NORTH BAY, Ont. – Despite hitting a rough patch mid-game, the Mustangs men's volleyball team recovered to defeat the Nipissing Lakers in five sets (25-19, 23-25, 15-25, 25-15, 15-12) in their season opener on October 23 at Robert J. Surtees Student Athletic Centre in five sets.
Nipissing's Cameron Branch led all players in scoring, with 19 points across five sets. On the purple and white side,
Chris Newcombe and
Gavin Taylor split the top spot on the score sheet with 17 points each.
Keeping the Mustangs competitive in the back court was libero
Seth Siegfried and setter
Brad Hockin, who each recorded eight digs.
Western came out early on to take a quick lead over the Lakers at 11-7. Maintaining their edge, the purple and white continued to roll, taking the opening set 25-19.
Returning to the floor for the second set, it was almost as if a completely different team stepped into the blue and green uniforms of Nipissing. Preventing the Mustangs from running away with the score, the Lakers were up by two points at 17-19.
Unable to take back momentum, the Mustangs dropped the second set 23-25.
The third set was a reflection of the second, with the Lakers grabbing control of the game and not letting go. Riding the momentum from their previous win, they kept Western at an arm's length to capture the third set 15-25.
The fourth set, however, was a different story. Recognizing that the game was on the line, the purple and white machine finally picked up speed. Leading 13-8, they continued the on-court domination all the way to the 25-point mark and force a fifth set with only 15 points from the Lakers on the board.
With neither team willing to let go of the final set – and ultimately the game – the score remained tight at 8-7 at the technical timeout. Picking up steam, the Mustangs were able to extend their lead and take the final set 15-12.
The Mustangs are back on the court tomorrow afternoon, taking on the York Lions in Toronto with the hopes of securing a perfect weekend record. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m.
