The Mustangs are heading to the national championship this year for the first time since 2011, and they enter as the OUA Silver Medalists after claiming bronze for each of the past two seasons. Western heads into the championship as the No. 6 seed, setting the stage for a showdown with the No. 3 UBC Thunderbirds on Friday afternoon in the quarter-finals.
 
Western upset the undefeated Toronto Varsity Blues – the reigning U SPORTS Champions – in the semifinals to advance to the championship round where they fell to the McMaster Marauders in a tight five set battle.
 
At the close of the regular season, Western was the OUA's highest scoring team, averaging 16.3 points per set. Kelsey Veltman, a three-time OUA West Player of the Year, has led Western's offensive effort throughout the year. The Brampton native has continually topped the purple and white scoresheet as one of the most efficient athletes when it comes to hitting and blocking.  
 
However, this year also saw the debut of Melissa Langegger. A product of the Pakmen Volleyball Club, the rookie has dominated the floor since her arrival and quickly become one of the players to watch in both the front court and back court. 
 
While Western's offence has been the focus of discussion throughout the year, it was their defensive play that allowed them to top the Varsity Blues. The Mustangs have developed into one of the most under appreciated teams when it comes to defensive prowess, as they rarely had the ability to show off their skills in the regular season. Statistically, Western sits towards the bottom of the league in both digs and digs per set – hardly a surprise considering their tendency to keep rallies short. 
 
Libero Coutrney Sestric has led the team in the backcourt, closely followed by Aja Gyimah and Langegger. 
 
As a unit, the Mustangs breezed through the initial half of the season. From the season debut on October 30 up until the Winter break Western held a perfect record. It wasn't until a rematch against McMaster on January 21 that the winning streak came to an end. 
 
Western would accumulate three more losses before the season came to a close, falling to Guelph, Toronto, and York. 
 
The post-season saw a refreshed unit take the court, and they made quick work of a quarter-final game against Queen's. Just as it had all season long, the purple and white offence dominated the conversation and stole the spotlight on the floor as the Mustangs took down the Gaels in three sets.
 
Their semifinal against Toronto was the game that would highlight the defensive abilities of the team, as the Mustangs recorded 78 digs in five sets and defended against some of the best athletes in the nation. 
 
Already having secured their trip to the national championship, Western took on McMaster in the OUA Final in what proved to be one of the most thrilling matchups of the season. The Mustangs fell behind 2-0 before battling back to forth a fifth and deciding set. The two sides needed extra points to declare a winner, with McMaster coming out on top 17-15.
 
First up for the Mustangs this weekend will be the UBC Thunderbirds, who enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed and the Canada West silver medalists after falling to Alberta in the conference finals.
 
UBC finished third in the Canada West standings at the end of the regular season, boasting a 20-4 record with only one of those four losses coming after the calendar flipped to 2017. Combine that with their loss to Alberta in the finals, and the Thunderbirds have gone 18-2 in regular season and playoff contests since the beginning of December.
 
Fittingly for a team that finished near the top of the conference, the Thunderbird lineup features two Canada West All-Stars in fifth-year outside hitter Danielle Brisebois and fourth-year middle Maggie Li. It's not just the veterans that make an impact, as setter Olivia Furlan earned a spot on the CWUAA All-Rookie Team.
 
Overall, the Thunderbirds are one of the top offensive squads in the nation, ranking first in points (1488.5), service aces (239), and service aces per set (2.78), while also sitting in second in points per set (17.3) and fifth in kills (1,024).
 
Not only is the UBC offence one of the best in the country, they lead all U SPORTS teams in blocking as well. Through 24 regular season contests the Thunderbirds recorded 226 total blocks and averaged 2.62 blocks per set, ranking them first in both categories.
 
Brisebois leads the way offensively, averaging 4.7 points and 3.86 kills per set. She's also landed 38 service aces this season, and averages 1.82 digs and 0.75 blocks per frame as well. Three other players average more than two points per set, including Li with 2.8, Juliana Kaufmanis with 2.5, and Ciara Hanly with 2.2.
 
Hanly and Li also lead the Thunderbirds blocking efforts with both listed in the top 10 players in the nation in both total blocks and blocks per set. Hanly is second with 93 total blocks and fourth with 1.22 per set, while Li is seventh with 82 total and 1.08 blocks per set. Li is also the team's biggest threat from the baseline, racking up 40 aces this season, a number that's good for fifth among all U SPORTS players.
 
Friday's matchup will determine which team advances to the national semifinal on Saturday evening, where they'll take on the winner of the quarter-final between the Trinity Western Spartans and McMaster Marauders.
 
Game time for Friday's quarter-final between the Mustangs and Thunderbirds is set for 2 p.m. at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto. Fans can catch all the action online at USPORTS.live