The Western Mustangs men's volleyball team earned a split in their final two regular season games, losing 3-1 to division champion McMaster and handily defeating the Toronto Varsity Blues 3-1.

The Mustangs (15-5) finish in third place in the OUA behind Queen's and McMaster, and will host Waterloo (11-9), the sixth seed, in an OUA quarter-final on Saturday Feb. 27 at 4 p.m. at Alumni Hall, with the winner advancing the the OUA Final Four at McMaster March 5-7 weekend. Click here to order tickets.

Against McMaster Feb. 20, Western won the first set 25-20 but fell 17-25, 20-25 and 21-25 to lose any hope of winning the division. Mathew Waite (St. Thomas, Ont.) led Western with three aces and 13 points (nine kills, three assisted blocks), while Mathieu Poulin (Winnipeg) added 12 points, all on kills. Western's 17 service errors hurt them.

Jeremy Groenveld led the Marauders (17-3) with 22 points and 12 digs. The Maruaders earn a first-round bye and will host the OUA Final Four March 5-6 in Hamilton, Ont.

The next day, Western closed out the regular season with a decisive win over Toronto. After winning the first set 25-20, Western dropped set number two 26-28, before closing out with back-to-back set wins of 25-18.

Steven Kung did all he could for Toronto (10-10) with a game-high 24 points, 21 on kills, but the Western quad of Poulin, Waite, Reid Halpenny (Exeter, Ont.) and Phil James (Ottawa) overpowered the host Varsity Blues.

Poulin, who led Western with 18 points, James and Waite each had three solo blocks in a solid defensive effort, forcing 29 Blues errors in the process.

Waite added three of Western's nine serving aces.

OUA Playoff Tree
OUA Quarter-FInals
No. 7 Toronto (10-10) at No. 2 Queen's (16-4)
No. 6 Waterloo (11-9) at No. 3 Western (Feb. 27, 4 p.m, Alumni Hall)
No. 5 Guelph (11-9) at No. 4 Windsor (12-4)
OUA Semifinals
Feb. 26
No. 1 McMaster bye to OUA Final Four and OUA Semifinals
TBA at McMaster, 6 p.m. and TBA vs TBA, 8 p.m. (Burridge Gym, Hamilton, Ont.)