them.”
While Fitzgerald’s first year at MAC at times seemed chaotic after four years at Milton District High School, head coach Douwes feels the Pakmen grad has embraced his first year of play with aplomb.
“The first time I really noticed Mekhi was in the summer between his 17U and 18U seasons”
Brad Douwes
“The first time I really noticed Mekhi was in the summer between his 17U and 18U seasons,” recalled Douwes. “He had just finished the season with Pakmen, where he played opposite. I was initially drawn to Mekhi’s natural athleticism and, after chatting with him a bit, I was impressed with how he carried himself and his drive to get better.
“In his 18U year, Mekhi made the switch from outside hitter to middle blocker, as that was what his team needed from him — a selfless act of putting the team’s needs first.This type of team-first mentality is something that Mekhi brings to the table.
“During the recruitment process, we had conversations with Mekhi about training to be a left side player as we all agreed that was where his greatest potential as a volleyball player was. We envisioned him being a critical member of a championship team that we are building at McMaster.
“At the start of this season, Mekhi put in work to adjust to playing the left side. The obvious skill that needed attention was his reception. He also needed to adjust to spiking on the pins. Throughout the pre-season, Mekhi improved and his performance made it obvious to the coaching staff that he needed to be one of our starting left sides. A few days before our first league match, a starting middle (both Ashton Fox-Kristensen and Jared Kuiken) went down with a serious ankle injury and that changed everything for us. We quickly pivoted and Mekhi prepared himself to start in the middle. With only two days of training, Mekhi started in the middle and scored 22.5 points in his first OUA match. That match really kickstarted the season for Mekhi.
“His offensive output was remarkable, scoring 188 kills, which is the most ever by a rookie in McMaster Marauders history!”
Brad Douwes
“Throughout the year, he played both left side and middle as needed. Mekhi was always willing to do whatever necessary to put the team in the best position to win. He ended up starting in 16 matches and playing in 19 of 20 matches this year. His offensive output was remarkable, scoring 188 kills, which is the most ever by a rookie in McMaster Marauders history!”
Fitzgerald may have made it look easy bouncing from position to position. But only a lot of work and preparation over the past few seasons made the transition seem natural.
“Changing positions, especially going straight from the middle to the left side, was a very hard journey,” explained Fitzgerald. “After my first season in 17U I wanted to transfer to the left side during the summer. I met someone named Joey Jarvis. He helped me so much during that summer and the summer after 18U. The main difference, or something that was hard for me to adjust from, is hitting IQ. As a middle, everything is quick and you’re only set on relatively good passes when you’re an option.
“As a left side you must be ready to hit anything and put the other team in a bad position, no matter how difficult the set makes it. Obviously that comes with experience, but playing left side for the first time being in the OUA was the biggest struggle for me. I did start the majority of the season, however, I did not start a couple games due to bodily fatigue, as going from the three club practices a week to five practices in the OVA, including games and lift – it was a very prominent shift for me.”
Compounding playing different positions with a late start in volleyball, it’s major news to see how Fitzgerald has thrived after his freshman year at MAC.
“I truly started playing volleyball at the end of Grade 10,” said Fitzgerald. “I played a lot of basketball. I won a coach’s award for my school basketball team in Grade 10, but I was never that serious about it. I started to truly get into volleyball about halfway through the Pakmen plus camp. A couple of my friends invited me to a volleyball tournament that they were hosting and it was the most fun I’d ever had, just the quick reaction time and the perfect precision required.
“After that tournament I was hooked on volleyball and told myself I’d get better. Luckily, for me, that was when I met (Pakmen rep coach) Omar Jazar.
“That’s where I started and was probably the second biggest step in my volleyball career.”
Mekhi Fitzgerald
“Pakmen Plus is a volleyball league for high school athletes, spending half the time learning and polishing skills and the other half competing to put those skills into use. That’s where I started and was probably the second biggest step in my volleyball career. There I was coached by Devon, Omar, and Dillion, a soon to be teammate. Through this program as well as Libero training, serve receive, and beach training during the summer all through Pakmen, I was able to improve very fast within the three-ish months I had to make the team. In my opinion, the best way to start learning volleyball and to improve your skills is to go through Pakmen programs.”
While Fitzgerald got a late start in the sport, Jazar saw a lot of untapped potential to work with and shape.
