Box Score Toronto, ON – The Mustangs travelled to Toronto on Friday for the first game of their weekend series against York, securing a 3-2 victory in exhilarating comeback fashion.
 
Friday's contest between the two evenly matched sides made for an exciting back-and-forth game, with the Mustangs taking it in five sets. Western dropped the first set 25-21, won the second and third sets 25-23, lost the fourth 25-20, and won the decider 15-7.
 
Janelle Albert led the way with 17 kills and one ace, as Kate Van Camp followed with 11 kills. Jaeya Brach and Ava Ebert both had 7 kills to their name with 4 and 2 aces respectively.
 
The hosts got out to a 4-1 start, but the Mustangs quickly battled back to keep things close between the two sides before taking their first lead of the night at 11-10.
 
All tied at 14, the Mustangs managed to build a small lead with a Jaeya Brach kill putting them up 18-15, causing York to take a timeout. The Lions managed to win the next three points after their re-grouping, tying this one up yet again at 18.
 
York secured the next six points consecutively, with Mustangs errors helping them out, to give themselves set point at 24-18. Western would save set-point twice, but ultimately dropped the set 25-21 off of a service error.
 
Janelle Albert kicked things off for the Mustangs in the second set with a kill as they looked to tie things up at one set a piece.
 
More kills from the purple and white alongside a York error elicited a Lions timeout at 7-2. The hosts won the next three points to reduce their deficit to two, but Western would prevent them from tying things up as their momentum began to grow.
 
The 'Stangs began to pull away in the set, doubling up on their opponents at 18-9. The Lions would not hand it to them easily however, winning the next four points to cut Western's lead to five.
 
York continued to battle back in this set, as with Western looking to have all but officially won the set at 22-16, the hosts strung together six consecutive points to cut the deficit to one, before typing things up soon after at 23.
 
A York error would give set-point to the Mustangs, which Brach finished off with an ace, as Western never played from behind in the set.
 
The third set was another hard-fought back-and-forth battle.
 
Despite getting out to a 5-1 lead, Western soon found themselves down at 7-6 as York battled back yet again. The Lions managed to ride their momentum to a 17-12 lead over the 'Stangs before Western tied things up at 19.
 
Rallying behind a Brach serve down 23-21, the Mustangs won the next four points to take the set 25-23, with an ace from Brach closing things off like the second.
 
York doubled up on the 'Stangs early on at 12-6 as they looked to force a fifth set. The Lions won the next four points for a 16-6 score, making it a hard climb back for the purple and white.
 
In familiar fashion however, the Mustangs showed their resilient grit and made this one close. The purple and white managed to put together strong passages of play including a phenomenal rally sending the travelling Mustang supporters to their feet, to stay within two at 19-17.
 
An error would see things tied at 20-20, however the comeback fell just short as the Lions took this one with the next five consecutive points.
 
An early 2-0 lead for Western was enough for the 'Stangs to gain momentum in the deciding set and not let it go.

An Ava Ebert kill and Kate Van Camp point off the block alongside a host error extended the lead at 8-2, before Brach helped to put this game away.
 
After a kill to make it 11-4, Brach stepped up to serve as the Mustangs won the next three points, with an ace from Brach herself giving Western match point. The purple and white were able to close this one out 15-7 for a final 3-2 comeback victory.
 
With the win Western improves to 3-1 on the season, while York drops to 2-3.
 
The Mustangs and the Lions will face-off again tomorrow in Toronto at 8pm to close out their weekend series. Catch the action on OUA.tv