By Naomi Low

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) women’s volleyball team fell in three sets to the Western University Mustangs on Saturday evening at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC). 

After falling to the team on Jan. 9 in three sets, the Bold were hoping to come out victorious in their second meetup with the Mustangs.

“I definitely give [Western] credit…when they decided they were just going to put the ball in play and force us to have to score, we struggled,” head coach Dustin Reid reflected after the game. 

Both teams matched each other’s pace in the first frame, locking the scoreboard at 11-11. Third-year outside hitter, Darcie Buchanan, who reached a career-high of three assists on Saturday, landed four kills and two aces before the end of the first set. Reid praised Buchanan’s contributions against the Mustangs.

“I felt Darcie has really competed and battled well this weekend. She’s hit aggressively and managed to keep the ball in play a lot and found ways to score when there weren’t really simple situations. I’m proud of her taking that step,” Reid hailed.

However, Buchanan’s efforts were not enough to match Western’s energy. Second-year outside hitter Emma Buntic was relentless, topping Buchanan’s performance with five kills and four digs in the first set. 

Calling a timeout at 17-14, the Bold sought to regroup their squad. Buntic immediately opened with a service error, gifting the Bold an opportunity. Yet, unable to capitalize after that, first-year outside hitter Toni Wilson landed a crucial kill to bring the Mustangs to 18-15, before fourth-year middle Ava Ebert followed with another kill at 19-15. 

Once again, Buchanan took the initiative, landing her fourth kill of the set, opening the gates for a kill by second-year outside hitter Hannah Bellai to bring the Bold to 19-17. TMU called another timeout at 22-19 to regain their balance, but the Mustangs began to pull away in a convincing lead at 24-19. Bellai delivered under pressure on set point, landing a kill down the middle of the court after a prolonged rally, but the Bold’s hopes didn’t last long as Ebert sealed the first set with a kill, 25-20. 

At the switch of ends, TMU came running out of the gates, leveling with Western at 4-4. The Bold conceded the next point after a nail-biting rally, but Bellai’s leadership would mean a clear shot kill, lifting her side once again, 5-5. While the Bold made an emphatic start to the second frame, the Mustangs didn’t loosen the reins on their competitors, darting out to grab a 12-8 lead. 

Short on ideas and execution, Reid subbed in third-year outside hitter Kaiya Krahn to get his squad back in the race. Tasked with playing scoreboard catch-up, the lag didn’t help the Bold, as the point deficit tripled from back-to-back service errors from second-year middle, Julia Breen, and a commanding kill by Wilson. 

Fortune would keep the Bold in the second frame amongst many defensive errors and ultimately  a service error by Vang, an attack error by fifth-year outside hitter, Robin Henshaw, and another misfire by Vang, prompted the Mustangs’ to call their first timeout of the night. It was a clever decision by the Mustangs, as they studied the ship immediately upon return. 

Suddenly, a four-point chasm at 20-16 would trigger another timeoutl for TMU. It’d be of little help when they’d come back deflated, failing to win another point as a handful of big serves from Ebert would allow the Mustangs the five-point spree they needed to secure the second frame.

The third set began with the Bold faltering behind as two attack errors from Krahn and another from Buchanan, coupled with a kill from Western’s Wilson, gave the Mustangs a 4-1 start. Western did not wait as they used their early lead to extend their advantage to 8-1. A timeout from Reid’s squad would not delay the end result for long. Though notable kills by third-year outside hitter Marta Cerovic at 8-2, 9-3, and 10-4 helped breathe life back into her team, the Mustangs would maintain their stamina, improving to 13-4. 

“I’m happy to see Marta come in and get a chance,” Reid acknowledged.

“She didn’t get a tremendous amount of opportunity in the first half. She came in today and was one of our better players in the third set. Even though we weren’t able to push Western a bit more, I’m happy to see her embrace that opportunity.”

Though Cerovic’s contributions energized her side, the Mustangs protected their gap, as they jumped ahead in the set 22-12. The remainder of the match soon became a one-horse race, leaving the Bold in the dust as the Mustangs stormed to victory, 25-12. 

The Bold are now 6-6, and fall to tenth in the Ontario University Athletics standings.

UP NEXT: The Bold will meet their city rivals, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues at the Goldring Centre on Jan. 16. The derby is set for 7 p.m.