Following a big season opening four set win over the defending OUA silver medalists in the Ryerson Rams, the Mustangs are back in Alumni Hall to host Guelph and Waterloo.
 
As expected Aja Gyimah and Kelsey Veltman were key components in the offensive effort. Gyimah not only led the team with 17 kills, but also recorded a team high .441 hitting percentage. Veltman was second on the scoresheet, with 13 kills.
 
Kat Tsiofas returned to her post as starting setter, alongside middle Candice Scott and libero Courtney Sestric. Two newer faces also made their starting lineup debut, with Kaleigh Matheson and rookie Melissa Langegger both making strong impressions.
 
The purple and white defensive game was strong as ever from the net, with a league-leading 2.63 blocks per set. Over the last few seasons blocking has become an increasingly relevant aspect of the Mustangs success on the court. Last season, the Mustangs finished with the highest assisted and total block numbers in the OUA while 2014-15 saw them in the top five in all four statistical categories. Veltman and Gyimah have been the most successful blockers on the roster since their introductory season, and after Sunday's performance there's no reason to think that the trend won't continue this year.
 
One potential area of weakness that was revealed, however, was the ability of the Mustangs to shake off nerves. In post-game interviews, both head coach Melissa Bartlett and Matheson noted that the team struggled at times to maintain focus and shrug off errors. Considering the matchup was the first of the season and played in front of a home crowd, fans can assume that the issue will become less intrusive going forward.
 
Friday, November 4 – 6 p.m. vs. Guelph – Watch Live on OUA.tv
 
Guelph's early season schedule has them on the road for the first three weeks of the year, taking on two of the OUA's toughest contenders to kick off the season. Their season opener took place in Hamilton, where they fell 1-3 (9-25,15-25,26-24,15-25) to the CIS no. 5 Marauders, with this week's challenge coming from the Mustangs.
 
Despite the substantial point deficits throughout the three sets dropped to Mac, the Gryphons shouldn't be overlooked. The third set saw Guelph wage a roaring comeback to top McMaster by a narrow two-point margin at 26-24. Notably, two points is all that separated Western and Ryerson in each of the four sets last weekend.
 
The Gryphons found success in relying on their left sides to generate points, with three-time OUA All-Star Maddie Dedecker and Victoria Golebiowski leading the team with 11 and 9.5 points respectively.
 
Golebiowski was also lethal from the base line, recording a team-high four aces. Dedecker added two more, with Chelsea Bott, Cayte Wilson, Jessica Gormley, and Michaela Hellinga all recording one each. Strong serving on the part of both teams may prove to be the key to securing the 'w', as Western and Guelph currently sit second and third in the league for reception errors.
 
Sunday, November 6 – 1 p.m. vs. Waterloo – Watch Live on OUA.tv
 
The Waterloo Warriors will begin their season in Windsor on Friday before making their way down to London to take on the Mustangs at Alumni Hall.
 
If the Warriors' exhibition season is any indication, Sunday's contest will be the easier of the two weekend matchups on the purple and white schedule. Waterloo went 1-4 in a pre-season tournament hosted by UQAM, falling to McGill, Montreal, Sherbrooke and the hosting Citadins before topping Bois-De-Boulogne (Cégep) in their final contest. The team left McMaster's Thanksgiving Classic with similar results, winning a five set battle with York before losing to McMaster and Ryerson.
 
With the team's top three leading scorers back on the roster alongside setter Karly Smith and only two rookies added, it's safe to assume that Waterloo's play will be similar to that of the 2014-15 season. Last year, the Warriors led the OUA in only two categories – attack errors and reception errors. If the Mustangs are able to maintain the strong serving and hitting they displayed in their matchup against the Rams, securing a victory over Waterloo should be no problem.