The Mustangs are back in action this weekend following their season opening win over the defending OUA silver medalists in the Ryerson Rams, and will have their sights set on Guelph and Waterloo to give them an early boost in the season.
 
In the matchup against Ryerson, Gavin Taylor and Bryn Ramsay emerged as the biggest offense weapons on the purple and white roster, with middles Mike Choja and Chris Newcombe in prime position to play their way to the top spot as well.
 
Ramsay was also key in the backcourt, recording a team-high ten digs.
 
Serving revealed itself to be a strong point for the Mustangs in their victory over Ryerson, with Matt Hooker and Newcombe both seeing long runs from the base line. Taylor, Zeid Hamadeh, Ramsay, and Newcombe all recorded aces to force the Rams into the OUA's third highest reception error total at six. As a point of comparison, Ryerson's season opening game against the Varsity Blues didn't see a single error.
 
Friday, November 4 vs. Guelph – 8 p.m. - Watch Live on OUA.tv
 
After opening their season with a loss to the McMaster Marauders, the Gryphons will be on the hunt for the opportunity to prove themselves as competitors when they arrive in Alumni Hall.
 
Fans can expect a well balanced attack from Guelph, as their earlier loss saw only a .5 point difference between the three leaders in points. Left side Joshua Green led the team with six points, while fellow left side Jared Harris and middle Kendrick Kerr each recorded 5.5.
 
The strong serving displayed by Hooker and Newcombe very well may be the key to topping the Gryphons, as they currently lead the league in reception errors. The Marauders recorded 11 aces against Guelph throughout their three sets of action, averaging 3.67 per set. If the Mustangs are able to exploit to weak serve receive, Friday's matchup is likely to go in favour of Western.
 
The Gryphons have mixed up their lineups a bit since last year, welcoming a few new faces. While two of the team's three leading scorers are back on the roster, fans can expect to see some changes in the team's starting setter and starting libero. Samuel Kloke has moved in as setter, while last year's starting setter Kyle Richards is now suiting up as libero.
 
The game is scheduled to begin around 8 p.m. at Alumni Hall, following a matchup between Western and Guelph's women's volleyball teams.
 
 
Sunday, November 6 vs. Waterloo – 3 p.m. - Watch Live on OUA.tv
 
The Warriors will kick off their season this weekend with a trip to Windsor before taking on the Mustangs in Alumni Hall – the team's first official action since their appearance at the national championships.
 
A short exhibition season saw the Warriors fall to Manitoba and Trinity Western before topping York in a five set thriller.
 
Last season the Warriors ended with an 11-9 record after several games were retroactively forfeited due to the use of an ineligible player. The majority of the starting line is back on the roster, with only one of the team's top five point generators absent. However, the team did suffer a big loss with the departure of libero Erich Woolley. The former English student carried the team to the OUA's second highest spot in both total digs and digs per set. Lengthy rallies were characteristic of the Warriors, as the team lead the league in total attacks.
 
Sunday's pairing is expected to begin at 3 p.m. at Alumni Hall, with the team's female counterparts facing off first at 1 p.m.