TORONTO – After having their 11-game winning streak snapped by the CIS No. 2 Toronto Varsity Blues on Friday night, the Mustangs returned to the court on Saturday and finished out the regular season with a three set (28-26, 26-24, 25-21) victory over the Ryerson Rams at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
 
The win gives the Mustangs a 16-3 record to match the McMaster Marauders for first place in the West. With the tiebreaker, the Mustangs will take over sole possession of the title to head into playoffs.
 
With the loss, the Rams head into the post-season at 13-6 for second place in the East.
 
Aja Gyimah led the Mustangs throughout all three sets with 21 points, just half a point off her all-time high. Taylor Beedie came in behind Gyimah on the scoresheet with 12.5 points.
 
The Rams relied on second-year middle Theanna Vernon to carry them through the game as she picked up 16 points from 15 kills and two assisted blocks. Following was Jena Bonello with 13 points.
 
The first set proved just how evenly matched the two teams are. Both featured dominating middle blockers in Kelsey Veltman and Ryerson's Vernon, and impressive liberos with Courtney Sestric and Julie Longman.
 
The Mustang attack proved to be more lethal than that of the Rams, but Ryerson's serving kept the Rams coming back to even the score. Jena Bonello led the effort from the baseline with two back-to back aces.
 
However, it was an ace from rookie Emma Somerville that preceded a final Ram error to give the Mustangs a 28-26 first set victory.
 
Gyimah made a statement early in the second set by being the first player to reach double digits in kills as the native of Scarborough continued to lead the Mustang offence with her high-flying left handed attack.
 
Even with a quick start from the Mustangs, the set soon settled back into a pattern reminiscent of the opening frame. The lead bounced back and forth with Ryerson matching Western point for point, but the battle moved from the net into the backcourt as the set progressed.
 
As both teams rounded the 20-point mark, the longest rallies of the game emerged with Sestric and Serena Smith taking the brunt of Ryerson's attcks, and Longman seeing all the action for the Rams. In what was quickly becoming a set determined by liberos, Sestric pushed the Mustangs to a 26-24 victory.
 
The third set again saw momentum change hands multiple times throughout the set, but it was the Mustangs who would ride the last wave to 25.
 
Ryerson's serving wasn't as strong as in previous sets, instead finding points through blocking. While the Rams picked up their game at the net to challenge Western's attackers, Ryerson earned nearly as many points through an erroneous purple and white block.
 
Both teams also saw an increase in unforced errors being called with Western's third and fourth net violations called and the Rams being called with double touches. After a controversial call going in favour of Western, the Mustangs sped through the final points of the game to close out the set at 25-21.
 
The next time the Mustangs hit the court will be for the OUA Quarterfinals, where they'll face off against the fourth place Guelph Gryphons in Alumni Hall.