“You could tell early he was different in how he approached things,” said Jazar. “Most importantly he was coachable, he listened, and he competed. He wasn’t someone who needed to be convinced to work, he already had that in him. Even when he wasn’t the best player on the floor yet, his mindset and willingness to learn separated him. He paid attention to details, asked questions, and actually applied what was being taught. That’s usually what tells you who’s going to take that next step, and with him you could see that coming. When he first walked into my gym, I still remember his first attack, my assistant coaches’ faces and the other players’ faces.
“I wouldn’t call him a late bloomer, he just started the game late.”
Omar Jazar
“I wouldn’t call him a late bloomer, he just started the game late. What stood out to me and honestly surprised me was his level of effort and his intent behind everything he did. From early on, he understood that if he wanted to catch up, he had to be consistent and disciplined, and he didn’t shy away from that. He did exactly what he needed to do to improve, whether that was extra reps, staying locked in during training, or being open to correction. A lot of players say they want it, but he actually moved like someone who did. That’s why his growth happened so quickly.
“He’s improved tremendously,” continued Jazar. “You’re talking about an athlete who had no real background in volleyball, and within two years he’s not only starting on a university varsity men’s team, but also leading in kills in certain matches during the season. That kind of jump is rare. It speaks to his work ethic, his ability to learn quickly, and his commitment to the process. The biggest difference now is that his game has real substance to it. It’s not just athleticism, there’s understanding, timing, and confidence behind what he’s doing.
“He’s a powerhouse, that’s the first thing. Physically he brings a level of strength and presence that impacts the game right away. On top of that, he brings toughness and composure. He competes hard but stays under control, which is not easy to do. He plays within the team, doesn’t force things, and understands his role while still being able to take over when needed. He doesn’t shy away from big moments either. There’s also a level of resilience with him, he doesn’t get too high or too low, and he keeps pushing no matter what the situation is.
“I don’t think he has a ceiling, I really don’t. With the way he’s progressing and how seriously he takes his development, I see him going as far as he wants to take it. He has the physical tools, but more importantly, he has the mindset and work ethic that separates players at higher levels. If he stays consistent and keeps that same hunger, I see him doing big things in this sport.”
“He’s grounded, respectful, and very genuine in how he carries himself. He takes coaching well and actually wants to learn, which makes a big difference. He’s not someone who thinks he’s made it or acts entitled, he understands he’s still building. The biggest thing with him is that what you see is what you get. He’s real in every interaction, whether it’s with coaches, teammates, or anyone around him. With that kind of character, it’s no surprise he’s having the success he is, and it’s a big reason why people want to see him keep winning.”
No one more so than Douwes, who looks forward to what the second chapter in Fitzgerald’s collegiate career might bring.
“Moving forward, Mekhi will continue to develop his skills in all areas,” said Douwes. “The short term focus will be to improve his reception skills. Over time, we believe Mekhi will develop into a well-rounded player that has the ability to control a match via his serving, attacking, or blocking!
“Off the court, Mekhi is a dedicated student and a hardworking and driven athlete. He’s not the most vocal guy in the gym, but he is hyper focused on getting better and improving as a player. As mentioned in my earlier comments, Mekhi has been willing to do whatever necessary to help the team succeed and we’re looking forward to seeing him be a leader within our program in the years to come.”
Reflecting on his freshman season, Fitzgerald is proud at what he’s accomplished, but is ready to turn the page when the sophomore season kicks off.
“Looking back at my season, I am most proud of my improvement in volleyball IQ, watching film and adapting mid-game to player habits,” said Fitzgerald. “Those are some skills you don’t really get in the OVA.
“In all honesty, it wasn’t that much different going from Pakmen to MAC for me.”
Mekhi Fitzgerald
“In all honesty, it wasn’t that much different going from Pakmen to MAC for me. Both of these teams had players with equal amount of drive and determination to get better and compete at a high level, however, many teams this year were well prepared and ready to do whatever it takes to beat us, so it’s just a matter of having a positive mindset and pushing yourself to get better and eventually results will show. Next year, I aim to improve defensively and reception wise, because for me the best player on the team is the most formidable all around.”
With such a positive attitude and with more help on the way, Marauders will certainly be formidable in the OUA landscape for years to come.
