The Mustangs will be looking to secure their third straight appearance at the OUA Final Four this weekend when they welcome the Queen's Gaels to Alumni Hall on Saturday evening for an OUA Quarter-final matchup.
 
November's face-off between the two teams resulted in a Western victory after four hard-fought sets (25-22, 23-25, 25-19, 25-19). Western relied on middles Candice Scott and Kelsey Veltman to generate points, while Queen's Caroline Livingston was the highest scoring athlete of the game.
 
Veltman has topped nearly every scoresheet for the Mustangs this season, ending the regular season with an OUA leading 353.5 total points, and 5.2 points per set. A threat in all areas of the game, she also sits at the top of the league in all three statistical blocking categories and has one of the most vicious serves in Ontario. 
 
However, the Mustangs didn't build the league's most efficient offence on the strength of only one athlete. Setter Kat Tsiofas has carried the team not only by being one of the most technically talented setters in the league, but also with smart playmaking. Also playing crucial roles are Aja Gyimah and Melissa Langegger, who follow Veltman as the most-set athletes on the roster. 
 
Isabelle Korchinski and Livingston will likely take the lead in defending against Western's top hitters after they shouldered the brunt of defensive duties for the Gaels throughout the regular season. The pair average 2.89 and 2.75 digs per set, while Victoria Wensley follows with 2.39 digs per frame.
 
Thankfully for the Mustangs, they have their own defensive standout in libero Courtney Sestric. While her 2.94 digs per set isn't enough to crack the top ten in the OUA, it is a substantial accomplishment considering that a sizeable number of balls hit by Western aren't returned by their opponents.
 
The only defensive area the Mustangs have struggled with is on serve receive. Western has recorded the third highest number of reception errors in the OUA with 125 throughout the regular season.
 
While Queen's isn't known as one of the strongest serving teams in the league, they also aren't among the most erroneous. Danielle Corrigan represents the greatest threat from the Gaels, as her 31 aces match that of Veltman.
 
At the net, Livingston will undoubtedly be the biggest challenge faced by the Mustangs. Second within the league in total kills (271) and kills per set (3.82), the 6-2 outside is the most frequently set athlete in the OUA. In the regular season match up against the Mustangs, Livingston cleaned up with 23 points – 20 of which were kills.

Saturday's game will determine which team is able to move forward and continue the pursuit of an OUA banner, and which team's season will come to an end. Live streaming is available for fans on OUA.tv, with the game scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at Alumni Hall.