By Victoria Cha
Leadership and camaraderie aren’t things that the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s volleyball team is worried about this season. For them, those are qualities they’ve already got within their squad.
Instead, the Bold are striving to establish excellence within Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and vie for a post-season entrance, something they failed to accomplish last year.
The team had a disappointing 2023-24 regular season, ending it with a 5-15 record and finishing 11th overall in the OUA, causing them to miss the playoffs. That hasn’t discouraged the Bold, however, as they’re entering this year more motivated than ever.
“We’re super hungry this year. [We’re] trying to stay within ourselves and not compare ourselves to other teams [and] try to improve every day,” said third-year setter Evan Moua.
Ready to help the Bold thrive this season is head coach Niko Rukavina, who was officially appointed into the role in May after serving as interim head coach for the past three seasons.
“The biggest change this year was having the whole summer and pre-season to…have everything executed the way I wanted. I felt like we came into September with a good plan,” said Rukavina. “Having that off-season to get everything ready has really shown in the first two months of the season.”
A solidified coaching crew could push the Bold further toward the playoffs as they did not have an official head coach and had fewer staff members last year. With more structure and three new assistant coaches—including former Bold libero Lhexen Rabit—, Rukavina believes the team has a strong potential to stick the season through.
“Expectations are high. I hold them to high standards because they’re really good student athletes and I’m excited to see them when they have a coaching staff, a program [and] their culture,” said Rukavina. “Now it’s their turn to show what they’re made of and what they can do on the court.”
He hopes the squad achieves continuous improvement promising them a better season than the previous one.
“If we can get a little bit better every day, that’s going to be the trigger for the long run and the guys that are returning in the coming years can focus a bit more on the long-term development,” Rukavina said.
With much of the team being in their fourth year, a different urgency to show up and perform is coursing through the players.
“We’ve been breaking down all aspects of the game including mental [ones] and how we can cater our energy to each [player] and what each guy on the board needs to play their best,” said fourth-year outside hitter Kai Higuchi.
Higuchi was a reliable force for the Bold last year, finishing third on the team in kills with 129 and in digs with 90 for the season. Now in his last year, he hopes to see the best of his play both on and off the court.
“I definitely think I hold myself to a high standard. I feel like I’ve done that every year, just this year, it’s kind of my role, so I’m ready to step into that,” said Higuchi.
Leadership from the seniors has been commonplace for the Bold and is something that younger players like Moua hope to replicate in the future.
“We have so many good role models and so many different kinds of leaders with [the] fourth-years,” said Moua. “With me going into my fourth year next year, I want to play the same role of being vocal with the guys and communicating on and off the board.”
Thanks to the bond that the players have established during their seasons together, they remained close throughout an extended off-season and into the pre-season.
First-year outside hitter Kai Taylor is the only new addition to the team. The Oakville, Ont. product is honing in on the motivation that his teammates have been carrying since last February and is prepared to start his first season with the Bold on a fierce note.
“[I’m] definitely excited. The pre-season has already given me a [taste] of the game,” said Taylor. “The guys have all been really welcoming and kind [which made] it easy to adjust to this new setting.”
Taylor said he is finding his footing within the team comfortably and looks forward to seeking opportunities to grow as an athlete with the help of the team and the coaching of Rukavina. He said he thinks the Bold program was the “perfect choice” for him.
“I really liked how TMU was so close to home and I really like [Rukavina]. I’m excited to work with him and start my first season,” said Taylor.
For the rest of the squad, they’re all going into this season united in camaraderie and mindset.
“We’ve been getting a lot closer as a team. Not many new guys this year besides [Taylor], but with all the returning guys, we’ve just gotten so much closer,” Moua said.
Rukavina also sees the unification of his team, confident in the way the players are approaching the season.
“I think the boys were really motivated with having a 5-15 record and wanting to improve on that, knowing we had to put in that work in the off-season in the weight room and on the court,” Rukavina said.
With all the effort the Bold have been putting in to prepare for the regular season, they are confident they can secure a spot in the playoffs this winter.
“A lot of the guys have a passion to do better than last year, obviously. It feels like it can’t really get worse, so it’s all uphill from here,” said Higuchi.
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