By Hannah Thompson

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s volleyball team fell 3-1 to the McMaster University Marauders in an exhibition matchup on Saturday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).

The pre-season meeting served as one of TMU’s final tune-ups before the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) regular season. Despite flashes of momentum, including an energized third-set win, the Bold struggled to maintain consistency against a seasoned McMaster lineup.

“I was happy with the way we turned things around on the court, especially going into the third set after a tough second,” said head coach Niko Rukavina. “We’re a young team, and to see us playing at our top level and handling a team like McMaster; it’s all positive for me, and it’s stuff we can build on.”

The Bold opened the match with energy, trading early points before pulling ahead 16-11 thanks to kills from fourth-year right side Gavin Elzinga, third-year setter Evan Moua and fourth-year outside hitter Riley Donovan.

However, McMaster responded with a 7-2 run that erased TMU’s five-point cushion. Despite late efforts from Elzinga and second-year outside hitter Kai Taylor, the Marauders capitalized on a pair of Bold errors to take the set 25-23.

McMaster carried their momentum into the second set, quickly jumping ahead 8-4 and forcing TMU to call an early timeout. The Marauders’ serve pressure and front-row dominance continued to trouble the Bold, who struggled with consistency at the net.

Kills from third-year outside hitter Day Westell and Donovan helped close the gap, but the Marauders’ offence proved too steady, cruising to a 25-17 win and a 2-0 match lead.

Determined to stay alive, TMU found their rhythm in the third set. Westell opened with a kill, setting the tone for a more aggressive Bold attack. Elzinga and Donovan combined for several crucial points, while fourth-year middle Bobby Tang secured the front line with timely blocks.

After tying the frame 16-16, TMU surged ahead with a five-point run capped by a Westell kill, securing the set 25-22 and giving the home crowd something to cheer about.

“That third set really showed what we’re capable of,” said Rukavina. “Things were clicking for us, and it’s encouraging to see how we can respond under pressure.”

The final set featured a back-and-forth battle with neither side allowing much separation. First-year outside hitter Ross Buchanan made his mark with a key kill to tie the score 8-8, while Taylor and Donovan each delivered big plays down the stretch.

The energy inside the MAC was electric as TMU fought to stay even but late errors proved costly. Despite a kill from Tang to fend off match point, McMaster held firm to close out the set 25-23 and take the match 3-1.

Rukavina highlighted the strong play of first-year libero Ethan Lau, who impressed in his first major start. “[Lau] handled himself really well,” said Rukavina. “For his first time starting in a big match, I was really proud of him.”

Though the result didn’t go TMU’s way, the team found valuable takeaways from their performance. “We’ve got things to clean up but the effort and fight were there,” said Rukavina. “It’s all part of the process this early in the season.”

UP NEXT: The Bold will close out their pre-season schedule on Oct. 19 at the MAC against the York University Lions. The first serve is set for 2:00 p.m.