Months removed from their Cinderella run to an OUA championship, the Marauders begin their quest to prove that February's triumph was no fluke. The first step falls tonight, when McMaster welcomes the Western Mustangs to the Burridge Gym.

The Marauders enter conference play on the back of an encouraging finish to their exhibition schedule, as McMaster advanced to the final of its home tournament over the Thanksgiving weekend before ultimately falling to the Toronto Varsity Blues at the last hurdle.

Three matches against OUA opposition over that span should stand the Marauders in good stead tonight, as they size up a Mustang team eager to improve on the losing season of a year ago.

Western finished with a 6-13 record in 2013-14, missing the OUA playoffs in the process.

Gone from the Mustang roster is the team's leading scorer of a year ago, outside hitter Steph Kreuter. Fellow outside Kenzie Macdonald is also a Mustang no longer, which makes third-year Serena Smith the most experienced wing player at Western's disposal.

The strength of the Mustangs may be down the middle, where they return the duo of Candice Scott — the team's most efficient hitter a year ago with a hitting percentage of .352 — and Windemere Jarvis. Scott's percentage ranked second among all hitters in the CIS last season.

However, McMaster will enjoy a distinct height advantage through the middle, and the combination of Taylor Brisebois and Maicee Sorensen is equally experienced.

If the Marauders can build on their passing of a weekend ago, they should feel that a win is well within their reach tonight.

The match gets underway at 6:00 p.m. in the Burridge Gym. As usual, admission is free to any student wearing maroon who presents their student card. Pay with your pride and enjoy a night of Marauder volleyball.

If you can't make it to the gym, you can catch the match streaming live via OUA.TV. The broadcast tandem of Alex Pocrnick and Fraser Caldwell have the call.