By Hannah Thompson

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s volleyball team opened their Ontario University Athletics (OUA) regular season with a 3-0 loss to the York University Lions on Thursday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).

After back-to-back exhibition losses to the McMaster Marauders and York, TMU came into their home opener hoping to start the season on a stronger note. Despite a promising push in the third set, the Bold couldn’t find enough consistency to keep pace with the efficient Lions lineup. 

York claimed the first two sets with identical 20-25 scores before edging out TMU 23-25 in a tightly contested third set.

Fourth-year right side Gavin Elzinga led the early charge for the Bold, recording five kills and a block to keep the opening set close. Fourth-year outside hitter Riley Donovan and second-year outside hitter Kai Taylor also contributed multiple key points but a series of errors allowed York to take the set late.

TMU found their rhythm midway through the set thanks to Taylor’s steady attacking and first-year outside hitter Ross Buchanan’s defence. However, York’s pressure on the counterattack kept the Lions in control to take another 20-25 win. 

The Bold looked their most confident in the third set, building a 7-4 lead with to the help of third-year outside hitter Day Westell and first-year middle Aidan Suttie. TMU held a 17-12 advantage after kills from Donovan and Elzinga, but York rallied to the match at 23 before managing to close it out 23-25 to steal the sweep. 

Head coach Niko Rukavina said that while there were nerves early on, he was encouraged by how his players responded throughout the match. “We worked through some nerves, and we just kept playing,” said Rukavina. “It’s the first game of the season, so we had no real information on York. A lot of tonight was just about gathering information and making adjustments.”

With fifth-year libero Tony Tanouchev out for the semester, Rukavina praised first-year outside hitter/libero Ethan Lau for stepping up in his absence. “Ethan’s done a really good job stepping into that role,” he said. “We knew there would be some nerves, but he handled it really well. I’m excited to see how much more we can get out of him as he grows into the position.”

The Lions’ strong offensive pressure challenged TMU’s backcourt throughout the match, something Rukavina said the team will focus on heading into the rematch. “They’re a physical team, and sometimes our block won’t get touches on them,” he said. “We’ll look at where they were scoring and adjust our defenders into better positions. We’ll break down the film tonight and be better prepared tomorrow.”

Though the result wasn’t what TMU hoped for, Rukavina said the effort and learning moments made the match valuable for the young roster. “Once we found our groove, we were playing TMU volleyball again,” he said. “Now it’s time to maintain that consistency.”

UP NEXT: The Bold will host the York University Lions again on Oct. 24 at the MAC. First serve is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.