Box Score LONDON, Ont. – A very strong team performance led the Mustangs to a 3 set victory in their first home game of the year against Trent on Friday. 

Head coach Melissa Bartlett attributes the team's success to an all around team effort. "We had 14 players who participated. When you're switching the lineup that much and they can still maintain a high level of execution and consistency, as a coach that makes you really happy." Over the course of the game, 10 different Mustang players scored points.

Though both teams began energetically, the Mustangs turned this energy into momentum to stay in the game despite an effective Excalibur defense.

The first set saw the teams evenly matched. Trent opened after a long rally ahead with an enthusiastic lead. However, with an impressive dig by Melissa Langegger the Mustangs pulled ahead. Western continued this momentum to pull ahead and maintain a 5 point lead for some time: though not to the weak defense of Trent, who kept Western defending in several long rallies. Several clean attacks pulled Western ahead and claimed the set for them 25-14.

Trent momentarily began the 2nd set ahead. However, they seemed to have lost momentum, hitting the ball out of the court to letting the Mustangs maintain a low deficit. A service failure by boths teams keep the deficits low, tying at 2-2 and again at 5-5. Western began gaining momentum as Kristina Curcin made 2 impressive attacks. Western rapidly took the lead, eventually amounting to a 10 point lead. 4 kills secured the Mustang's lead 22-12. Two long rallies delayed the Mustang's victory but a kill by Melissa Langegger allowed them to take the set 25-16.

Western faced more determination by Excalibur in the third set. They began leading 4-2, but a kill by Langegger brought the Mustangs back. With effective service reception by Western, Trent was forced to regroup as the Mustangs led 16-9. Though Trent fought hard defensively with several long rallies, they were only able to earn a couple points against Western's strong offense which eventually took the set 25-11 and the game.

"The girls were really motivated to implement the training from the past two weeks," Bartlett said. "They set some really awesome team goals for themselves about mentality and error management and it was exciting to see how they took ownership of that in this game."

The final line score for the match was 25-14, 25-16, 25-11.

The Mustangs intend to further the values of team and goal setting they demonstrated Friday in their school day match against Lakehead.

"We're going to continue to build," Rachel Grove said. "We're on a really good uphill right now, and I think our game against Lakehead will be a good challenge to see if we can stay consistent."