TORONTO, Ont. – Finally breaking out of the losing streak that has plagued them since November 1, the Mustangs defeated the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 3-1 (22-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-21) on November 29 at the Goldring Center. With the win Western holds a 5-5 record while tied for sixth place in the OUA, with Toronto remaining in ninth place and holding a record of 3-8. 
 
Toronto focused on strong net play and capitalized on the power behind first year Thomas Meier's swing throughout the first set to pull ahead of the Mustangs. With 13 Varsity Blues kills throughout the first set, six of which came from Meier, Toronto proved to be a sizeable opponent.
 
Western worked hard to stay close to the Varsity Blues, losing the set by only three points at 22-25.
 
Headed back to the court with a renewed energy, the Mustangs utilized serving consistency and errors committed by the Blues to pull ahead. Improving upon their defensive play from the previous set and adjusting to the playing style of Toronto, the Mustangs allowed only nine kills from the Blues while earning eight of their own.
 
Despite a .000 hitting percentage for the set, the Mustangs held off the Varsity Blues and took the second set 25-23.
 
With 13 Mustang kills in the third set, compared to six from Toronto, the Mustangs once again dominated at the net. Their adjusted defensive play prevented the Varsity Blues from racking up kills as they had in previous sets, slowing the stream of points.
 
By out-swinging the Varsity Blues and working to reduce errors, the Mustangs took the third set 25-18.
 
Determined to break their recent losing streak, Western used a focus on accuracy to take the fourth and final set of the match. The Mustangs limited attack errors to three out of 23, while Toronto struggled with unforced errors, allowing the Mustangs to capture the fourth set 25-21.
 
Western's Justin Scapinello led both teams in total points, recording 20.5 throughout the four sets.  The fifth-year King's College student contributed 15 kills, five service aces, and one assisted block to make up his point total. Meanwhile Mike Choja recorded 15.5 points from eight kills, seven solo blocks, and one assisted block. Veteran Jake Dysselhof led the Varsity Blues with 13 points from nine kills, three service aces, and one solo block. 
 
With the win, the Mustangs record now improves to 5-5 on the season, while Toronto falls to 3-8.
 
The Mustangs take a break throughout December but are back in action over the first weekend in January for the York Excalibur Volleyball Classic. They return to regular season action on Friday, January 9 when they host the Windsor Lancers at Alumni Hall, with game time slated for 7:00 p.m., and online streaming available at OUA.tv.