Coming off a five-set thriller that saw the Mustangs take down Ottawa – the defending OUA silver medalists – and retain their undefeated status, Western is gearing up for an action packed weekend in which they have the home court advantage on both Saturday and Sunday.
 
Leading the Mustangs throughout all three wins has been Western's Athlete of the Week Aja Gyimah. The left handed right side set new personal single game highs for both kills and total points. Proving to be largely unblockable, the native of Scarborough broke onto the CIS leaderboard early in the season and now sits 7th in kills per set.
 
Also posting impressive numbers is setter Katherine Tsiofas. Averaging one service ace per set to lead the CIS, the Toronto product's consistency and power from the base line was integral in the recent five set win over the Gee-Gees.
 
As a team, the strength of Western can be found at the net. Together Gyimah and Kelsey Veltman post some of the strongest blocks on the floor, shutting down the opposition at first chance. Tsiofas has found success attacking the ball herself as opposed to setting, typically causing the other half of the court to scramble in an attempt to save the rally.
 
With three wins behind them and everything to prove, the Mustangs can be expected to come out swinging on the weekend.
 
Western vs RMC – Saturday November 14 at 5 p.m.– Watch live at OUA.tv 
 
Historically one of the weaker teams in the OUA, the 2015-16 RMC Paladins have slowly been making a name for themselves on the court. Despite posting a 1-4 record, RMC rarely goes down without a fight.
 
Taking a set off Ottawa, Toronto, and York before falling in four, and defeating Nipissing in three, the Paladins are often underestimated. Sitting third in the OUA in total kills and second in service aces, RMC's areas of strength line up almost exactly with that of the Mustangs.  
 
Rookie Kara Stephan – with 81 points – has been the dominating force at the net for the Paladins. Sitting seventh nationally for kills per set (3.72) – two spots above Gyimah – and fourth in service aces per set (0.72), while leading the Paladins defensively, the Engineering student commands the floor from the net and the backcourt.
 
With only five athletes beyond their second year of eligibility, RMC's contingent is only lacking in OUA experience.
 
Western vs Queen's – Sunday November 15 at 2 p.m.– Watch live at OUA.tv 
 
Currently sitting with a 2-3 record, the Gaels will see one more game before heading down to London to take on the Mustangs.
 
While Queen's currently posts a losing record, it may not be representative of their abilities as a team. Already having faced Ryerson and Toronto – the two top teams of OUA East – the Gaels faced a challenging early schedule.
 
Now on a hot streak with their most recent two games ending in three set tri-colour victories, Queen's will be expecting to carry their momentum over into the weekend.
 
Sharing more than just a first name, Shannon Neville and Shannon Hopkins also share the the Gael point leader position. The veteran outside hitters both have racked up a total of 46 points to average 3.5 per set.
 
However, defense has proven to the the Gael advantage, as their 17.56 digs per set average puts the team in third nationally. Leading Queen's in the backcourt is Neville, with 5.08 digs per set.