Headed into playoffs in sixth place with an 11-9 record, the Mustangs will have to battle through Ontario's top teams. Western opens up playoff season with a match against the OUA third place Waterloo Warriors. With the previous matchups between Western and Waterloo resulting in a 3-2 (19-25, 25-22, 23-25, 38-36, 17-15) win for the Mustangs, and a 0-3 (18-25, 13-25, 12-25) win for the Warriors, Saturday's match is sure to be a thriller.
 
Throughout their regular season, the Mustangs have had a series of highs and lows and occasionally struggled with the experience of other teams. However, in what is undoubtedly a purple and white rebuilding year, they have exceeded expectations and often played with a talent and drive that exceeds their years.
 
As a whole, Western averages 11.22 kills per set with a .237 hitting percent. Further contributing to their dominance at the net is the 2.22 blocks the Mustangs average per set. Justin Scapinello, in his final year with the Mustangs, leads the purple and white offense as well as multiple CIS categories. Scapinello currently sits in fourth place in kills per set (4.04), and points per set (4.7), sixth in total attacks (729), and total service aces (31), seventh place for total kills (315), and points per set (367) while holding down eighth place in service aces per set (0.40).
 
Western's only other top ten representation on the leaderboards comes from Mike Choja, who sits in fourth place for total solo blocks (33) and in eighth place for hitting percentage (.421).
 
Fans should also keep a close eye on second year Mustang Gavin Taylor, who has been sitting near the top of the purple and white scoresheet in recent matches. Scapinello has also been leading the Mustangs in the backcourt, as the greatest contributor to the team's average 7.92 digs per set.
 
In order to defeat the Warriors, Western will have to work to eradicate the unforced errors that have pushed the team into trouble in their previous matches.
 
Western at Waterloo – Saturday February 14 at 1pm – Watch LIVE at OUA.tv
 
Ending their regular season with a 13-7 record and two consecutive losses, the Warriors can be expected to put up a strong fight in Saturday's match.
 
Averaging 12.09 kills per set with a .248 hitting percentage, and 3.02 blocks per set, it's well established that Waterloo tends to dominate the net. Senior Doherty has been leading the team in total points, averaging 3.8 per set with 3.16 kills per set.
 
However, the strength of the Warriors truly lies in their blocking ability. Four CIS top ten leaderboard places related to blocking are currently held by the Warriors, with Jordan Dyck sitting in third for blocks per set (1.24) and tenth in solo blocks (25) while also picking up sixth place in hitting percentage (.433). Jordan McConkey rounds out Waterloo's blocking power, holding down sixth place in blocks per set (1.21), tenth in total blocks (88), and third place in hitting percent (.455)
 
Joining Dyck and McConkey on the leaderboard is libero Erich Woolley, who is fourth overall in total digs (216), and second in digs per set (3.04). Woolley is the team's greatest contributor to their average of 11.05 digs per set.
 
Set to being at 1pm at Waterloo's Physical Activities Complex, the match will determine who will continue on in the playoff series. Fans can tune in to the game at OUA.tv.