Box Score LONDON, Ont.- The Western Mustangs men’s volleyball team returned to home court tonight to host their first game of this year’s OUA playoffs in Alumni Hall. Their opponent was the sixth place Ryerson Rams in the OUA quarterfinal match. With their eyes set on a spot in the Final Four, the Mustangs stepped onto the court confident and motivated and were able to defeat the Ryerson Rams 3-1. The Mustangs advance to the OUA Final Four tournament on February 22 held at McMaster University in Hamilton.
 
Set scores were 25-18, 25-17, 22-25, 25-20
 
After their win, head coach Jim Sage spoke about his team’s winning effort.
 
“I’m very excited and I’m proud of the guys,” Sage said about winning the OUA quarterfinal. “The guys are learning how to compete, and good for Ryerson for making a comeback in the third set—it gave us a bit of a scare. It was a good win for us and a small step in the right direction.”
 
Leading the Mustangs was Garrett May with 21 kills and a team high 21.5 points. Alan Screaton earned 11 kills and 12 points, followed by Luke Sim and Andre Begin each with eight digs, and Sean McKay contributed 48 assists.
 
Stepping onto the court for their first bout of the playoffs, Western came out strong and earned the first point of the set. Repeated kills by middle Sim kept the Mustangs ahead as they challenged the Rams during every rally. Despite Western’s higher ranking in the regular season standings, the Rams came prepared to battle for their own spot in the Final Four, turning the set into a point for point affair.
 
May fed the Rams some balls they could not return, while outside hitter Justin Scapinello followed suit, raising the Mustangs’ count on the scoreboard, and giving them a small lead. After another hit from May, Western led 16-13 at the technical timeout. Middle Phil James was on the ball—literally—tipping it over the net and catching the guests off guard. With Western up by six, Ryerson called a timeout. Left side Screaton earned the set point after a powerful kill, and the Mustangs were able to capitalize on the set point to take the first set 25-18.
 
With the first set under their belt, the Mustangs recharged and stepped on the court to finish what they started. Earning the first few points of the set, Western took an early lead over Ryerson, forcing them into an early timeout. May took charge, powering the ball into places on the court the Rams barely knew existed. Western held a six-point lead over the Rams at technical the timeout. And the scoring for Western continued with James helping Western get an eight-point lead by blocking attempts from Ryerson. Winning the race to set point, the Mustangs took the second set 25-17.
 
Setter McKay earned the first point of the third set, sneaking the ball over the net before the Rams could notice. The set quickly turned into a point for point affair before Ryerson gained a slight edge on Western. However, this only lasted for a moment before Screaton sent a ball over the net that Ryerson was unable to return. With both sides rallying for every point, giving nothing away easily, the score remained close with no team able to gain a dominant lead. James carried the team to a tie on a smash, while libero Begin saved Ryerson’s hits from the backcourt on numerous occasions. Yet, Ryerson still had a one point lead at technical the timeout.
 
With the Rams leading 20-18, Sage called a timeout. Ryerson pushed closer toward the finish line, and won the race to set point. The tension was high and the rallies were long, but the Rams managed to take the third set 25-22.
 
With the Mustangs leading the match 2-1, they were looking to close it out without having to play a deciding fifth set. However, the first point of the set went to the Rams, who picked up speed and immediately turned the set into a point for point affair. Ryerson managed to edge Western slightly, but hits from Screaton kept the Mustangs within close count.
 
Sneaking the ball over the net, McKay caught the visitors off guard, giving the Mustangs a 10-7 lead. The fourth set was not an easy battle and every point was a fight. Leading 16-13 at the technical timeout, the Mustangs managed to keep their edge, but it was not easy, especially with strong offence from Ryerson’s Luka Milosevic. Holding five points over the Rams, the Mustangs forced Ryerson into a timeout late in the set. But even with the timeout, white and purple won the race to match point, and eventually took the set 25-20, and the OUA quarterfinal match by a score of 3-1.
 
Leading the Rams was Robert Wojcik with 25 kills on 47 attempts and a game high 26 points.
 
The Western Mustangs’ next match will be at the OUA Final Four on February 22.