Mustangs season draws to a close with Consolation Semi-Final loss to Windsor

Brandon, MB – The 2024-25 season came to a close for the Mustangs on Saturday after a 3-0 loss to the Windsor Lancers in the consolation semi-final at the 2025 U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball Championship.

The Mustangs fell in straight sets, losing 25-14, 25-13, 25-19.

“Expectations might have been a little bit more than where we finished. However, I’m as proud of this team as any other team I’ve ever had because the expectations weren’t there.” said Mustangs Head Coach Jim Sage “The run we went on in the OUA playoffs was one of my favourite memories as a coach,”

Oliver Toomes has been a standout for the Mustangs, recording nine kills on 20 attempts with an attack percentage of .250. He was named Western’s player of the game.

“Words can’t explain it. It’s been such a long season, and it means so much to accomplish, you know, getting here (nationals) that hasn’t been done in so long for Western teams, and words just can’t explain how proud I am of everyone in our group,” said Toomes “We’ve dealt with so many injuries, and it’s easy to reminisce about the losses here our main focus is just to look forward and enjoy the experience we had here.”

MATCH RECAP
In the first set, the Mustangs began with a slow start as the Lancers quickly took a 4-0 lead, capitalizing on several attack errors. Cameron McGregor secured a point for the Mustangs with a kill at 6-2, but Windsor maintained control, extending their lead to 13-3 before Conor Doran’s kill sparked a small rally for Western, narrowing the gap to 13-6. Nicolas Silon and Conor Doran added points late in the set, but Windsor’s consistent attacks led to a final first-set score of 25-14 in favour of the Lancers.
 
In the second set, the Mustangs started strong with Oliver Toomes and Kendall Homenick each securing early kills, giving the team an initial 2-1 lead. Windsor Lancers quickly recovered and went on a scoring run, advancing to an 11-5 lead. The Mustangs responded with Toomes and Homenick cutting the deficit to 13-8, but multiple service errors and blocks against the team hindered further momentum. Despite a late kill by Jonah Millard bringing the score to 24-13, the Lancers secured the set with a final kill, concluding the set at 25-13.
 
The third set began with the Mustangs taking an early lead, thanks to a kill by Toomes and an attack error from Windsor. Despite a brief tie at 3-3, the Mustangs regained momentum with a kill from Homenick, but Windsor quickly responded, capitalizing on several service aces. Although Toomes made significant contributions with multiple kills, the Lancers extended their lead towards the end, closing the set with a score of 25-19.
On top of his offensive numbers, Toomes also contributed defensively with 4 digs. Michael Jones tallied 24 assists on the day. Kendall Homenick showcased impressive efficiency with an attack percentage of .500, achieving four kills on eight attempts without committing an error, alongside adding one block assist to his performance.

We would like to thank our Mustangs student-athletes, coaches, staff and supporters for a great year. To our graduating seniors, a special thanks for your time, energy and commitment to the program. We look forward to seeing everyone in the fall for another season of Mustangs Men’s Volleyball.