By Naomi Low

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s volleyball team fell in a straight-sets 3-0 loss to the Lakehead University Thunderwolves on Friday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC). 

The Bold entered the match after a month of preseason, in which they managed one win over six matches, most recently posting a straight-sets defeat against the Western University Mustangs on Oct. 17 and a five-set loss to the Queen’s University Gaels on Oct. 18.

“[Acting head coach Julie Gordon] normally says we need to hold our belief; that’s our main theme,” said second-year setter Sadie Bird.

“We are a good team, and we’re talented, but I think we’ve been taught that we aren’t just by previous records…We let that get in our heads.”

After a series of strong serves from Lakehead first-year middle Marleigh Woloshyn in the opening frame, the Thunderwolves began finding their momentum, securing an early five-point lead at 9-4. TMU proceeded to call their first timeout of the night, but the early deficit proved costly as Lakehead protected their gap with discipline. 

Looking for fresh legs, TMU subbed in first-year setter Celeste Pelletier and first-year outside hitter Makenna Williams at 14-10. Williams, who was making her regular-season debut, posted seven kills and logged just one error throughout the entire match.

Having a strong mental game, staying together and making sure no player remains on their separate island will be key to the team’s performance going forward, said Williams.

When TMU took the court again, they soon found a foothold, rattling off four consecutive points and forcing their opponents into a timeout. But the Bold’s advantage was short-lived, as Lakehead regrouped and raced to the end of the frame, securing it 25-19. Fine margins separated the two as Lakehead recorded 41 attacks to TMU’s 40 and bested them in kills as well, 14 to 10.

After the change of ends, the Bold flipped the script, taking a three-point lead after solid serving by Bird. Though she led the team with 23 assists by the end of the night, the setter still wasn’t satisfied with the lineup’s performance.

“We could do a lot better,” said second-year setter Sadie Bird. “I feel like we weren’t playing our game at all. I think there were some nerves at the start and we just kind of let that get away from us.”

In the second frame, the Bold established an early 7-3 lead but were plagued by attacking errors, soon finding themselves tied at 8-8. Unable to maintain their advantage, TMU struggled to convert their chances as Lakehead soon left them trailing 18-15.

“I think our main struggle was that we weren’t capitalizing [on] our own offence. You can see [Lakehead] made a lot of digs, but that’s due to the fact that we hit to where they were…We weren’t being confident as a group, not just attacking, but as a whole,” said Bird.

Lakehead coasted to the second frame after an untimely service error from Williams sealed the set, 25-21, sending the Bold back to the drawing board.

The third set saw the closest opening scoreboard action of the night, as both sides traded points and met at 6-6. Fourth-year outside hitter Marta Cerovic stepped up, sinking a crucial kill that opened a four-point lead and forced Lakehead into a timeout.

Towards the end of the frame, though, Lakehead began stepping up their aggression, going on an eight-point run thanks to a string of offensive production by third-year opposite Sylvie LeMoine, who matched Cerovic for 10 kills by the end of the night.

Lakehead ultimately capped off the match with a 25-18 third-set victory, logging 40 kills to TMU’s 32 and minimizing attacking errors, posting 12 to TMU’s 19.

The loss marks TMU’s first loss to Lakehead in 14 years during the regular season.

UP NEXT: TMU will face off against Lakehead on Oct. 31 at the MAC. First serve flies at 2 p.m.