By Victoria Cha
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s volleyball team lost to the Waterloo Warriors in a short-lived 3-0 battle at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) on Friday night.
Bold Athletics and the Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union (TMSU) promoted tonight’s game as a Beach Night and encouraged students to fill the bleachers in beach-themed outfits.
“I love when the volume’s loud and I love when there’s a lot of people watching because it helps with the energy on the court. I love to defend home court,” said first-year outside hitter Hannah Bellai.
Despite the lively and colourful crowd, the Bold failed to find the energy needed to overpower the Warriors and left the court with a 12th consecutive loss under their belt.
The opening of the first set proved to be a preview of the fate of the night and showcased the apparent power gap between the two teams, something TMU was prepared to fight against.
“We did a lot of game planning, getting ready to defend against their outside hitters,” said Bellai. “They have cannons for arms and we were preparing for…what to block and when, and we tried our best to execute that.”
Third-year Waterloo middle Avery Isaacs sent a strong hit down the net that fourth-year libero Mary Rioflorido couldn’t pass, drawing first blood for her team. Her teammates then joined in, as with strong plays throughout their court, the Warriors held a 5-0 lead before the Bold made any impact on the scoreboard.
By the luck of a service error from first-year right-side Stella McKenna, TMU earned their first point of the set.
After a run of failed defensive plays, Bellai scored her team’s first hard-earned point. A hit straight to the Warrior’s back zone that couldn’t be rescued would bring the score to 7-2.
At this point and for the rest of the set, the Warrior’s offensive and defensive plays were too powerful for the Bold to counter.
TMU would send a hit over the net, only for a Waterloo block to shoot it straight down. Hits from Waterloo led to scrambles for TMU to save the ball, occasionally ending with multiple players on the ground along with the ball. This pattern would persist for the remainder of the set, quickly bringing the Warriors to set point.
The substitution of second-year outside hitter Tyra Krapp seemed to be a final chance for the Bold to stir up a change, but a service error brought the Warriors to victory at a colossal 25-10.
Be it a change in the cards or just their pure willpower, the Bold came into the second set handling the Warrior’s tide with much greater strength.
After such a harsh loss in the first set, TMU head coach Dustin Reid found a way to welcome a new sense of determination amongst his team.
“[Reid] basically said, ‘That set’s over, forget about that. Let’s go out there, start strong and have belief in our systems,’” said Bellai.
Starting strong was exactly what Bellai did. After she sent a strong hit over the net, first-year Waterloo setter Adyson Kelly sent the ball out of bounds with an attempted block, giving the first point to TMU.
From there, the Bold maintained a steady lead over the Warriors, gradually getting closer to taking the set.
Extended rallies throughout the set had both teams controlling their side of the court. Adrenaline and quick reflexes gave way to successful digs and hits, with both ends desperate to make the final move. Ultimately, the hefty hits of Bellai and fourth-year outside hitter Jia Lonardi would end most of these moments in the Bold’s favour.
“I try not to think too hard and just do,” said Bellai. “If you think too much, you can get in your own head. Sometimes, you just have to play the game and use your intuition and trust in your abilities.”
TMU’s multiple-point runs threatened Waterloo enough for head coach Richard Eddy to use both of his squad’s timeouts.
Breaking the Bold’s streak proved a worthwhile tactic, however, as the Warriors found a way to creep up and close what was a 16-11 gap.
Waterloo re-established their footing, as a combination of sudden attacks and constant defence brought them to steal the lead.
With their momentum drowned, TMU became unsteady as they began to lose control of their court. Mispasses brought the ball to the ground rather than to players and as the Bold became more frantic, their plays became less accurate.
A block by Isaacs had fourth-year outside hitter Scarlett Gingera and Rioflorido racing to save it in time, but their attempts to dig fell short and the Warriors took another set at 25-22.
Both teams began the final set with consistent efforts that had the ball dropping in bounds. Though TMU held a 3-0 run from the start, Waterloo proved to their opponent that they always held the upper hand.
After sharing a back-and-forth exchange of points—with the set at 8-8—the Warriors took charge and started a four-point run.
With their opponents constantly prospering, TMU couldn’t afford to show signs of struggle.
But slip-ups persisted, allowing the Warriors to capitalize on each of the Bold’s mistakes, whether it was a weak hit or a failed pass.
Neither of the two TMU timeouts called by Reid could revive the team. A hit by Lonardi that wound up out of bounds would bring the score to 25-19, leaving Waterloo with a clean three-set sweep.
Already eliminated from playoff contention, the Bold are fighting for wins to finish the season strong.
“There’s a sense that we’ve got nothing to lose, so [we want to] just put it all out there and play our best, and when the ball comes to you, believe in your abilities and finish the rally,” said Bellai.
UP NEXT: The Bold will attempt to defend their home court against the Warriors once more at the MAC on Feb. 8. First-serve flies at 12 p.m.
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