KINGSTON, Ont. (January 22, 2010) – In a face off against the top-two men's volleyball programs in the OUA, the Queen's Gaels fell 3-2 to the McMaster Marauders on Friday evening in the new Main Gym of the Athletics & Recreation Centre on campus at Queen's University.

The five-set match saw the Gaels open with a 25-23 victory but lose the next two games to McMaster 20-25 and 13-25. Queen's rallied with a fourth set victory of 25-22 setting up a deciding fifth set. In that set, the Gaels fell behind early and were unable to recover falling 15-8.

Heading into the match the two teams were knotted atop the OUA standings and had met each other in the OUA championship the last three seasons.

Queen's Joren Zeeman of Cambridge, Ont., was the game's top player recording 24-points tallying 21 kills. Michael Amoroso of Toronto was named the player of the game for the Gaels posting eight points with two stuff blocks and six kills. Bryan Faultley of Oakville, Ont., had 11 points on 10 kills and an ace.

Shawn Bench of St. Catharines, Ont., led the Marauders recording 21 points on 15 kills, two aces and four stuff blocks. Kingston's Tyler Santoni also contributed in the win for McMaster with nine points

The loss moves Queen's into a tie for second place with the Western Mustangs who topped the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks 3-2 in earlier OUA action. The Gaels have a game in-hand on Western.

NOTES: The Gaels have an even 4-4 record against the Marauders over the last eight regular season meetings. McMaster and Queen's have met for the OUA championship the past three seasons with McMaster winning the title the past two years… A total of 654 boisterous fans attended 'belairdirect rivalry' night featuring a men's and women's volleyball double-header… This was the Queen's fourth volleyball game in the new Athletics & Recreation Centre and they sport a 3-1 overall record in the new facility (M 1-1, W 2-0).