By Naomi Low

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) men’s volleyball team returned to the court with a gritty 3-2 win over the Royal Military College (RMC) Paladins on Sunday at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC). The match marks the team’s second preseason victory over the Paladins after yesterday’s 4-0 sweep.

“I felt that the energy was very high today,” said second-year middle Aidan Suttie. “I felt that we did a good job getting around each other, staying big. That’s been a big point of emphasis this season.”

Friendly rivalry fuelled the match as Marc Wilson, the Bold’s former lead assistant coach, stood across the net, now head coach of the Paladins lineup one season later. 

“He was in my office for a couple of hours before the game,” shared Bold head coach Niko Rukavina. “We were talking volleyball, exchanging ideas, so it’s always fun to compete against a friend.”

The first set opened with a nearly 30-second rally that left both teams breathless. After fourth-year TMU setter Declan Dunn earned a kill to close out the point at 2-1, the Bold quickly found momentum. 

Second-year right side Ross Buchanan–who would lead the team with 12 kills alongside second-year outside hitter and libero Brayden Walker–sank a well-disguised play past a Paladin outside hitter’s fingers, extending his side’s lead to 7-3. But a flurry of Bold errors sparked an RMC resurgence as the Paladins rattled off a few runs of their own, tying the score 14-14.

“They definitely stepped up their game,” said Suttie. “But I think we did a great job to adjust and get them out of their comfort zone.”

Starting rallies on the front foot, coupled with consistent discipline from the right side of the net, TMU stayed above water and soon within reach of the first set at 24-21. A last-minute RMC timeout couldn’t stop the Bold’s flow, who returned efficiently and sealed the frame on the next point, 25-21.

“We tried to up our aggressiveness on our serve. Yesterday we were trying to put more serves in, whereas today we were being a little bit more aggressive, so I think that paid off a little bit,” said Rukavina.

Like the first set, the second began with a tight scoreboard battle. Though little separated the two, RMC had noticeably reorganized their offence and started to take the upper hand. Trailing 13-9, TMU coach Rukavina called a timeout. 

Sensing the Bold’s uncertainty, RMC began closing in, attacking the sidelines and even capitalizing on an uncharacteristic TMU net violation at 18-12. 

Though kills by Buchanan and late blocks by fourth-year middle Day Westell occasionally pierced through the Paladins’ defence, they weren’t enough as RMC ran their way to the second set, 25-19.

The level remained competitive after the changeover. Suttie, leading the team with six blocks, replicated the RMC playbook, targeting the Paladins’ sidelines and lifting TMU in a five-point run to 15-9. Knocked off-kilter, RMC called a timeout.

“I think we put good pressure on them with our serves, and we didn’t make many unforced errors. We just played the game our way,” said Suttie.

As both teams returned to the court, the Bold progressed steadily throughout the frame but faltered in the final stages. With multiple set points in hand, TMU couldn’t convert and attacking errors kept piling up. After a nail-biting back-and-forth, the Paladins overcame TMU to seal the third set, 33-31.

The Bold got off to a fast start in the fourth frame, taking a 13-8 lead. With strong offence from the back of the court, a kill and a strong serve by third-year outside hitter Kai Taylor kept TMU moving smoothly through the set. 

“We had some young guys come off the bench in the fourth set. There was a little bit of fatigue from our long game last night, so the young guys added a lot of energy,” said Rukavina.

After finding a foothold, the Bold led 22-15 when RMC called a timeout. Unable to lull TMU’s onslaught, a strong serve from Suttie helped the Bold nick the set with the largest margin of the afternoon, 25-16.

Keeping their rhythm in the home stretch, the Bold concluded an impressive effort over RMC in an emphatic 15-11 victory in the fifth and final frame. 

UP NEXT: The Bold will play their final preseason match against the York University Lions on Oct. 23 at the MAC. First serve flies at 7 p.m.