Mustangs play a pair of tight games with York in season opener

Toronto, ON – The Mustangs Men’s Volleyball got their 2024-25 season underway after a couple of bye weeks to open the campaign with a pair of tight games against York.

The opening game on Friday night went the five-set distance, ultimately dropping the match 3-2 and followed that up with a 3-1 loss to the Lions on Saturday afternoon.

GAME RECAPS

Friday, November 8

The opening set that saw the Mustangs get up early on with a 4-1 advantage but the Lions answered right back and took a 9-6 lead. The see-saw effect continued through most of the remainder of the set but York finished out the 25-20 set victory.

The second set was a repetition of the remainder of the opening set, with neither side getting more than a three-point run the entire set but the Mustangs were able to outlast the Lions and even the match at 1-1 with a 25-21 set victory.

The third set saw Western take the early lead at 4-2 but York went on a five point streak to move into a 7-4 advantage. After both sides traded a series of points, York would go on a 9-0 run and move into a 23-13 lead. Western would get three more points but the Lions would finish out the 25-17 set win and take a 2-1 match lead.

In the fourth set, York would take the early lead at 9-5 and remain in the lead until the midway point. Western would chip away at the lead and even up the score at 15-15. The tie score would continue for a series of points but Western was able to get the advantage and win the set 25-20, finishing it out with a Michael Jones service ace.

The tight competition continued in the fifth set with both sides tied at 6-6. The Lions would take a 6-1 run after a York timeout and open up a 12-7 lead. The remainder of the set would go 5 to 3 in favour of York and they take the 3-2 win.

Saturday, November 9

The start of the game was a tightly contested set with continual back-and-forth play. Western would open up a five-lead at 18-13, but York went on a 7-1 run and jumped into the one-point lead at 20-19 advantage. Western would respond with a 6-3 of their own and finish out the opening set win at 25-23.

In the second set the Lions would start out with the advantage and after evening the set at 2-2, York would never trail the remainder of the frame and tie the match at 1-1 with a 25-19 set win.

The third set was similar to the second with Western getting the early lead at 3-1 but York would respond again with an 8-1 run and push into the 9-4 lead. The rest of the set would be a trade of one and two points at a time and York would win the third set 25-21.

The fourth set saw both teams scoring a point or two throughout the opening half of the set until York went on a 6-0 streak to open up a 20-13 advantage. Western responded with a 7-2 run of their own to tighten things up to 23-20 York lead. The Lions would secure the final two points of the set and finish out a 3-1 match win.

Western is back at Alumni Hall next weekend when the Mustangs host McMaster for a pair of matches Friday and Saturday. The Friday night match starts at 8:00 pm. Fans can get their tickets at WesternMustangs.ca/tickets, Western students get FREE admission by presenting their valid Western ONECard at the box office.