By Jack MacCool
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s volleyball team captured a thrilling five-set victory against the McMaster Marauders in their final regular season game Friday at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
The game also marked senior night for the women’s volleyball program. The team honoured five graduating seniors before the game started—Alicia Lam, Bethany Smith, Julie Moore, Katelyn Grasman and Jyoti Ruparell.
“It was probably one of the most fun games I’ve ever played in. To have it be my last home game here is just such a sweet way to end it,” said Grasman. “It was such a great group effort from everyone on the team. I’m just so proud of everyone. Couldn’t have asked for a better ending I don’t think.”
The Bold entered Friday’s match on a three-game losing streak, but the game provided a valuable chance to knock-off the higher-seeded McMaster squad who TMU could end up facing in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoffs.
The opening few points of the game didn’t come in a pretty manner, as both teams traded service errors and miscommunications leading to dropped balls. Despite the ebbs and flows, the Bold opened up a four point lead early, leading to a McMaster timeout.
After the score remained close for a series of points, another Bold run got the lead back to four and once again forced a Marauder timeout. Regardless of any strategic changes coming out of the timeout, TMU controlled the rest of the set, taking advantage of stray hits from McMaster and winning the first 25-16.
Set number two started with both teams trading points at the net. Up until the score was 10-7 TMU, neither team was able to create more than one point of separation. The Bold’s lead began to creep toward double digits as the second set wore down, but a couple of big spikes by McMaster’s Maddy Lutes closed the gap to 20-17.
That gap was made even smaller by three-straight McMaster points before TMU closed out the set 25-22.
The Marauders started the third set determined to get on the board. They opened up a 8-3 lead to start the frame, resulting in a TMU timeout. Dominant at the net, the McMaster front line contributed eight kills through their first 11 points in the set while also stifling any offence the Bold put forth.
After closing the rest of the set in dominant fashion, the Marauders took the third by a score of 25-11.
The beginning of the fourth set was punctuated by strong play from McMaster outside hitter Sullie Sundara, who controlled the opening minutes of the set with big kills and bigger blocks. The Marauder momentum reached a boiling point in the fourth when they capitalized on an epic diving play to win them a rally, bringing the score to 9-6 in their favour.
The Bold managed to tie the set 15-15 but more impressive play from Sundara and the visiting Marauders allowed them to open a 20-16 lead late.
“[Sundara] is their top scorer,” said TMU lead assistant coach Brett Hagarty. “She had a slow first couple sets but we knew she was going to get going at some point…and she was someone we wanted to key in on.”
Despite a late comeback, McMaster took the fourth, 25-22.
The deciding fifth set was one to remember. After a wild rally put them up two to nothing, a four to none run by TMU capped off by a Bethany Smith kill forced McMaster to use a timeout.
The score remained back and forth from there, until a run by the Marauders opened up a 14-11 lead. On the brink of the loss, TMU turned the tide and battled to even the set at 14-14 thanks to back-to-back-to-back kills from outside hitter Scarlett Gingera.
“Scarlett? Ice in her veins man. She is getting a lot of serves; getting a lot of sets; a lot of digs—super high volume and she’s handling all of that pressure so well,” said Hagarty. “At the end of that set she wanted that ball. She knew she was going to kill it.”
The next play, Alicia Lam sent a short serve into play that hit and hung on the top of the net for what felt like an eternity before falling inches past the net on the McMaster side to make it match point. Gingera closed out McMaster with yet another kill to secure the win for the Bold.
“When you’re frantic in the last couple points like that you just try and calm it down,” said Lam. “I think we just need that calm leadership…and a lot of our seniors contributed to that.”
The win marks the end of the regular season for the Bold who finished with a 12-8 record. The team’s playoff run is set to begin in the next couple of weeks, but their opponent and venue is still to be determined. Regardless, the team is feeling together and ready for whatever stands ahead of them.
“[Bold libero] Mary [Rioflorido] gave me a high-five and looked at me and Scarlett [Gingera] and she was like ‘we’re going to win this game,’” said Grasman. “I think just having that type of belief and believing in your teammates like that, it’s all you need to win.”
UP NEXT: The Bold head into the playoffs riding the high of the win over McMaster. Their next match is still to be determined.
With files from Madeline Liao and Zarmminaa Rehman
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