Box Score London, ON — The Mustangs Women's Volleyball team is moving on in the OUA playoffs after picking up a 3-2 win over Toronto Friday night.
Western took the opening two sets (25-19, 25-15) but the Varsity Blues powered back to take the third and fourth sets, to push the distance. The Mustangs rode the momentum of the home crowd, taking the fifth set 15-11.
"That quarterfinal match brings all kinds of emotions and specifically the end. I just felt a sense of overwhelming happiness for my team because they've worked for this, and there are seniors that have been in this match multiple times and had an outcome that didn't go their way. So that moment of fulfillment for them, I was so happy for them to experience that," said Mustangs Head Coach Melissa Bartlett. "The momentum swings, and you do have to sometimes just take a moment and realize it's only one point at a time and that's all you can play. So that was the messaging we gave our team. Take a breath, let's focus in on ourselves, and yeah, go out and just do our game plan,"
GAME RECAP
Western began the first set with strong performances, highlighted by a kill from Kendra McEwen assisted by Ava Coonfer. After an initial back-and-forth, the Mustangs surged ahead with a series of Toronto errors and a service ace by Emma Buntic, pushing the score to 7-4 in their favor.
Despite a brief rally from Toronto, Western regained momentum with a series of defensive stops, including blocks by Ava Ebert and Toni Wilson, extending the score to 13-9. Nyla Tukker's consistent play, featuring multiple kills and a service ace, helped Western maintain control.
Western closed the set confidently, with Tukker securing the final points through a series of kills. Ava Coonfer's service ace brought the Mustangs to match point, and a final kill by Tukker sealed the set at 25-19.
Western began the second set with a series of exchanges, keeping the score tight against Toronto. Despite early challenges, the Mustangs found momentum as Kendra McEwen and Emma Buntic contributed key kills to maintain pressure. The turning point came when Karly Vrbanac delivered a series of successful plays, including a service ace, that sparked a decisive run.
Western capitalized on this momentum, closing the set with a string of six consecutive points. Emma Buntic's consistent offensive contributions, capped by a kill assisted by Karly Vrbanac, helped the Mustangs secure the set 25-15, extending their lead in the match.
The third set began with a crucial exchange of points, highlighted by a kill from Kendra McEwen off an assist by Ava Coonfer to give Western an early edge. Toni Wilson and Ava Ebert contributed with kills to keep the score tight, and a service ace from Lael Harrison briefly put Western ahead 16-14. However, Toronto responded, and the teams remained neck and neck throughout the set.
Western showcased resilience, with Nyla Tukker making key plays, including a kill that leveled the score at 24-24. Despite this effort, Toronto's Andrea Wang secured the final two points, resulting in a 27-25 set victory for Toronto.
Western began the fourth set with a competitive edge, tying the score at 7-7 following a series of successful plays, including two kills by Nyla Tukker and a service error by Toronto. The team briefly gained a lead at 13-12 after a service ace by Kendra McEwen, but Toronto quickly responded to level the score.
Midway through the set, Western mounted a strong push with a four-point run, highlighted by a block from Ava Coonfer and Ava Ebert, which shifted the momentum and gave the Mustangs a 19-16 advantage. Toronto, however, countered with a series of plays that regained the lead, culminating in a 25-22 set win with decisive kills from Giulia Chimilovski and Julia Liu.
"I think it was just reset. We got it. We just needed to focus on our belief in ourselves and in our teammates, and yeah, like we just need to trust one another, and I think we really reset and refocused," said Tukker.
Western seized control in the fifth set with a series of decisive plays. Nyla Tukker's early kill, assisted by Ava Coonfer, set the tone, and Ava Coonfer followed with a kill from Emma Buntic, helping Western to establish a 3-1 lead. Despite Toronto's efforts to level the score at 6-6 with a service ace from Olivia Zhu, the Mustangs responded with a strong run.
Ava Ebert and Kendra McEwen's scoring, complemented by solid defensive stops, allowed Western to extend the lead to 9-6. Further contributions from Tukker and McEwen, along with Toronto's errors, kept Western ahead. Although Toronto briefly closed the gap to 14-11, Tukker's final strike, again from Coonfer, sealed the set for the Mustangs at 15-11, securing the victory.
"I was kind of in the mindset that I'm going to do everything in my power to win that game, and I didn't want to have any regrets after the game." said Tukker. "That was kind of my mindset going into it, and then it just happened that Ava was giving me really good sets all night."
NEXT GAME
With the win, the Mustangs move on to the OUA semi-final against McMaster next Friday night. Western will host the Marauders at Alumni Hall. Tickets are on sale now at WesternMustangs.ca/tickets.
KEY STATS
Nyla Tukker
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- 23 kills on 49 attempts, .388 hitting percentage
- 16 digs
- One solo block and three block assists
- 26.5 points
Ava Coonfer
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- 51 assists
- Five kills on six attempts, .833 hitting percentage
- One service ace
Ava Ebert
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- Seven total blocks (three solo, four assists)
- Seven kills on 17 attempts, .294 hitting percentage
- Six digs
