By Mitchell Fox
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s volleyball team defeated their cross-town rivals Saturday afternoon at the Mattamy Athletic Centre for first time since January 2020.
The Bold beat the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues three sets to one, earning their first victory of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) season.
“We had a lot of motivation to try to get a result,” said head coach Dustin Reid. “Toronto’s the greatest program in our conference and it’s an honor to play them. I think we were excited to play a rival.”
The Bold started off strong, spreading the ball around and earning points off hits, blocks and unforced errors alike. If the Varsity Blues timeout when they were down 9-3 in the first set was a sign, the visitors were in for a long afternoon.
Reid said he thought the team came out firing on all cylinders, putting the Varsity Blues on their toes.
“We executed very well, we made very few errors and we put some pressure on our opponent,” said Reid. “I thought early in the match that was the difference between the two teams.”
Reid said he thought the team’s excitement heading into their home opener, paired with a hunger to bounce back from two losses to the Western Mustangs to kick off the season, played into their hot start.
Taking on the Varsity Blues, a rival who they had not beaten since the 2019-20 season, had to add fuel to the fire.
A major difference maker in the game was the Bold’s defence. They out-blocked the Varsity Blues 9-3 in the game and had 67 digs.
Reid said he thought the differential in blocks was a signal of a big factor in the game.
“A team that hits as aggressively as Toronto does, you have to block well,” said Reid. “If you don’t threaten them, then they’re just going to feel too confident.”
While libero Mary Rioflorido led the defence in the backcourt with 23 digs, third-year middle Ashley Ditchfield took charge at the net.
Ditchfield had seven blocks in the game, including three in the second set. Ditchfield’s blocks in the second set were as many as the Varsity Blues had as a team in the match.
“You can see the type of athlete she is when she’s playing that way. She moves really quickly, she jumps high and she was hitting hard,” said Reid. “So, I thought that set a bit of the tone for our team and showed the way we have to play against a great opponent.”
Ditchfield said the team getting fired up with each block helped her to keep the energy going.
“I play better under pressure and being able to make those big plays pushes me to keep doing it,” she said.
Ditchfield said she and the team had to be disciplined, and it worked.
“I knew my team was there to cover me while I was hitting,” said Ditchfield. “So, I was really confident when I was swinging away.”
New outside hitter Julie Moore was also a bright spot for the Bold in her first game at the MAC. The former Atlantic University Sport All-Star out of Dalhousie University showed her power early and never let down, finishing with nine kills and three service aces.
Moore said the game showcased a strong team effort, which helped her play her game.
“No one cares who gets the credit out there,” said Moore. “Other people doing their job makes my job easier.”
The Varsity Blues took the third set 25-18, proving themselves a more-than-formidable opponent. Though they seemed determined to do anything in their power to keep the ball off their side of the court in the second half of the match, the Bold found ways to combat it.
“We knew we had to come out in the fourth set and be ready to play our game,” said Ditchfield.
The Bold took over late, turning a 13-13 tie in the fourth set into a 23-14 lead on the backs of kills from Ditchfield and Scarlett Gingera (who finished with a team-leading 12 kills). Though the Varsity Blues battled enough to force a timeout from Reid at 23-17, the squad was able to close out the set and secure the win.
“We didn’t get frustrated and we just stayed patient,” said Reid. “And when we saw our chance later in the set, we took it.”
UP NEXT: The Bold welcome the McMaster Marauders for a Friday night showdown at the MAC. First serve flies at 6 P.M.
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