By Ben Barzo
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s volleyball team fell in a tightly contested five-set match to the University of Toronto Varsity Blues (U of T), in their home-opener at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) on Saturday.
Given TMU lost a heart-breaking quarter-final matchup that eliminated them from the playoffs back in March, the Bold had a little bit of extra motivation heading into the game.
“The boys were fired up for this game,” said second-year outside hitter Jacob Walker. “We really tried to keep the energy high while staying contained on the court.”
The Bold came out swinging in the first set and the Varsity Blues struggled to return anything TMU gave them. The only thing keeping the away side at bay in the first set were a number of unforced errors.
TMU’s first set win was defined simply by U of T’s inability to put a stop to the Bold’s momentum.
Strong kills throughout the set by both Walker and third-year middle Alex King led the Bold to a narrow 25-23 victory in the opening set.
“I was really happy with our level of battle,” said interim head coach Niko Rukavina. “Our focus was to not get down when the other team went on runs and to see our team battle hard against an experienced team like U of T was really special.”
The start of the second set appeared like more of the same as the Bold grabbed an early lead with powerful hits, while the Varsity Blues kept themselves in it by capitalizing on more TMU errors.
As the set neared its end, the visitors picked up their play as they evened up the game at one set apiece.
Rukavina called a timeout in an attempt to save the possibility of going up 2-0. This had little effect however as the late push by the Bold fell short and U of T took the second set by a score of 25-20.
As the important third set developed, it became clear that not much separated the two teams as neither side was able to maintain momentum. The score went back and forth as the intensity began to pick up.
Walker attributed the heightened emotions to the fact that the team really wanted to win, adding having a rowdy crowd played a big role in giving the team energy.
With both teams scrapping for points, it ended up being clutch defense underscored by a highlight reel dig by fourth-year libero Lhexen Rabit that helped TMU escape with a 25-23 win, giving them a two sets to one lead.
This momentum dissipated in the fourth set though—despite the dominant attacks from the front line, the Varsity Blues went on to force a fifth set after too many TMU errors.
The already noisy crowd got louder during the fifth set. The enthusiasm was matched by the performance from both teams.
Each team scrambled for every point and traded the lead back and forth leaving them even at 12-12 in a game destined for a dramatic finish. The Varsity Blues scored the next three points in emphatic fashion, capping off their victory with a service ace that silenced the TMU faithful.
“We set a goal at the start of the season which is to win a championship,” said Rukavina. “Everything we do in practice is with that goal in mind. But right now we have to take it one game at a time, especially first semester.”
UP NEXT: TMU looks for its first win of the season on Nov. 18 when they host the McMaster Marauders. First serve flies at 8 p.m.
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