TORONTO - The Ryerson men's volleyball team is back this weekend as they will be taking on the Western Mustangs and the No. 10 ranked Windsor Lancers, both matches on home court.

Matt Harris' squad has expressed that they are excited about what is to come in the new year, which will consist of a challenging schedule and a chase for the OUA playoffs.  

After finishing the first half of the season with a 5-3 OUA record, the Rams will be looking to grow the win column with a fully fit team. 

After missing the first five matches of the regular season, U SPORTS veteran and transfer Taryq Sani (Scarborough, Ont.) returned to the squad and made it apparent that the team is significantly stronger with him on the court. In his three games played so far, the Rams have two 3-0 wins and a tight, competitive loss to the No. 7 ranked Varsity Blues. 

Another reason the Rams will be feeling good about themselves going into the new year is because of the top-level NCAA competition they faced over the break in the Can-Am Holiday Showcase, which included a 3-1 win over UCLA. 

Ryerson's first matchup of 2020 will be against the Western Mustangs, who sit in third in the strong OUA West with a 4-4 record. Despite what the record might indicate, the Mustangs are a strong volleyball team that has swept the Rams in their last two matchups. The Mustangs also defeated the Guelph Gryphons earlier this season, which shows that they are capable of beating anyone.

Western's key player on Friday will most likely be middle Jackson Bere, who leads his team in kills and with an impressive .427 hitting percentage. Western's libero Nathan Phelps is also having a strong season, tallying the second-highest digs-per-set ratio in the OUA. 

The Rams will be back on the court the next day to come up against the 4-4 Windsor Lancers. The Lancers are another team in the competitive OUA West, and their matchups this season have gone quite similarly to the Rams. The Lancers have beaten the Lakers, Warriors, Lions, and Badgers convincingly this season, which points towards another strong matchup for the Rams this weekend.

Lancers senior outside hitters Pierce Johnson and Brad Gyemi have racked up a combined 173 kills so far this season and will look to keep their offensive prowess going in their first game of the year against the Rams. 

In what looks to be a crucial weekend for the Rams, they will feel that they have a strong chance of winning both matches this weekend, which would give the team a lot of confidence going into next weekend's road matches against McMaster and Brock. 

Expect strong performances from Sani, who plays with a chip on his shoulder and with something to prove. Xander Ketrzynski (Toronto), the Rams outside hitter who is currently leading the OUA in kills, will also be looking to make his mark on the respected opponents. 

Catch Friday's and Saturday's matches on Coca-Cola Court at 8:00 p.m. or stream them on OUA.tv.