TMU Bold men’s volleyball start early recruitment process with four players
By Hannah Sabaratnam
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s volleyball team announced three new commitments to their squad, signing Ross Buchanan, Aidan Suttie and William Gimbert for the 2025-26 season.
Head coach Niko Rukavina has high praise for his incoming players.
“They’re all hard workers,” said Rukavina. “[They] are guys that are going to bring a high level of volleyball to our gym.”
A glance at the Bold’s roster shows 10 of 18 players set to graduate at the end of this academic year. Rather than wait, the team has gotten an early start to their recruitment process.
“[We] just like to have early signings…[Players] get to commit early, they get to start training early,” said Rukavina.
On Dec. 11, 2024, the Bold announced Suttie’s commitment. The middle blocker from Sydney, Australia has played pre-season scrimmages with Nordenskov Volleyball Club, a professional team in Denmark and currently plays for the Australian National Development Program.
Suttie said staying in Sydney was an option—as he was accepted to all of the universities in the state of New South Wales—but scholarships and competition aren’t comparable to what countries like the United States and Canada offer.
Suttie had a scholarship offer from a school in the U.S. and some interest from Canadian schools before ultimately committing to TMU.
The 19-year-old is confident in his ability to shut down opponents at the net and has strong goals coming into the program.
“I’m a competitive person so my expectations primarily are to try and win and be as successful as possible,” said Suttie.
Suttie has yet to visit TMU’s campus but does watch the Bold play from home. He is impressed by the crowds at the games and is very excited to meet his team, which includes fellow Australian third-year outside hitter Riley Donovan.
Following Suttie, the Bold announced Ross Buchanan’s commitment on Dec. 18, 2024. The Ottawa product was recruited from the men’s volleyball High Performance Camp.
The 6-foot-7 outside hitter will be the second Buchanan to join the Bold, as he will join his sister Darcie Buchanan from the women’s volleyball team.
The most recent commitment the Bold have announced is William Gimbert, on Jan. 16, 2024. The Ottawa product is currently a member of the Maverick Volleyball Club.
Gimbert also brings provincial experience playing for Team Ontario White for the indoor program in 2023. Usually a middle blocker, the Bold signed the 6-foot-4 athlete as an outside hitter.
“I also really enjoyed the atmosphere of the campus being right downtown and really enjoyed that athletic facility, as well as the youth that [Rukavina] and his team bring to the table,” Gimbert told the Bold in his announcement, “[Rukavina] seemed very invested in my development and decided to take the risk of having me switch positions.”
Despite the role change in the court, Rukavina believes in the prospect.
“He’s a physical player,” said Rukavina. “He can come in and do a lot of different things for us next year…He’s got a lot of potential on the outside.”
While these three signings occurred during the Winter, the Bold started early with their recruiting, announcing Esterhazy, Sask. product Brayden Walker on Oct. 17, 2024.
Bold men’s basketball bring in international, multi-sport talent with Imisi Motunde
By Brady Locke
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s basketball team announced on Nov. 6 the commitment of forward Imisi Motunde for the 2025-26 season.
Born in London, England and now living in London, Ont., Motunde is currently in his fifth year of high school at A.B. Lucas Secondary. He has already had the opportunity to attend a couple of the Bold men’s basketball games and is getting familiar with the program and players.
“I have high expectations,” said Motunde. “Not just for the team, but for myself as well. [I want to bring] the energy like I normally do, being a role model for people back home.”
Motunde is averaging 27.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game with the A.B. Lucas Vikings, leading them to an impressive season in the Thames Valley Regional League.
Motunde isn’t just an offensive threat—he works tirelessly in every aspect of the game. “I find myself to be a strong defensive player, so I can bring the energy on the defensive end and bring the energy off the bench whenever [it’s] needed,” he said.
Growing up, Motunde had no idea he would even play basketball, only ever partaking in soccer. At the age of 13, he moved to the United States to attend Arizona Compass Prep School. It was there that a friend suggested he should try out for the basketball team.
From there, he began to take his game to the next level and start preparing for the journey toward professional basketball.
Motunde received many recruitment offers for the 2025-26 season, including from the Carleton Ravens, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks and the Western University Mustangs in Canada, along with an offer from Southern Methodist University in the U.S. when he was in eighth grade.
Although moving away from home was tough, it gave him the opportunity to build skills that make him the person he has become today–on and off the court.
“[It] made me learn things at a young age with a lot of discipline,” said Motunde.
On the court, he commits himself to an all-around style of game. It’s that kind of grit and personality that makes TMU coaching staff so optimistic about signing him to the team.
“Outstanding young man, great personality, great character. He fits with the kind of players we want in our program,” said Bold men’s basketball head coach David DeAveiro.
During the recruitment process, coaching staff watched Motunde’s games closely and got a sense of how well the forward could fit in among the Bold.
“It was easy to figure out he was the right guy for our team,” said DeAveiro, who even got a chance to watch one of Motunde’s high school football games earlier this season—where the London product proved his athleticism and talent as a multi-sport athlete.
DeAveiro noted Motunde’s versatility, and the energy that he brings along with that skill set.
“He’s physically ready to play, easily could be playing at a university in the U.S.”
As TMU looks to finish this season strong with their sights set on the Ontario University Athletics title. The team is already thinking about the near future with Motunde on the roster.
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