Sunday, November 8 

Mustangs Battle Back to Defeat McMaster in Five Sets 

Game Recap:

HAMILTON, ON - 

The Western Mustangs showed plenty of resilience Sunday afternoon, battling back to earn a 3-2 win over the McMaster Marauders. After taking the opening set, Western dropped the next two before responding with strong performances in the fourth and fifth sets to secure the comeback victory. 

Western started off slower at 4-0 as McMaster came out strong with several early kills and blocks. The Mustangs gradually settled into the match behind strong attacking and improved play at the net, reducing the lead to one midway through the set. After trading points for most of the set, Western finally caught McMaster at 20-20. From there, the Mustangs took over, winning the final five points in a row with solid serving and strong attacks to close out the set 25-20. 

The Mustangs looked quite relaxed to take a two-set lead after opening up with a nice advantage. Western built an 11-5 lead and later pushed the score to 16-8, using strong serving pressure and kills to stay in control. McMaster slowly worked its way back into the set as Western struggled to put away the final points. The Marauders erased the lead and eventually tied the score late. Western earned a set point at 24-23, but McMaster continued to answer and forced extra points before winning the final two rallies to claim the second set at 27-25 to make it 1-1. 

McMaster carried the momentum from the second set into the third. The Marauders gained confidence offensively and consistently found points through their hitters, while Western struggled to string together runs. The Mustangs stayed close through parts of the set, but McMaster continued to win key rallies and force errors. As the set wore on, the Marauders slowly kept their lead and finished it at 25-15 to make it 2-1. 

With high pressure, Western responded with one of its best sets of the afternoon. The Mustangs came out aggressively and quickly built an 11-5 lead behind strong serving, solid blocking, and consistent kills. McMaster battled back and slowly lessened the lead, eventually getting within one point at 22-21. Rather than letting the set slip away, Western stayed composed and came through with timely kills and strong defensive play in the closing rallies. The Mustangs secured a 25-22 win to force a fifth set. 

The final set was tight from start to finish and featured several kills. Western began strong and later built a four-point lead at 12-8 behind strong attacking from its front row. McMaster refused to go away, putting together a run of its own to tie the set at 12-12. The teams continued to trade points, with the score tied within the last few points. Western answered every challenge, getting key kills when it needed them most. With the tension super high, the Mustangs won the final point with an awesome serve to complete the comeback and earn a hard fought 17-15, 3-2 win. 

Team Stats:

Emma Buntic - 23 Kills, 11 Digs, 1 Block
Nyla Tukker - 14 Kills, 10 Digs, 2 Service Aces
Toni Wilson - 9 Kills, 13 Digs, 2 Service Aces