By Victoria Cha
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s volleyball team were handed another loss in their double-header against the McMaster Marauders at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) on Saturday evening.
While the Bold were welcomed back to the court after their Friday night 3-0 loss with sparks of ferocity, it wasn’t quite enough fuel to bring them past four sets and TMU left the court with a 3-1 defeat. It was their seventh consecutive loss, bringing their regular season record to 3-9.
“We went in with a ‘nothing to lose’ mentality because [yesterday], we played in a way we never have before and we just wanted to show everyone that that’s not us,” said fourth-year libero Mary Rioflorido. “So I think we just wanted to gain a bit more respect and defend our home court.”
The first set showed a turning of tables in TMU’s ability to stay on their toes against the Marauders. After back-and-forth points by both teams, second-year outside hitter Kaiya Krahn sent the ball straight to McMaster’s back line and followed with a service ace, putting the Bold ahead 4-3.
Krahn and fourth-year outside hitter Scarlett Gingera both brought aggression to their side of the court that kept the team’s energy alive as the set went on.
Third-year outside hitter Adyson Wilson subbed in and gave more fuel to the Bold’s fire, as she immediately got the better out of second-year Marauder libero Victoria Potvin with a flat float serve, bringing their lead to 19-18.
TMU’s efforts didn’t stay heated, however, as McMaster reaped the benefits of a handful of Bold mishaps in combination with strong plays of their own.
Still leading by one, second-year McMaster middle Angelica Vidmar tipped the ball over the net, catching TMU’s attempt at digging just a second too late and widening the gap in the score. A few rallies later, fourth-year outside hitter Maddy Lutes shot the ball right through the Bold blockers and brought the set to a favourable close for the Marauders at 25-20.
The second set resembled the first. Though Krahn and Gingera’s force persevered, their control in both defending and hitting into open space wasn’t enough to overpower McMaster, resulting in their opponents taking the set again with a 25-20 score.
Desperate for a change in results, TMU entered the third frame with a new lineup, which proved to be an effective decision from head coach Dustin Reid. The new additions gave the Bold a fresh look, producing a much-needed advantage.
First-year middle Ayla Cross shut down a swing shot attempt by Lutes, giving TMU the first point. From there, first-year outside hitter Hannah Bellai fed off of her team’s lead, striking the ball through McMaster blocks on multiple occasions to widen the gap in the score.
With the fresh energy of Cross and Bellai, the Bold secured the set 25-19, pushing the match to a fourth.
After the Marauders opened up the fourth set with a 2-0 lead, the Bold found their footing once again.
A mispass by TMU had the ball flying outside of the court with Bellai racing to reach it in the remaining seconds before hitting the ground. Having managed to meet the ball in time, her save kept the Bold in play and gave way for second-year outside hitter Darcie Buchanan to send a spike straight down the Marauder court—the Bold’s first point of the set.
At the 2-2 mark, the game saw a rally unlike any other exchanged throughout the match.
Riveting and unwavering, fast instincts and team harmony from the players on both ends of the court emboldened not only the rally but the crowd, which was alive with cheers and reactions for the intense play in front of them.
As both teams traded sending the ball over the net, fatigue set in. Digs became less instant and hits became weaker. The rally ended with the Marauders triumphant. A strong swing by fifth-year outside hitter Emma McKinnon was a shot that a worn out and weary Bold couldn’t manage to save.
The rally left TMU exhausted to an extent they couldn’t seem to recover from. While the Bold scored occasional points, the Marauders entered multiple-point runs and left their opponents in the dust.
Coming out of a TMU timeout at 11-6, McMaster continued to dominate the court despite stronger defensive efforts from the Bold, highlighted by Buchanan’s blocks and strong shots into open space.
When it comes to defensive harmony among her team, Rioflorido considers patience the key.
“A lot of the time I’ll try to guess what the hitter is doing, and that might beat me. So I think it’s just staying patient, reading them properly and trusting that my block will do their job so I can do mine,” said Rioflorido.
At match-point, a last-ditch effort by Buchanan to strike the ball past her opponent was met with an intense block by third-year outside hitter Abby Delamare, which put the ball right back into TMU’s court, ending the final set 25-14 and securing a 3-1 win for McMaster.
UP NEXT: The Bold will try to secure a win in their match against the Guelph Gryphons at the MAC on Jan. 24. First-serve flies at 6 p.m.
With files from Tristan Forde
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