Coming into the week with a 4-4 record and riding a three game losing streak after falling to Waterloo, McMaster, and Queen's, the Mustangs are back in action this weekend and looking to close out the first half of their regular season with a pair of wins.
 
The Mustangs have struggled with serving at times during their recent losing streak with multiple serves hitting the net or flying out of bounds to give up points to their opposition over the past few matches. Also struggling on the other end, the purple and white serve receive has been a recent issue for the team.
 
However, the group continues to shine offensively, with Gavin Taylor continuing to lead the Mustangs with 4.1 points per set while posting the second highest number of service aces (13) in the OUA. While Taylor has been on top of the scoresheet all season long, , Zeid Hamadeh has risen to the top of the pack in the previous few matches, making impressive plays and increasingly putting up points at key times. 
 
Chris Newcombe has also been contributing from the middle, matching Hamadeh's 2.9 points per set and leading the team in blocking.
 
Western vs Ryerson – Friday November 27 at 8 p.m.– Watch live at OUA.tv 
 
Despite undergoing a shift with the introduction of a new interim head coach, Ryerson is just as dangerous in 2015 as they were last year. Thirteen players from the previous season's roster are back, which has helped the Rams occupy third place with a 6-2 record.
 
In their first loss, the Rams struggled to block the McMaster attack, relying on their backcourt players to solely combat the stream of points. Again posting few blocks in their matchup with Waterloo, it was ultimately uncharacteristically poor serving that sent the Rams packing.
 
Serving has proven to be a rare issue for the Ryerson contingent, as the team leads the OUA in total service aces (53) and service aces per set (1.77). Senior Robert Wojcik is the greatest threat behind the baseline, putting up a CIS-best 0.53 service aces per set for a total of 16 on the year.
 
Wojcik also leads the team in total points, averaging 4.4 per set. Close behind is Lucas Coleman, who returned to the Ryerson lineup after spending the summer with Canada's U21 junior team.
 
In the backcourt, Will Otten shines as one of the nation's top liberos. Posing 2.86 digs per set to land fourth on the CIS leaderboard, the Delaware native is known for going great lengths to get his hands on every ball possible.
 
Western vs Toronto – Saturday November 28 at 8 p.m.– Watch live at OUA.tv 
 
Absent from playoffs for the last two seasons, the Varsity Blues are hoping to make a bigger impact in the OUA this time around. Sitting eighth overall with a 3-5 record, Toronto can't be eliminated as a competitor, as two of those losses have come against the powerhouse squads from McMaster and Waterloo. 
 
Both the Marauders and Warriors had to push into additional points before they could shake off the persistent Varsity Blues. Often taking – if not narrowly losing – the first set, Toronto always comes out swinging in the first set.
 
A solid core remains this year, supplemented by the arrival of rookie libero Andrew Kos. A two-time indoor national champion from his time with the Pakmen, he's quickly settled into the role of starting libero and become a key part of the Varsity Blues defence that leads the OUA and CIS in digs per set (12.83).
 
While the defence is undoubtedly the strongest part of the Varsity Blues' game, they also have an arsenal of heavy hitters.
 
Leading the offence is Ryerson transfer Stefan Ristic. Averaging 4.9 points per set to sit third in the CIS, the 6-5 left side has made an immediate impact on the floor and shot to the top of everyone's player to watch lists.