The Mustangs will bring an end to the 2016 calendar year by hosting the McMaster Marauders on Saturday night in what can best be described as a clash of the titans.
 
McMaster and Western are two of the OUA's most dominant teams, and currently the only two in the West Division to remain undefeated with Western coming into the week at 7-0, while McMaster holds a 6-0 record.
 
An increasingly intense rivalry has been growing between the two teams for a few years now, with the most recent chapter being last year's OUA bronze medal being won by the Mustangs over the Marauders.
 
Neither team underwent significant changes this season, but both are performing at new highs.
 
Kelsey Veltman, just as she has since her arrival on campus in 2014, is the greatest offensive threat on the purple and white roster. Her blocking, attacking, and point stats not only lead the Mustangs, but are among the highest recorded in the OUA.
 
Western has also found success in channelling power through the right ride, with Aja Gyimah and Carly Kimmett also leading the team in both kills and points per set.
 
As a team, the Mustangs excel in a wide range of areas. There is no team in the OUA that can compete with the Mustangs blockers, and serving accuracy has been progressively increasing throughout the season. Serve receive, however, has been a sticking point for some time now.
 
Despite having a number of athletes who have proven themselves time and time again to be phenomenal passers, Western has continually found issue with returning a serve.
 
McMaster, for their part, have one of the strongest receptions in the league with less than half the errors recorded by the Mustangs.
 
In fact, the Marauders are strong in virtually every aspect of the game. Of the six matches they've player this season, only two were not won in straight sets.
 
Senior outside hitter Joanna Jedrzejewska has been one of the most valuable assets on the Marauders roster for several years now, and it appears as if this season is going to be no different. Her 4.6 points per set lead the team, while she has also developed into one of the most effective servers in the league. The Hamilton native has recorded 14 service aces – averaging 0.82 per set. Only Candice Scott has a better record, with 15 aces and a 0.83 average.
 
The Marauders as a whole have also been steadily gaining a reputation throughout the league as tough servers, potentially opening the door to exploit the purple and white serve reception.
 
McMaster typically comes out hard and fast from the get-go, having won every first set and only once dropping the second. Fans of the purple and white can expect the Marauders to step on the court on peak form as they'll try to sweep the Mustangs. However, the relatively easy season the Marauders have seen may be their Achilles heel.
 
Five teams have met the Marauders on the court, and only one currently sits in the top half of their division. The York Lions, third in the OUA East with a 3-3 record, are the toughest competition McMaster has seen thus far. Western will present a new challenge, the likes of which have not yet been experienced by the Marauders.
 
The two teams will meet for the first time this season at 6 p.m. Saturday evening as they battle for the top spot in the OUA West. Fans can catch the game on campus at Alumni Hall, or live online on OUA.tv