The OUA regular season schedule is rapidly coming to a close, with the Western Mustangs set to take on the Windsor Lancers in the purple and white's lone game of the week.
 
Western heads into the matchup sitting in second place in the OUA West with an 11-2 record, and riding a nine-game regular season winning streak. The Lancers on the other hand lost their most recent matchup, a five set battle with Ryerson, and currently hold down third place in the West at 9-5.
 
The Mustangs have been nothing short of dominant during their recent winning streak, winning six of their past seven matchups in straight sets. Veteran Bryn Ramsay continues to lead the Western attack, averaging 3.29 kills and 3.8 points, and is followed by Chris Newcombe and Evan Cranshaw with 3.0 and 2.7 points, respectively.
 
Captain Matt Hooker has been putting together a stellar campaign so far in 2017-18, guding the Mustangs offence and rankings second in the OUA with 10.04 assists per set. The setter has also played an important role in the purple and white defence, ranking third on the team with 1.91 digs per set, while also 0.6 blocks per frame.
 
Blocking has perhaps been the Mustangs biggest strength this season, with the purple and white ranking second among all OUA schools with 2.44 stops per set. Of course, middles Newcombe and Cranshaw lead Western's efforts at the net with an average of 1.0 and 0.89 blocks per set, with Ramsay and Hooker chipping in as well.
 
Western's strong defence may be put to the test this week as they'll be up against one of the most efficient offences in the league in the Lancers. Through 14 games Windsor boasts the second highest attack percentage in the league, coming in at .258 mark.
 
The dynamic duo of right side Brad Gyemi and outside hitter Pierce Johnson power the Windsor attack, with both players ranked in the top 10 in the conference with 4.2 points per set. The Mustangs will also need to keep an eye on middle John Moate, who boasts an astounding .454 attack percentage, including tallying 2.06 kills per set to contribute to his 3.1 points per frame. What points the 6'8 middle doesn't pick up on the attack he earns with his blocking game, as he leads the Lancers and the OUA with 1.22 stops per set.
 
Sunday's matchup will be the second time the two teams have met on the court this season, with the Mustangs taking the first contest in four sets back on November 17 at Alumni Hall. Errors proved to play a factor in the win that day, with the Lancers committing 27 attack errors on their way to a .086 attack percentage, compared to a .283 mark for the Mustangs.
 
As one would expect, Gyemi and Johnson led their team with 16 points in that contest, however they weren't the highest scoring players on the floor. That honour went to Ramsay, and his 16 kills and four block assists tallying 18 points in the win. He was one of four Western players to score in double digits, with Zeid Hamadeh, Newcombe, and Evan Hammond recording 15, 13.5, and 11 points, respectively.
 
Western will look to create that balanced scoring once again this weekend as they attempt to close the gap with the McMaster Marauders for first place in the West. McMaster has been the only team hotter than the Mustangs this year, as the Hamilton squad is currently on a 12-match winning streak, with their last loss coming in their season opener against Ryerson back on October 27.
 
The Marauders have a two-point lead over the Mustangs heading into the week, however McMaster has two games on the docket this weekend, meaning that they'll have a chance to maintain sole possession of first place in the OUA regardless of the outcome of Western's game. A win for the Mustangs this weekend will be crucial if they hope to move into the top spot prior to the end of the regular season.
 
Game time for Sunday's matchup is set for 3 p.m., on Sunday, February 11, at the St. Denis Centre.