London, ON – The Mustangs picked their fifth win in a row and second straight win over the TMU Bold on Saturday afternoon. Western secured a 3-1 victory with set scores of 25-22, 20-25, 25-20, and 25-19.
The Mustangs took an early lead in the first set with key contributions from Claire Stewart and Lael Harrison. They maintained momentum with a series of effective plays, including a block by Ava Ebert that contributed to a 6-4 lead. Rachel Gray sealed the set for the Mustangs with a decisive kill, bringing the final score to 25-22 in their favour.
W?? END OF 1ST SET An extended rally to finish the first set goes the Mustangs way at 25-22. Rachel Gray leads Western with 5 kills.
In the second set, Stewart and Harrison continued their solid play, while Emma Buntic had a standout performance with three kills, including a crucial point at 9-9 to keep the teams tied. Despite a timeout at 14-11, the Mustangs managed to close the gap to 19-17 with consecutive points from Lael Harrison, but the Bold pulled away to secure the set 25-20.
In the third set, The Mustangs started strong the set with a kill that set the pace for Western. Thea Ishida further contributed to the team’s success with multiple assists, aiding Harrison and Tukker in critical kills, including a run from 18-15 to 21-16. The set concluded with the Mustangs capitalizing on a service error by TMU’s Kaiya Krahn, sealing the 25-20 set win.
W?? END OF 3RD SET The Mustangs take this one 25-20 and move into the lead in the match. Lael Harrison leads Western with 13 kills.
In the fourth set, Western took an early lead with strong performances from Gray and Stewart, who each contributed multiple kills. At 11-6, Ishida secured a service ace, prompting a timeout from the Bold. Despite a brief rally from the visitors, the Mustangs maintained momentum with Stewart and Gray continuing to find success, culminating in a service ace by Stewart to close the set with a 25-19 victory. This win brings the Mustangs to an impressive 11-1 on the season.
W?? FINAL Claire Stewart delivers a service ace to finish the set (25-19) and gives the Mustangs a 3-1 victory.
The Mustangs featured several standout players contributing significantly in various statistical categories. Lael Harrison leads in digs with 20 over four games, making her a key defensive player. Thea Ishida is a crucial playmaker with 57 assists, maintaining a perfect setting record with zero errors, and she also adds 17 digs to her performance. Rachel Gray shows strong offensive prowess, leading the team with 19 kills and a hitting percentage of .341, while also collecting 14 digs and scoring a total of 21 points. Lastly, Claire Stewart contributes across multiple areas, amassing 10 points with 7 kills and 2 service aces.
With the win Western moves into a tie for the OUA lead with Queen’s, both sides having played 12 games.
The Mustangs will be on the road next weekend when they make their way to Peterborough for a pair of matches starting Friday night (Jan. 17) for a 6pm start. Fans can watch the action on OUA.tv.
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