The Western and Queen’s men’s volleyball teams delivered a weekend worthy of their long-standing rivalry, splitting a two-match series as both aimed for a higher spot in the OUA standings.

Entering Friday night’s matchup at Alumni Hall, the margin between the two teams was razor-thin, not only in team standings but in nearly every statistic. The Gaels held a slight edge in offensive efficiency and service pressure, while the Mustangs countered with disciplined blocking and consistent floor defence. 

This set the stage for the high-stakes series between two of the conference’s most evenly matched teams.

Friday’s opener saw Western University grind out a composed four-set win, taking the match 3–1 after dropping the opening set. Queen’s University controlled early stretches with strong serving and efficient middle-court offense, with fourth-year outside Nikola Mitrovic building momentum from the start with nine kills. 

But Western’s response in the second was decisive, erasing multiple late deficits to steal a 26–24, which flipped the momentum.

“Queen’s was not at their best, but we also held them to it — they’re streaky — so we jumped on the opportunities when we had the chance and did well,” said fourth-year left side hitter, Cade Smith.

Smith anchored the Mustangs’ turnaround, finishing with 15 kills on a 0.423 hitting percentage while absorbing the brunt of Queen’s blocking schemes. Alongside him, fourth-year middle Kendall Homenick delivered one of his most efficient outings of the season, recording 10 kills on a 0.438 hitting percentage.

Defensively, fourth-year libero Andrew Kerkhoff anchored the backcourt with eight digs, while Western’s block, led by Homenick and third-year left side hitter Oliver Toomes, disrupted Queen’s left-side rhythm.

At the centre of it all was fifth-year setter Michael Jones, whose 40 assists steadied the team through long rallies. It was Jones’ tempo that allowed the Mustangs to take control in the third and fourth sets, hitting 0.435 as a team.

“Friday’s game was great. We were executing how we want to be when we’re playing our best,” said Smith.

If Friday was about Western’s composure, Saturday belonged to Queen’s execution.

The Gaels returned sharper offensively, sweeping the Mustangs 3–0 in a match defined by capitalizing on late-set opportunities.

Mitrovic led the charge with 15 kills on 0.379 hitting, supported by consistent support from third-year outside Ben Carr and fourth-year outside Reed Venning. Queen’s posted a 0.313 team hitting percentage in the afternoon, capitalizing on transition opportunities and service pressure to keep Western behind them.

Smith once again led the Mustangs with 11 kills, while fifth-year outside hitter Jayden Talsma added nine, but Western struggled to find a sustained rhythm, hitting 0.143 as a team. Despite Jones’s 28 assists and Kerkhoff’s steady defensive presence, Queen’s pulled away in the third set, closing the match 25–16.

“Today’s game was tough. We showed flashes of having opportunities, but in the end, we lost the lead. We just need to capitalize on those moments a little more, and that’s what we’re working towards,” said Smith.

With playoff positioning looming and history still fresh from last season’s postseason meeting, the Mustangs and Gaels once again proved that when they meet, margins are slim.

Western will look to regroup at the end of January when they hit the road to play against the University of Waterloo Warriors for another two-match series on Jan. 30 and 31 at 7:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., respectively.