The York University Lions women's volleyball team capped its 2016-17 regular season with a thrilling five-set victory over the No. 10 nationally-ranked Western Mustangs on Saturday night at the Tait McKenzie Centre.
 
The win was the team's third in a row and gives them a record above .500 for the season, at 10-9. They clinched a playoff spot with Friday's win and will be on the road for the OUA quarter-finals next weekend.
 
In the opening set of the match both the Mustangs and the Lions remained stout. Each team raced up the scoreboard and neither could gain much separation from one another. Melissa Monkhouse (Guelph, Ont.) began the momentum swing for her Lions when she unleashed a powerful kill that gave them their 19^th point while also igniting the crowd to thunderous applause.
 
Sarah Williams (Oakville, Ont.) helped bring the Lions to the clinching point with an un-returnable fastball. Celeste Witzell (Kitchener, Ont.) would turn out to be the set's hero as she stymied the Mustangs' scoring attempt with a towering block to clinch the 25-22 victory.
 
Moving forward to the second set, Kayla Clennon (Stouffville, Ont.) hung in the air and used a light touch on the ball to float it over the extended defender's hands. This point would tie the game at 11-11. However, mid way through the set the Mustangs began to build force behind them. Western played an extremely aggressive set, which resulted in the Lions being on the receiving end of kill after kill. The Mustangs rolled to a 25-17 victory to even the match at one set apiece.  
 
In the opening points of the third set, the Mustangs established a 4-0 run by utilizing their ability to find holes within the Lions' defence. Carley Flemmer (Delta, B.C.), the fifth-year graduating standout, helped close the early gap as she threw her body to the floor to record a dig, which was then turned into a kill by Witzell. In Kirsten Dillon's (Surrey, B.C.) final home game she took to her usual successful business and set up her teammates to throw points on the board. She showcased her veteran talent when she sent a ball cross-court for Clennon to kill after a long rally. The Mustangs' early jump would ultimately culminate into another 25-17 victory and a 2-1 lead in the game.
 
Unlike the previous set, the Lions refused to get caught in an early hole and led at 12-9. However, a three-point surplus would be the furthest the Lions would get as the Mustangs closed the gap and initiated a back and forth battle. After the Mustangs established a 22-20 lead, the Lions rallied back with three straight points to avoid elimination. In the ensuing play Western shot a ball long to set the Lions up for victory with a 24-23 lead, and on the next point the Mustangs committed an infraction at the net to give the Lions the win.
 
At the start of the fifth set the Lions dashed to an 8-4 lead through the deceptive misdirection kills from Dillon and the high-flying Witzell.
 
With a 12-8 lead, the Lions began to be suffocated by Western's sudden success. The lead was cut down point by point until the game was tied at 12. The Lions tacked on two more kills to set the score at 14-13, and then Monkhouse drilled a kill on match point to seal the win for the Lions.
 
The Lions now await their first-round opponent and will travel to that team's home gym in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday. The opponent and time is still to be confirmed.