Windsor, ON – The Mustangs travelled to Windsor on Saturday night to take on the Lancers in quarterfinal action, ultimately seeing their season come to a close with a straight sets loss.
Western secured their playoff berth on Sunday against Nipissing, finishing the season in seventh place in the OUA with a 10-10 record. Windsor finished second in the OUA having gone 15-5 on the season.
The Lancers took this one in straight sets with a 25-19 win in the first set, followed by 25-20 wins in the second and third. Blake Fenwick led Western with 10 kills and 1 ace, while Jason Guy followed with 7 kills.
After taking the opening point in the first set thanks to Blake Fenwick, the two sides exchanged points and kept things close to start as neither team could find a significant lead in this close battle.
While a big block from Jason Guy and Jonah Millard tied things up at 13 and a kill from Fenwick again at 15, it would be the hosts from Windsor who began to take control in the later stages of the set.
The Lancers took seven of the next nine points to lead 22-17, and eventually took the set 25-19.
In similar fashion to the first set, both Western and Windsor traded points early on. A block from Millard gave a two-point lead to the purple and white, but things were soon tied again at six.
The Lancers then took eight of the next eleven points to take hold of a strong lead at 14-9, as they began to break away and run away with the set. Western called their final timeout of the set down by seven points at 20-13.
Down 22-13, the Mustangs managed to come back within five points as they took four consecutive points off of kills from Fenwick, Guy and Nicolas Folz alongside a Lancer attack error.
Despite their late pushback, the ‘Stangs went on to lose the second set 25-20.
The hosts got out to a five-point lead early on in the set at 7-2, as Western called timeout early on in the set with their season on the line.
Fenwick followed a kill with a block to bring the purple and white back within three at 8-5, while a Millard block moments later had them behind by two at 11-9.
Back-to-back kills by Josh Thorson brought the ‘Stangs one point shy of their opponent at 17-16, but Windsor held on and managed to ride their momentum that included a five-point streak to an eventual 25-20 third set win.
The loss officially brings the 2022-23 season to a close for Western, as they look towards next year.
Stay tuned to the rest of the Mustangs team’s and OUA playoffs and other competitions at westernmustangs.ca
This article is shared as part of our Fair Dealing Policy. For the original article, please visit: https://westernmustangs.ca/news/2023/2/25/mens-volleyball-mustangs-fall-3-0-to-lancers-in-quarterfinal-to-end-season.aspx
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