The Western Mustangs battled throughout the night but fell 3-0 to the McMaster Marauders.
McMaster came out strong and quickly built a 7-1 lead, putting Western on the back foot early. The Mustangs responded with a solid run and cut the score to 10-9, but the Marauders answered right away and regained control. McMaster pulled away with an 8-1 stretch later in the set and never looked back, taking the opener 25-14 and a 1-0 lead in the match.
Western bounced back in the second set and played some of its best volleyball of the night. The Mustangs led 10-6 early and continued to hold the advantage through much of the set. McMaster slowly worked its way back into the game and eventually tied the score at 15-15. The teams traded points down the stretch before the Marauders won four straight points from a 21-21 tie to claim the set 25-21 and make it a 2-0 game.
The third set was a close battle from start to finish. Western led 9-6 midway through the set and looked ready to extend the match, but McMaster answered with a strong run to take a 13-10 lead. The Mustangs refused to go away and battled back to make it a one-point game at 18-19. However, the Marauders stayed composed in the final moments, scoring key points late to close out the set 25-21 and complete the three-set sweep.
Key Stats: Joseph Stantic – 5 Kills, 1 Service Ace, 2 Blocks Cade Smith – 9 Kills, 4 Digs, 2 Blocks Oliver Toomes – 5 Kills, 6 Digs, 1 Block