Toronto, ON – The #6 ranked Mustangs Men’s Volleyball team took an upset victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues Friday night in the OUA Quarterfinal. Not only did Western take the win, it came in a straight set, 3-0 win.
The match concluded with set scores of 25-20, 25-19, and 25-19. The Mustangs demonstrated strong offensive play, achieving a .309 hitting percentage with 45 kills and only 11 errors. The Varsity Blues countered with 33 kills and 17 errors, resulting in a .145 hitting percentage. Western’s serving game outperformed Toronto with five aces to Toronto’s one.
Western started the first set strong with Cameron McGregor and Oliver Toomes contributing early kills, leading to a steady exchange of points with Toronto. Cade Smith showed consistency in the middle of the set, recording multiple kills, including a critical point that tied the game at 11-11. Western pulled ahead decisively towards the end, with Michael Jones assisting on several key plays and contributing a service ace, culminating in a 25-20 victory for the set.
In the second set, Western secured a 25-19 victory over Toronto. A key sequence occurred when Kendall Homenick and Cameron McGregor each contributed multiple kills, helping Western build a 7-4 lead. The team continued their momentum, with significant contributions from Smith and Oliver Toomes, leading to a decisive service ace by Luca Stojanovic that brought the score to 22-18.
In the third set, Western secured a 25-19 victory against Toronto with significant contributions from Homenick, who recorded multiple kills and a service ace, notably scoring at 15-12 and 24-18. Michael Jones consistently assisted on these plays, contributing to kills by Toomes and Jonah Millard, the latter sealing the set at 25-19. Western capitalized on Toronto’s errors, including several service errors and attack errors, especially towards the end of the set, creating a decisive late-game streak.
Jones led the Mustangs with 41 assists in three games, demonstrating his key role in setting up plays. Homenick stood out with a .667 attack percentage, recording nine kills on 12 attempts while contributing two service aces and three total blocks. Smith added offensive and defensive support with 12 kills and 13 digs, accumulating 12.5 points.
KEY STATS
Michael Jones
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– 41 assists
– 2 service aces
– 4 digs
Cade Smith
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– 12 kills
– 13 digs
– 12.5 points
Kendall Homenick
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– 9 kills
– .667 hitting percentage
– 13.5 points
NEXT GAME
The Mustangs move on to the OUA Semi-Final which is set for next Friday, February 28. Stay tuned to WesternMustangs.ca for full details when they are available.