The Mustangs will head into their final weekend of action with a 12-3 record, having recently ended the nine-game win streak that carried them through the majority of the season. A five set loss to the Windsor Lancers brought the streak to an end, but Western was quick to bounce back with a four set win over the then U SPORTS no. 8 McMaster Marauders.
 
In the win, the Mustangs saw a slew of younger players hit the court. Evan Hochman took over as libero part way through the first set to lead the defensive effort alongside setter and captain Matt Hooker.
 
Gianfranco Sartor and Brady Fidler also made an impact towards the end of the match, coming off the bench to help secure the purple and white victory.
 
Bryn Ramsay has led the Mustangs offence all season long, to average 3.0 kills per set and a .184 hitting percentage. However, recent weeks have seen veteran middle Chris Newcombe take over in terms of generating points.
 
Newcombe, along with Evan Hammond, has also been instrumental in building up Western's reputation as a strong blocking team. Western sits second overall in both total blocks (139) and blocks per set (2.44), while several more have gone unrecorded after being continued by their opponent.
 
Western heads into their final two games having already competed against both Guelph and Waterloo this season, with the pair of teams hosting the Mustangs in their season opening weekend.
 
Guelph dealt Western a 3-0 loss in a matchup that was plagued with Mustang errors. The purple and white attack struggled to keep the ball both in court and out of the path of Guelph's blockers, and as a result the team ended with ten more errors than kills by the end of the match.
 
However, the Mustangs that dropped their season opener bear little resemblance to the current rising titans of the OUA. Since that time Western has gone toe-to-toe with better developed teams than the Gryphons and came out on top. Their recent victory over the Marauders is only one example of the quality of play Western can reach this season.
 
Friday, February 23 – 8:00 pm vs. Guelph
 
The Gryphons head into this weekend's action with a 7-8 record, to sit fifth in the OUA West. They need to surpass the 8-7 Warriors in order to secure a playoff berth, which will all come down to the performance of the Mustangs and the Lancers.
 
Guelph's offensive power tends to come from their senior right side hitter, Zachary Newman. His 3.2 points per set – with 2.74 kills – leads the team, but Matthew Baxter is close behind as well.
 
The sophomore 2.29 kills per set, but has proven to be more efficient when he's on the court as his .252 hitting percentage exceeds that of Newman.
 
Middle Blocker Kendrick Kerr – who missed the first six games of the season and didn't have the opportunity to face off against the Mustangs – can also be expected to make an impact. He averages 2.9 points per set and is the most efficient hitter on the roster.
 
He will also be one of the leading blockers for the Gryphons, who are one of the OUA's best when it comes to solo blocks. This in particular may mean trouble for Newcombe and Hammond, as solo blocks are more commonly used against middles than right or left side hitters.
 
However, the technical aspects of the game may prove to be a problem for Guelph. Ball handling and blocking errors have become an issue for the team, as one of the OUA's biggest offenders in both categories. 
 
Saturday, February 24 – 8:00 pm vs. Waterloo
 
Waterloo's 8-7 record puts them fourth in the OUA, currently in possession of the final playoff berth. They only have two more games on the schedule, taking on Windsor before coming to Alumni Hall to face off against the Mustangs.
 
The two teams initially met in October, with the Mustangs leaving Waterloo's Physical Activity Complex with a four set victory.
 
Braden Cok generated 21 points for Waterloo, nearly winning an entire set singlehandedly. He has spent the entire season as the preeminent offensive threat on the Warrior roster, and the same can be expected for Saturday.
 
However, Aidan Simone has led the team in three of their last four wins. He was tempered in the pairing against the Mustangs, but has been on a roll of sorts lately. Simone's kills per set average over the last four games is 3.2, totalling 4.2 points per set.