The Mustangs have been on a streak of sorts lately, finishing off their last four games in only three sets and having won their last five. This week will see the Mustangs head east to take on Toronto and Trent and will allow the teams to solidify their playoff positioning with only three weeks of regular season action remaining.
 
Western is currently sitting comfortably in second place within the OUA West Division, with a 10-3 record.
 
The Mustangs have found success by focusing on their middles this season, with Kelsey Veltman, Danielle Grasman, and Kate Ferguson all playing an integral role in the team's success. 
 
Ferguson, a second year middle coming out of Oakville, has slowly been stepping into a more prominent role with the team over the last few matches. She now averages .73 blocks per set – good for the 14th highest average in the league.
 
Her efforts have supplemented that of Veltman and Grasman, both of whom are among the top five blockers in the OUA.
 
Together the trio has carried the team to some of the best blocking numbers in the OUA, and the second best per-set average in the OUA (2.75). The skill was a large contributor to some of the teams most decisive victories, including the 3-0 sweep of the Lions that saw York never record more than 16 points per set.
 
In addition to helming the blocking effort, Veltman also dominates offensively.  In last weekend's contest against York, she essentially won one of the three sets singlehandedly by contributing 19.5 points.
 
In terms of league standing, she also offers one of the most effective attacks in the OUA. Her .389 hitting percentage is among the highest in the league and a major factor in Western's overall fast paced offense.
 
Setter Kat Tsiofas runs a quick and diverse offense that allows the Mustangs to be one of the most effective and efficient in the league.
 
Friday, February 2 at Toronto – 6pm
 
The Mustangs will face off against the Varsity Blues on Friday in the Goldring Centre, as Toronto looks to separate themselves from Queen's in the OUA East ranking. Both teams sport matching 9-4 records to share second place, while Ryerson continues to lead the league at 14-0.
 
Fans can expect Alana Dormann to play a prominent role in the matchup, as one of the only athletes in Ontario that can challenge Veltman's dominance at the net.
 
Dormann's 3.46 average kills per set leads the OUA, while coming in second in points per set (4.5). The right side has been the premier attacker on the Varsity Blues roster since her arrival in 2015, and named an All-Canadian in both of her earlier seasons.
 
Despite having one of the best hitters in Ontario sport the blue and white of the University of Toronto, the team's greatest strength is their defensive coverage. Even when the Varsity Blues had a perfect season to win the then-CIS Championship, the team's greatest strength was defensive.
 
The Varsity Blues lead the OUA in digs per set (16.33), while coming in second for assists per set (10.63). Essentially, this can be interpreted as the Varsity Blues having consistent and stable enough passing to allow the team to stay in system as the majority of balls are able to be set and are ultimately reaching setters Angelica Hovanessian and Rayn Perry.
 
Saturday, February 3 at Trent – 6pm
 
After taking on the Varsity Blues on Saturday, the Mustangs will move on to Trent.
 
The Excalibur currently sit in the bottom of the division, holding a 0-11 record. The team only joined the OUA for the 2016-17 season, and have spent the last season and a half acclimating to the new level of play after competing in the OCAA.
 
Despite the dismal record, the Excalibur have been able to steal sets off of competitive teams. Lakehead, Toronto, and Nipissing all gave up a single set, while York and RMC each dropped two.
 
Camile Garzon has been the team's greatest asset at the net, as she leads the team with 2.54 kills per set. She was also the highest scoring athlete in both of the matches that saw Trent be narrowly edged out in five sets.
 
Garzon has also been one of the most valuable members of the roster in the backcourt, alongside fellow outside Carley Gougeon. The pair average a respective 2.70 and 2.50 digs per set, while Genna Saunders follows with 2.22.