TORONTO -  Despite slowly improving their level of play throughout each set, the Mustangs were unable to overtake the homecourt Ryerson Rams on Saturday night, dropping their final regular season game in three sets (18-25, 16-25, 21-25).
 
The loss keeps Western tied for fifth place with Waterloo at 10-10 for the regular season. The Warriors have one more game on the books before closing up their season, preventing Western's playoff seating from being finalized until tomorrow.
 
Ryerson's win briefly put them in a tie with Queen's for second place, although a victory over RMC on Saturday night gave the Gaels the points they needed to bump the Rams back down to third.
 
Bryn Ramsay carried the Mustangs throughout the three sets, recording 18 points from 15 kills, two service aces, and two assisted blocks. Meanwhile, recent standout Evan Cranshaw and Nathan Phelps worked to keep the rallies going by each recording four digs.
 
Ryerson was led by Lucas Coleman, who picked up 19.5 points throughout the night and ended off every single set with a kill, and Robert Wojcik who recorded 18 points. Coleman was the greatest offensive threat with 17 kills but Wojcik's four service aces went unmatched on the scoresheet.
 
The Rams picked up a fast lead over the Mustangs right out the gate, only to be overtaken minutes later after Ramsay started to wind up at the net. However, Ryerson's characteristically challenging serves turned the game around once again.
 
Wojcik, one of the most lethal servers in the league, took over at the base line and tore through Western's serve reception without mercy. He served through six consecutive points for two service aces and the remaining four serves preventing the Mustangs from getting a solid first pass. The momentum carried Ryerson through to the 25-point mark where they had a eight point advantage over Western.  
 
The second set was marked down as another victory for Ryerson but saw a better and more competitive start from the Mustangs. Western started out right next to Ryerson on the scoreboard, and it wasn't until the Ram blockers began to get fired up that the Mustangs fell behind.
 
Brandon Jordan and Marc Reardon had already proved to be threats at the net with their attack, but they proved in the second set that they were just as important to the Rams' defensive play. The Senior Day honourees dominated the net to cause problems for Western's entire line.
 
The Mustangs responded with tighter attack coverage when possible, but struggled to land points with Ryerson's strong blockers and athletes who evenly split responsibility for the back court. Working every angle of the game to their advantage, the Rams pushed Western into a deep deficit and closed out the set at 16-25.
 
The third set opened up with arguably the longest rally of the night, as the Mustangs changed up their starting lineup with the hopes that the addition of Evan Hammond could change up the dynamic on the floor. Upon reaching the front line, Hammond made his presence on the floor known by throwing up solo blocks. Ramsay also pitched in a number of kills to help along a four-point streak and bring the point difference down to two.
 
The Rams began to pick up speed again as they began to see the set slipping out of their control. Head Coach Dustin Reid began moving his starters back on the court to give Ryerson the final push they needed to hand the Mustangs a loss at 21-25.  
 
The Mustangs will next hit the floor in playoff action, when they'll take to the road to meet their next opponent.