The Mustangs made it through a four set battle against Queen's last weekend and are now headed to the OUA Final Four for the fourth consecutive year. Over the last few seasons, the Mustangs have placed third twice, and second in 2016-17.
 
With the win Western will travel to Toronto and take on the hosting Ryerson Rams on Friday evening, with the results of that game determining whether the Mustangs will move into the gold, or bronze medal round on Saturday. Their second opponent will be either the McMaster Marauders or the Varsity Blues, again depending on the outcome of Friday's initial semifinal round.
 
Kelsey Veltman led the Mustangs in their quarter-final matchup against the Gaels, just as she has all year long. The 6-2 middle/left side was recently named an OUA All-Star for the fourth season in a row, ending the regular season as the OUA point leader both in total (325.5) and on average (4.9 per set), while also ranking at the top of the list when it comes to solo blocks (36).
 
Veltman has proven herself to be an all-around threat after moving from the middle into the left-side position a few weeks ago, which has also allowed her to play a more prominent role in the team's defence, although libero Courtney Sestric still leads the way for the Mustangs on that front.
 
Sestric, a product of London's high school and club system, has totalled 229 digs this season for an average of 3.32 per set. Last weekend saw her tally 27 digs across four sets, coming out to a substantial average of 6.75 per set.
 
As a whole, Western's defensive coverage has steadily improved throughout the season and was noted by the team as a definite focus during practice. Statistically the team ranks towards the bottom of he OUA in both total digs and digs per set, but their low numbers are far from indicative of performance. Because Western has one of the more efficient offences in the league, rallies tend to be shorter and the purple and white numbers are often lower than their opponents.
 
The Mustangs defensive strength will be tested this weekend by some of the OUA's best hitters, as Lauren Veltman, Janelle Albert, Theanna Vernon, and Caitlyn Wark are ranked among the best in the league. The group has led Ryerson to a .286 hitting percentage, averaging 12.87 kills per set and 17.5 points.
 
Previous matchups between the two teams have seen the Rams and Mustangs both rely on middles to generate points, but changes to the lineup have shifted power on both lineups in the form of the Veltman sisters. Both have moved out of the middle this season and onto the left side, where they're able to be on the receiving end of a greater number of sets.
 
However, the Rams still have their standout middles in Vernon and rookie Lindsay Kleuskens.
 
Vernon averages 4.2 points per set, with 2.84 kills and 1.29 blocks. The fourth-year senior became an integral part of the Rams lineup when she joined the roster in 2014, and Kleuskens has followed in her footsteps.
 
The rookie came out of London's own Saunders Secondary School and played with London Volleyball Club before heading to Ryerson and quickly earned herself a spot on the starting lineup. She was named to the OUA All-Rookie team earlier this week after finishing the season with 1.5 points per set.
 
This meeting will be the second time the Mustangs and Rams go head-to-head this season, with Ryerson coming away with a straight sets win in January. Ryerson would outscore the Mustangs 75- 42 by the end of the match, with Western's best set seeing a ten-point difference at its end.