The Mustangs picked up two big home court wins last weekend for their last regular season games in Alumni Hall to extend their winning streak to ten and take over sole position of first place in OUA West. At 14-2, the only team across both the East and West divisions to top the Mustang record is Toronto – who have secured a win in every single game.

The weekend saw big performances from rookies Emma Somerville and Kaleigh Matheson, while second-year middle Kelsey Veltman continued to dominate the floor as usual.

Somerville, a graduate of Durham Rebels Volleyball Club, filled in as starting libero to record 18 digs across both games. Matheson, a long way from her native Vancouver, found a second home on the court as she took on the Nipissing Lakers to record eight kills and a service ace. As always, Veltman was key to Western's success at the net as her performance moved her up to 4.3 points per set to lead the OUA.

The purple and white game is undoubtedly strongest in the front court as the roster is filled with attackers who have already begun to build up a reputation among other teams. While Veltman is known to draw the attention of the opposition, Aja Gyimah has also emerged as a credible threat as the only other Mustang to average more than two kills and three points per game.  Danielle Grasman has also taken on a more prominent role this season as her 6-1 frame gives her the height needed to post a solid block.

Together, all three athletes have pushed Western into the top of the league in points (982.0), total blocks (159), blocks per set (2.61) and kills (713).

However, while the weekend resulted in the ninth and tenth win of the purple and white run, it also revealed a few holes in their game. As the team played through three sets with Nipissing, the Mustangs struggled to put forth a full set effort. Starting off the game slowly, Western found it difficult to consistently perform at their usual level and often stumbled behind the Lakers. As noted by interim head coach Heather Brinkman, consistency will be key moving forward as the Mustangs look to close out their season on a thirteen game winning streak.

Western at Brock– Sunday, February 14 at 2 p.m. - Watch live on OUA.tv

At only 2-13 for the season, it's easy to underestimate the OUA 7th place Badgers. Able to best only RMC and Lakehead, the Mustangs should be able to knock off a quick three set victory.

However, that's not what happened when the teams met in December.  The Mustangs needed four sets to take down Brock (25-14, 21-25, 25-16, 25-22), and struggled to react to sudden upswings and momentum changes while racking up unforced errors. Considering last weekend's inconsistent performance, it's possible that Western will have a difficult time taming the Badgers.

Veltman and Grasman are likely to find themselves going head to head with senior Badger Maddie Brown, who leads the team offensively with 2.1 points per set. Absent from the floor in the previous matchup between Western and Brock, the 6-1 middle's performance might be enough to tip the scales in Brock's favour.

Karlinna O'Leary can also be expected to make an impact on the game as the only libero listed on the roster.