LONDON, Ont. - Strong defence guided the Western Mustangs to a 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 23-25, 25-17) win over the Waterloo Warriors Nov. 27 in women's volleyball action at Alumni Hall.

With the win, Western improves to 7-1 while Waterloo falls to 7-2. McMaster also has seven wins, creating a three-way tie for top spot in the OUA West and OUA overall.

Great digging and solid net play guided Western to the defensive victory. Despite a high number of unforced errors, including services into the net and miscommunication, Western's defence was too strong for Waterloo, holding the Warriors to a low kill percentage.

Claire Morrow (London, Ont.) led the defence with 24 digs, while Jenna Thomson (St. Marys, Ont.) had 46 assists.

Sarah Johnston (Stratford, Ont.) had two solo blocks, two assisted blocks, one ace and 12 kills, while Caleigh Whitaker (Sharon, Ont.) had a game-high 15 kills and 20 digs in a solid, two-way game.

In a close first set, Western earned sideouts at 8-5 and 16-15, thanks in large part to a great rally for the 15th point with the teams tied at 14. Then, Western forced a Waterloo timeout leading at 21-18, before extending the lead to 23-18.

Elaine Screaton (Calgary), who finished with nine kills and 20 digs, served for Western at set point, but her attack attempt landed into the net. Waterloo served but Whitaker gave Western the set-winning kill at 25-19.

Western fell behind 2-5 and 6-8 but clawed back to eventually lead 15-13. Some great rallies took the game to a 17-17 tie but Johnston smashed a momentum-changing kill to make it 20-19 Western.

With Johnston serving, the Mustangs scored again to make it 21-19, forcing a Warriors' timeout. But Waterloo's Megan McKenzie (South Surrey, B.C.) served well and helped her squad to tie the set at 21.
Whitaker slammed home another kill, too hard for the Waterloo defenders to handle, as the see saw battle continued.

A Katie Flanagan (Burlington, Ont.) serve landed into the net to set up set point, 24-23 for Western, and Waterloo's set missed its target and Western took the set 25-23.

Western looked to have complete control after opening up leads of 5-1 and 10-5 in the third set, including a great play by Thomson, who used deception for a key kill on what looked to be a setting attempt. Instead she flicked the ball over the net to make it 8-5, and force a sideout for Western.

The game seemed to be in Western's favour, but Waterloo showed why they entered the game tied for top spot in the province, crawling back on a five-point run to tie the set at 10-10, capped off but an unforced Western error at the net and several communication issues to allow other easy Waterloo points.

The score was tied at 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 points, as Western would take the lead only to have unforced errors or communication miscues allow the Warriors back into the game.

Western led 16-15 at the second sideout of the set, but Waterloo dug deep and scored four straight points to lead 19-16.

Whitaker's monster kill brought Western back within two points at 21-23, then Western tied it at 23, before a miscue at the net and a Flanagan kill gave Waterloo set point.

Bojana Josipovic (Kitchener, Ont.) came up with a great block for set point. She was excellent in the game's final two sets, making timely blocks and creating problems for Western every time they tried to score on her side of the net.

Western, frustrated they could not put the match away in straight sets, came out hungry in the fourth and final set, opening up with a 5-1 lead.

Josipovic made several great stops at the net to help Waterloo creep back to pull within one point at 5-4.
Western switched up their attack plan and Sarah Lowry (Calgary, Alta.) put Western on a critical run, lightly tapping the ball for a kill.

Johnston's kill made it 7-4, before poor communication from Waterloo gave Western a sideout at 8-4. The Warriors came back within two points but would not get closer again.

Poor communication in the backcourt and solid plays from Screaton - she curled an ace over the net to give Western the 12-8 lead - Thomson and Morrow guided Western to the fourth-set victory.

Thomson's kill made it 23-16 and with Johnston serving for the win, she scored the game-winning point after serving, returning an attack attempt between two Waterloo blockers, deflecting the ball onto the ground.

Lowry was named as Western's player of the game, while Josipovic, with a team-high 10 kills and game-high three solo blocks, earned player of the game honours for Waterloo.

Western travels to play at Guelph (3-3) on Nov. 28 at 6 p.m. at W.P. Mitchell Athletic Centre in their final game of 2009's portion of the 2009-10 season.