The crowd looked to inspire early on as the purple and white returned home for the first time this season and showed their support with hand-made signs and loud cheers to match.
After splitting points to start the first set, Waterloo would go on a 3-point run, before Western would claim the next two thanks to a kill and an error by the visitors. A big rally would follow, with the purple and white digging and keeping the point alive, before dropping the point as the scoreboard read 5-4 Warriors.
Josia Esau set up Jackson Bere for a kill, as they looked to claim the lead being only one behind at 7-6. Blake Fenwick stepped to the line and served for three Mustang’s points as they went up 9-7.
Amit Sayal stepped up to the line to serve and made a big kill on the point to put the Mustangs up by 4. The Warriors would get the next two but couldn’t catch the lead built by a tenacious Western squad.
Blake Fenwick would then head to the line again, this time hitting an ace. Soon later, a big block by Sayal and Jonah Millard kept the play alive, and eventually ended with a Western point courtesy of a powerful Sayal. The first set was within reach for the home team as the scoreboard read 21-16.
A Warriors service error, and a huge block by Millard ultimately set the purple and white up with set-point, which they won with ease for a final first-set score of 25-18.
The two teams split points to start the second, before Western claimed a small two-point 8-6 lead courtesy of a Jason Guy ace.
Despite losing the lead, the purple and white would reclaim it thanks to a spike by Bere, followed up with a forceful Sayal kill. They would not let the lead go this time, as they rode the momentum to go up 15-11 in the set.
Supportive chants from the home crowd began to echo throughout the gym, offering an added boost to an already aggressive Western attack. A big block by Fenwick and Bere only amplified the noise.
“That was the most fun I’ve had playing in a really long time. All the fans, it was awesome,” said Fenwick. “We definitely [fed off of each other]. After big points when the fans go crazy it’s the best. It was unreal.”
The purple and white soon found themselves with set point, as Sayal served. They would then take the set 25-19.
Needing only one final set to secure the win, Western came out strong to commence the third and claimed an early 6-2 lead.
Fenwick combined with Bere for a big block, then completed a striking kill to increase the team’s score to 10, compared to the Warrior’s 7. Western would begin to run away with the set, going up 19-11 only moments after the technical timeout.
Jason Guy stepped up to serve, producing 2 more points for the Mustangs, one of which came from an ace. The scoreboard read 22-14. The visitors continued to put up a fight however, making Western work for their win.
Despite the effort, match-point was won thanks to a service error, therefore giving the Mustangs a straight set sweep over the Warriors. The final score of the third set was 25-17.
Western put forth a dominant performance tonight, and one that was much needed too.
“That’s what we were searching for. They told me today that they were going to find it. It’s like a light switch,” said Sage. “As coaches we were like ‘do we switch this or that’ but decided to stay the course considering this is our last match until January, and that the guys will do it. Everybody contributed.”
“We just got together as a group and decided that we needed more out of ourselves. We had a couple of team meetings and there just wasn’t enough of an effort last night,” added Fenwick. “It’s been hard starting 3 games on the road, with our home opener late in the semester, but we really just had to get the job done. It was pretty simple.”
The Mustangs thanked their fans after the win who stood proudly and passionately, as applause and cheers rippled from the stands.
“I’ve never seen a crowd in a long, long time generate that much noise for a mid-year home opener. They were awesome,” added Sage. “I cried. Just from COVID and not doing this for two years in my home gym. The Western pride was evident.”
The Mustangs will not see game action until the new year but are not finished on the court just yet. The plan is to continue to train until the exam season begins, and to keep up physical training to stay in shape.
“For the guys to go into the break with a decisive win is so important,” concluded Sage. “I’m really happy.”
Western’s first match of the new year will be played on Wednesday, January 12th, at 8pm in Windsor.
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