The Mustangs will be spending the second half of the season looking to surpass McMaster in the OUA West rankings to take first place, with Western only one win away from matching their rival. The effort kicks off this weekend, when the Mustangs will travel to Toronto and St. Catharines for a pair of games against Ryerson and Brock.
 
Western can be expected to continue being the offensive dominance that defined their game throughout the first half of the season. The Mustangs offer the third most efficient attack in the OUA (.203), earning a point around 20% of the time.
 
Kelsey Veltman is the greatest influence in the team's high hitting percent, as she boasts a team-high .372 percent herself. She ranks among the top five athletes in the OUA in terms of kills (90), kills per set (3.33), points (133.5), and point per set (4.9).
 
The only athlete to record higher point totals is Theanna Vernon, who Veltman will meet on the court on Friday.  
 
In order to top the OUA leading Ryerson Rams and the Brock Badgers – who handed Western their first loss of the season in November – the Mustangs will need to tighten up their serving efforts.
 
Western's serving has proven to be lethal at times, but lacks the consistency required for a five-set game. The Mustangs are the second most erroneous team in the league in regard to serving, while also sitting towards the bottom of the league in service aces.
 
Western at Ryerson – Friday, January 12 at 6:00 p.m.
 
As the only undefeated team remaining in the OUA, the Ryerson Rams have proven themselves to be one of the most elite rosters offered throughout the league. They've already taken down the OUA's perennial powerhouses in the Varsity Blues and Marauders, and will be looking to continue their undefeated streak all the way to the championship game.
 
The Rams are one of the few teams that have been able to construct a more efficient and effective attack than the Mustangs, relying on a combination of Theanna Vernon, Lauren Veltman, and Janelle Albert to keep them at the top of the league.
 
Vernon has amassed 108 points over 30 sets of action, and is the highest scoring athlete on the team. The Social Work student is somewhat of a known entity to the Mustangs, as she has been one of Ryerson's greatest threats over the last few seasons. Despite Western's familiarity with Vernon's style of play, she can still be expected to find her way around the purple and white blocks with her .459 hitting percentage – which makes her the second most dangerous attacker in U SPORTS.
 
Meanwhile, former middle Lauren Veltman has switched positions to play on the outside and opened up a spot for rookie and London native Lindsay Kleuskens to shine.
Defensively speaking, the Ryerson roster continues to be in great shape.
 
Julie Longman ranks fourth in the OUA for digs per set (3.96) despite the team having generally poor numbers as a whole. They sit towards the bottom of the league in both digs and digs per set, undoubtedly because their high-powered offence rarely allows for the opportunity for the opposition to return the ball.
 
Western at Brock – Saturday, January 14 at 6:00 p.m.
 
The OUA West sixth place Badgers will be looking for their third win of the season, having lost their last three contests.
 
Despite struggling in the standings, Brock has managed to put together one's of the leagues better offences as they boast the second most efficient attack (.208). With 11.46 kills per set, the greatest strength of the Badgers has undoubtedly become their attack.
 
Renee Helmer has led the team through the first half of the season, averaging 2.65 kills per set and 3.2 points. The Oakville native was also one of the highest scoring athletes in Brock's five set defeat of the Mustangs in November.
 
Laura Condotta's 14 points led the Badgers, followed by Helmer and Tori Carroll who both recorded 12 points.
 
Brock was virtually outplayed by the Mustangs in every statistical category with the exception of serving and serve receive, but nonetheless was able to secure their second win of the season.