This Saturday's matchup will be the toughest contest the Mustangs will see all year long, as the U Sports No. 2 McMaster Marauders make the trek to Alumni Hall for the final game of the 2016 calendar year.
 
In order the challenge the Marauders, every aspect of the purple and white game will need to be in peak form. Gavin Taylor and Bryn Ramsay have been in close competition to lead the Mustangs in points, and both will need to come out swinging on Saturday for the Mustangs to come out on top.
 
Taylor, a fourth-year Kinesiology student, has been building up a reputation as one of the league's most lethal attackers. His .301 hitting percentage is the fifth highest in the OUA, and the Brampton native has led the offensive effort in three of five matches.
 
Ramsay is arguably the best all-around athlete on the roster, with the second highest point total (57.0), the third leading blocking total (11). He's also proven to make an impact in the backcourt, recording eight aces and consistently leading the team in digs.
 
Chris Newcombe has also begun to carve out a sport for himself on the players-to-watch list. The 6-8 middle first joined the starting line for the 2014-15 season and has become an increasingly important aspect of Western's success. Statistically speaking, Newcombe is the best blocker on the Mustangs court and the most accurate when it comes to the attack. He's racked up 36 kills on just 53 attempts with only six errors, resulting in a team-high .566 hitting percentage.
 
In addition to stellar individual performances from the usual standouts, the Mustangs are going to need team-wide success at the base line. Western's 1.67 service ace average is among the best in the league, but McMaster leads with 2.08. The Mustangs will need to cut into that margin on Saturday night and avoid giving up any extra points to their opponents.
 
The McMaster Marauders are the reigning OUA Champions, coming away from last season's national championship with a silver medal. While the performance won the program their fourth consecutive CIS top three finish, it also revealed one flaw in the maroon playbook. After rolling over every team the OUA has to offer, the Marauders struggled to maintain confidence and momentum after they ended up on the wrong end of the point difference.
 
So far this season the Marauders are off to what's become a standard strong start: they've yet to drop a match, sweeping all four of their opponents in straight sets, and typically win each set by a comfortable margin. McMaster is not used to having to fight their way back into the game, and if the Mustangs are able to flip momentum and take the lead – the Marauders could struggle when placed in an unfamiliar position.
 
With the graduation of All-Canadian Stephen Maar, the Marauders have moved into a more evenly distributed offensive pattern. Outsides Brandon Koppers and Jayson McCarthy are neck-and-neck for the top spot on the scoresheet, with the 44 points of Koppers leading McCarthy by .5.
 
In addition to being the highest scoring team in the OUA, the Marauders lead the league in service aces per set, hitting percent, and points per set. The only areas they seem to fall short in are blocking, digging, and assists – though that likely has more to do with the length of rallies than the abilities of the Marauders.
 
The two teams will meet for the first time this season at 8 p.m. Saturday evening, following a matchup between the Western and McMaster women's teams. Fans came catch the game on campus at Alumni Hall, or live online on OUA.tv.