The Mustangs are back on the road this weekend with a pair of games, first heading to Hamilton to take on McMaster before meeting the Badgers in St. Catharines for the first regular season matchup between the two teams in 15 years.
 
The purple and white record improved to 4-3 last week, when Western struck down the Lancers in three quick sets. Just as he had been all season long, Bryn Ramsay was integral to the victory as he led the team with 13 kills and 15 points.
 
The fourth-year Nursing student has been neck-and-neck with fellow veteran Gavin Taylor in the Mustangs scoring race, with the two battling it out to lead the team in total points. With his performance over the weekend Ramsay moves securely to the top of the purple and white scoresheet with 81.5 points – averaging 3.3 per set. Taylor sits right behind with the same points-per-set average, but holds a slightly lower total of 72.5.
 
The pairing has also proven to be lethal behind the base line, with both athletes falling within the OUA Top 10 when it comes to aces per set. Western's serving as a whole has steadily improved throughout the season, and is a stark departure from last year's patterns.
 
However, with the pair of matches coming up this week, the Mustangs can't rely on one or two standouts to carry the team. McMaster is undoubtedly one of the best teams in the nation, and despite only re-joining the OUA after 15 seasons away, the Badgers have proven themselves to be an emerging threat.
 
Saturday, Jan. 21 at McMaster – 2 p.m. – Watch live on OUA.tv
 
The Marauders will have home court advantage on Saturday, as well as a 7-0 record behind them. It's been undisputed for years that the Marauders have one of the strongest volleyball programs in the nation, and this season is no different.
 
Just two sets have escaped from the Marauders since their season opener, with only Western and Guelph able to get the better of them.
 
Western's 25-21 victory over the Marauders came in the second set of their match on November 26, when the Mustangs pulled out arguably their best defensive effort of the year. It all began at the net, with middle blockers Chris Newcombe and Mike Choja cutting off Danny Demyanenko and Brandon Koppers, both key aspects of the Marauders powerhouse offence.
 
Rookie libero Matt Stasiuk also played a big role in the set from the backcourt.
 
Since that game in late November the Marauders have steamrolled Ohio State – the defending NCAA Division I champions – and struck down the Gryphons in four.
 
Leading the offensive effort through league play has been Koppers, who averages 3.05 kills per set, 4.0 points per set, and matches Taylor's .50 service aces per set to share third place in the OUA. Veteran Jayson McCarthy follows with 3.24 kills per set.
 
However, the greatest shared strength of the Marauders contingent is their serving. McMaster leads the league with 2.08 service aces per set, but their abilities far exceed the numbers. The purple and white serve reception will need to operate at peak efficiency in order to keep the Marauders at bay. 
 
Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m., but may begin late as the women's teams will be settling their own scores at 12. Live streaming of both games are available for fans on OUA.tv.
 
Sunday, Jan. 22 at Brock – 4 p.m.
 
The Badgers rejoined the OUA this season following a 15-year break, and began their return campaign with two wins and four losses. Despite the rocky start, Brock is better than their record would suggest.
 
Brock has shown flashes of brilliance throughout their season, recently knocking off the then U SPORTS No. 8 Gryphons in four sets. Timmy Spisar and John Elgersma led the offensive effort, combining for 28 kills throughout the game.
 
Elgersma, a first-year right side hailing from Wellandport, Ont., has been Brock's leading attacker throughout the season. His 3.6 points per set exceeds that of the purple and white point leaders, and is the tenth highest in the OUA. Fellow freshman Spisar follows with 3.2 points per set.
 
The Badgers can be expected to rely on their outside hitters rather than having points come from the middle.  Matt Hall, Damon Currie, Adrian Yeun, and Matt Forbes have each recorded fewer than 20-points throughout the season – which is not surprising considering none of the athletes have recorded more than 26 total attacks. As a point of comparison, setter Marcelo Correa has also recorded 26 attempts.
 
The Mustangs will hit the court in St. Catharines at 2 p.m. following a matchup between Western and Brock's women's teams.