LONDON, Ont. - You can’t blame women’s volleyball head coach Dean Lowrie for being happy these days.

After all, Lowrie landed what is being lauded in the volleyball circle as one of the nation’s best recruiting classes. A blend of new recruits and strong veteran talent lifted Western to a 3-0 win over Wilfrid Laurier Oct. 16 at Alumni Hall by set scores of  25-19, 25-23 and 25-16. STATS 

And while the Mustangs will be satisfied with nothing less than an OUA title in 2009-10, Lowrie expects the parity in the OUA West to be higher than ever with six of the seven teams capable of winning most nights.

Lowrie know the team’s second goal of finishing in the Top 2 in the OUA West Division will be a challenge.

"We have a great recruiting class, one of the best in the country, but there is still an adjustment to university-level volleyball," Lowrie said. “I expect it to be a tough division this year and we will need to compete every night.”

Returning to the lineup are captains Jacqueline Robinson (Vancouver, B.C.), Jenna Thomson (St. Marys, Ont.) and Sara Farrell (London, Ont.).

Lowrie is carrying 18 players this year, including eight in their first year of eligiblity. Claire Morrow (London, Ont.), daughter of women’s rowing coach Al Morrow, is back after missing 2008-09 with injury. 

Top recruits include a strong Western Canadian flavour with #9 Rebecca Oxland (setter, Vancouver, B.C.), #11 Danielle Marshall (middle, Kelowna, B.C.) and #17 Jacqueline Hunter (North Vancouver, B.C.). Oxland and Hunter were teammates and won a provincial title together last season in high school

Other new faces include #3 Erin Lamont (middle - Aurora, Ont.), #14 Jennifer Pierce (outside hitter - Oakville, Ont.), #16 Stephanie Kantzos (left side - London, Ont.) and #18 Stephanie Kreuter (outside hitter - Rostock, Ont.).

Western also brings back three sophomores (Christie-Lee Wilson, Kaitlyn Ognibene and Caleigh Whitaker), two juniors (Sarah Johnston and Elaine Screaton) and five seniors (Thomson, Farrell, Robinson, Nicole Smyrnios and Sarah Lowry). Robinson is the lone fifth-year senior and is expected to make a big difference.

Lowrie said the most promising aspect of the team is its energy to date and said entering the season with wins over Laurier and York at the Mizuno Invitational tournament in Hamilton, Ont., to win the consolation final has given the team a lift.

"We have so many players that our starters did not get a chance to compete together as a group until last weekend's games (in Hamilton)," Lowrie said.

Next up for Western is a home game against Toronto at 1 p.m. on Sunday Oct. 25 at Alumni Hall.