The Mustangs make the long trek up to Thunder Bay this weekend to knock a pair of games against Lakehead off the schedule.
 
Western will head into the weekend with a 6-3 record and a solid hold on second place in the OUA West. McMaster leads the division and has four points on the Mustangs, while Waterloo is just one win back.
 
Lakehead its fifth in the same division, with a 3-7 record. The Thunderwolves will be looking for an opportunity to snap their four-game losing streak, which could also leapfrog them ahead of Windsor in the standings.
 
Statistically speaking, Lakehead tends to sit in the middle of the pack. Western's offense – anchored by Kelsey Veltman – outranks the Thunderwolves in virtually every category. Rheanna Geisl's 3.7 points per set is dwarfed by Veltman's 4.7, with their kills per set offering a similar discrepancy (2.62 to 3.26).
 
The Thunderwolves roster averages 12.8 points per set, with a .136 hitting percentage. As a point of contrast, Western averages 15.1 points per set with a .119 hitting percentage.
 
Also complicating Lakehead's potential offensive efforts are the Mustangs blockers, who have made the team to best in the OUA in solo blocks (55), total blocks (102), and blocks per set (2.83). Lakehead hasn't found similar success, and can be expected to rely more on their back-court athletes for defensive play.
 
Ciara Zarn will lead the team with her 3.97 digs per set – good for fifth in the OUA – while being supported by Jennifer Hammerton and Leah Mousseau. Solid defensive coverage has arguably been the cornerstone of the Thunderwolves style of play, as low attack efficiency hinders their ability to be a threat at the net. 
 
Despite a number of standout athletes on either side of the net, the game may very well be determined by technical play, and serving.
 
Western has been plagued by net calls over the last few games, which have been a result of setter Kat Tsiofas attempting to save a bad pass off the serve.
 
Unfortunately for the Mustangs, Lakehead is one of the most consistent teams in the league when it comes to serving so the purple and white serve reception won't be receiving many free points.
 
They rank in the bottom four in terms of total errors, and have totalled 12 more aces. It's also worth noting that both teams have played 36 sets so their numbers can be more accurately compared.
 
This weekend's matchups come at an important time for both teams, as the OUA West standings continue to shift.