LONDON, Ont. – The Western Mustangs may have closed out the 2016 calendar year with a loss, but also accomplished what no other OUA team has done this season. The 3-1 (17-25, 25-21, 10-25, 9-25) loss to the U Sports No. 2 McMaster Marauders marked the first time all season that McMaster has dropped a set.
 
"We had moments, in the second set especially, where we played really well," noted Bryn Ramsay. "The rest of the game was kind of a bummer. We had a huge lull in the third and fourth. There's areas that we can reflect positively on and areas to improve upon.:
 
Ramsay led the Mustangs in point, recording 9.5, while Gavin Taylor followed closely behind with nine. McMaster's Danny Demyanenko was the highest scoring athlete on the floor with 19 points, while Brandon Koppers followed with 14.
 
The Marauders kicked off the match in characteristically strong fashion, using all the elements of their high-powered offence to create trouble for the Mustangs. Demyanenko stole the spotlight in the front court with towering blocks and proved why he's one of the best middles in the league.
 
A native of Toronto, Demyanenko was also one of the most dominating players offensively throughout the first set with a match-high .667 attack percentage. Only Koppers recorded more kills, with four. 
 
Zeid Hamadeh proved to be the most successful Mustangs attacker in the first set, also notching four kills.
 
Western was able to hold the Marauders at game point temporarily, in part thanks to the quick feet of rookie libero Matt Stasiuk.
 
"He played awesome tonight," said Ramsay of Stasiuk. "I know from experience that's it's tough coming in off the bench and being expected to play a big role especially on serve receive. I thought he killed it tonight."
 
Despite the short point run, McMaster was still able to close out the set with a 25-17 victory.
 
Set two saw one of the Mustangs best starts of the season, with the Marauders forced into a timeout with a five-point deficit. McMaster returned to the floor with the same fire that allowed them to dominate set one, and were soon trailing by only one point.
 
With the score tied at 10-10, the Marauders continued to rely on their tried-and-true tactics to try and force Western out of system. Demyanenko was the team's top blocker, while also becoming the most lethal athlete at the net.
 
However, unlike the first set, the Mustangs were able to return most of what the Marauders threw their way. A full team defensive effort kept McMaster's heaviest hitters from finding open floor, although a substantial proportion were cut off by Newcombe at the net.
 
The senior middle recorded three solo blocks in the second set alone, with another handful being continued by the Marauders.
 
Not a team accustomed to losing, McMaster struggled to slow down the thriving Mustangs. With a final block from Newcombe, Western took the second set at 25-21.
 
"We played so much better," said head coach Jim Sage about the second set performance from Western. "We controlled play a little bit and made some big blocks through the last few points. I was proud of my guys for doing that."
 
The set loss was the first of the season for the Marauders, and appeared to serve as a stark wakeup call. They opened the third with a 12-point streak to build up a lead that would carry them through the entire set.
 
By the time McMaster hit the 20-point mark, the Mustangs had yet to round 10. The Marauders well-rounded offence was operating at peak efficiency, with Craig Ireland and Peter Khodkevych taking over as the leading hitters.
 
"We didn't respond well," said Sage. "They started getting momentum and served us off the court."
 
Western was again able to stall the Marauders at 24-points, but couldn't prevent the final point. A final kill from Jayson McCarthy ended the set, giving McMaster a 25-10 win.
 
The final set of the game closely mirrored the third, with the Marauders running all over the Mustangs.
 
McMaster brought a quick end to the match, allowing only nine purple and white points on their way to the victory.
 
The game brings an end to the purple and white season for the 2016 calendar year, with the Mustangs next returning to the floor on January 15 to take on the Windsor Lancers.