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OUA-leading men’s streak hits 10

The streak survives another game.
The Western men’s volleyball team was victorious Sunday afternoon as they prevailed over the visiting York Lions in three straight sets. This latest win extends the Mustangs’ winning streak to 10 games; however, they insist it’s not something they are thinking about.
“We don’t talk about it very much,” Mustangs assistant coach Jesse Mighton said. “We just approach it one game at a time. We are always looking towards our next game.”
The Mustangs came out looking like a team that wanted the win, as they were able to dictate the play on the majority of the points, never allowing York to gain any momentum.
“[Western] was very well prepared and they were on their game particularly in the first two [sets],” York head coach Wally Dyba said. “They did nothing wrong and they really got us off our game.”
After taking the first set with a convincing 25-13 win, the Mustangs were able to continue their dominance in the second set as they again pounced on the early lead. The Lions were unable to generate any kind of offence, as they were held to single digits on the scoreboard, losing by a score of 25-6.
“The goal is to play really well against any kind of opponent,” Mighton explained. “If we play really well on our side of the net then it should be a quicker game.”
The Mustangs were a force from the line serving up six aces, with four coming from captain and player of the game, Eric Simon, while setter Matthew Gibson was also instrumental, contributing 25 assists to their winning effort.
However, the Lions weren’t ready to throw in the towel just yet, as a re-energized lineup came out in the third, ready to make Western work hard for every point.
“We have been struggling a little bit this year with finishing strong,” Mighton said. “That is something we are going to continue to work on.”
Despite a back-and-forth set, which saw York claim its first lead of the game, the Mustangs were able to fight back.
Mustangs’ middle, Matthew Waite, who led the team with 14 points, showed composure at the net, delivering three kills late in the set to propel Western to a 26-24 set victory.
Mustangs’ middle, Phil James, explained that despite York making it close in the third, his team wasn’t about to hit the panic button.
“We continued to [rely on] our simple abilities like serving, strong passing and aggressive hitting,” he said. “In the end we pulled it off.”
With back-to-back wins on the weekend, the Mustangs improve their record to 12-1 and have moved into the top spot in the Ontario University Athletic standings. The squad hopes that they can continue their supremacy for the remainder of the season, leading to a successful run in the playoffs.
“If we continue to have that drive to win then for sure, I think we can win the [championship],” James said after the game.
The Mustangs will have a chance to further extend their winning streak this weekend, as they take on the Windsor Lancers and Guelph Gryphons at Alumni Hall.

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