Hamilton, ON – The Men’s Volleyball team returned to action after a lengthy pause Thursday night against the hosting McMaster Marauders, ultimately losing in straight sets 25-16, 25-10 and 25-19.
Returning to the OUA court for the first time since November, Western got off to a back-and-forth start against an undefeated McMaster team, who are also ranked 3rd in the nation’s top 10 list.
The Marauders would build a lead at 9-5, and not let it go for the remainder of the set.
Despite Western attempts to stifle the momentum, along with the saving of two set-points, the purple and white would eventually drop the first set 25-16.
Strong serves and kills from the powerful hosts kicked off second set action, putting the Mustangs in a position to fight back yet again.
Etobicoke native Blake Fenwick finally cracked the McMaster defence to put them behind by only 1 at 3-2, however it didn’t take long for the Marauders to build a lead yet again in the set, this time at 7-2, with 4 straight points.
Western reclaimed the serve at 11-4, but an attempted Amit Sayal kill summoned a big block from McMaster to put them back in command. McMaster claimed the second set at 25-10 thanks to back-to-back aces.
The third set proved to be no different as the Mustangs were unable to crack their formidable top 10 opponent. After Western secured the first point of the set, McMaster would go on to win the next 4 with powerful play to claim back their familiar lead.
The purple and white refused to let their spirits diminish however, and flashed skill of their own lead by Sayal, Guy, and Fenwick. With Fenwick serving, the Mustangs were able to close the gap to 3 at 16-13, showing their resiliency and desire to battle back.
Despite their efforts, Western would eventually lose the third set 25-19, and the match along with it.
The purple and white are now 2-3 on the season, while McMaster improves to 6-0.
The Mustangs return home to Alumni Hall at 4pm on Saturday afternoon for a rematch against McMaster.