North Bay, ON – The Nipissing Men's Volleyball team scored a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Western Mustangs on November 29th at RJS Athletics Centre.
The first set opened with a 3-0 Nipissing run, followed by Western scoring 3 points of their own. Nipissing responded with a Zander Kasunich kill, putting Nipissing up 7-3. Western won 4 in a row, tying the game at 7. The teams traded points before the Lakers took 3 in a row to lead 13-9. Nipissing and Western would keep pace with each other before Nipissing took control of the set, winning 6 points in a row, to lead 24-17. Western won 2 more before Nipissing closed out the set, winning 25-18.
The second set began at a slower pace, as the teams traded points back and forth before Western took a 9-5 lead. Western then won 4 of 5 to lead 13-7. Nipissing held their ground before going on a run of their own, winning 5 in a row to cut Western's lead to 1. The Mustangs then won 7 of the next 8 points to lead 24-17, and they would close the set 25-20.
The third set began with both teams keeping pace with each other. The score was within 1 point until Nipissing took a 10-6 lead. Western responded by taking 4 of the next 6 points before tying the match at 12. Nipissing would take a 15-13 lead, but Western responded with 5 of the next 6 points. Nipissing would answer again, and down 22-20 would score 2 in a row to tie the game at 22. Western scored a service ace and 2 kills to win 25-23 and lead 2 sets to 1.
The fourth set saw Nipissing climb to a 6-4 lead, before Western won 3 in a row to lead 7-6. The Lakers took a 10-7 lead, before the Mustangs again climbed back into the match, cutting the Nipissing lead to just 1. The Lakers then went on a run, taking 6 of the next 7 points to lead 18-12. Western won 3 points, but Nipissing would keep their pace, leading 23-18. After a Mustangs service error gave Nipissing their 24th point of the set, Western won 2 straight to cut the Nipissing lead to just 2. Zander Kasunich ended the set with a kill, giving Nipissing a 25-22 win and bringing this match to a 5th set.
The fifth was a close affair once again as Nipissing and Western plotted their way through. The score was 5-5, then 6-6, 7-7, and 8-8 before Nipissing won 3 in a row to lead 11-8.
Western then tied the game at 11 before Nipissing took the lead again off of 2 Zander Kasunich kills. Western would add one more point before Nipissing capitalized on a service error, and Kasunich score his 3rd kill in 5 points to send Lakers fans home happy as Nipissing won 15-12, and 3 sets to 2.
Marc Marchand scored 17 kills in the win, and added 13 digs, 4 assisted blocks, and 1 service ace. Zander Kasunich had 16 kills and 10 digs in the win. Ben Franz scored 9 kills and added 3 digs. Jack Svendsen had 14 digs for the Lakers, and 1 service ace. Xavier Legace had 11 digs. Taydon Shantz scored 5 kills and added 1 service ace and 9 digs.
The win moves Nipissing to 4-6 on the season.
The Lakers have completed the 2025 portion of the 2025-26 OUA schedule, and are back in action on January 9th, 2026, at 8PM when the Brock Badgers pay a visit to RJS Athletics Centre.
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