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TMU Athletics & Recreation

THE OFFICIAL HOME OF TMU Bold
THE OFFICIAL HOME OF THE TMU Bold HOME OF THE TMU Bold
Jacob Walker jumps in the air while attempting to spike the ball
Photo by Jack Shanlin
3
Winner Toronto TORONTO
2
Toronto Metropolitan TMU
Winner
Toronto TORONTO
3
Final
2
Toronto Metropolitan TMU
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Toronto TORONTO 23 25 23 25 15 (3)
Toronto Metropolitan TMU 25 20 25 21 12 (2)

Game Recap: Volleyball (M) | | Mario Russo

Bold push No. 7 Blues to the brink

TORONTO - The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's volleyball squad dropped their home opener Saturday afternoon, falling 3-2 to the Toronto Varsity Blues in a close-knit affair.

With the match knotted up at two apiece, the Blues took the fifth and final set by storm to extend their winning streak against the Bold to eight-consecutive games - a record dating back to 2019.

Leading the charge for the visitors, Evan Falardeau scored back-to-back points late in the fifth set to complete his 24-kill performance, as well as put a fighting Bold side to rest.

Interim head coach of the Bold, Niko Rukavina, acknowledged the three-time all-star's offensive prowess between the lines, mentioning how: "You can't stop him completely but you gotta control him and let the other players do their job."

Falardeau and the Blues got the ball rolling in the second set of the matinee affair, besting the Bold by a 25-20 scoreline. The Blues dominant left side relentlessly wreaked havoc on TMU's defensive line, with Falardeau throwing down seven of the team's 10 kills to stymie any form of response from TMU. 

After torching the Blues defence en route to their first-set win, the Bold slowly began to put the pieces back together in an attempt to retake the lead. 

With the group trailing by three late in the third frame, Omari Young and Nicholas Hudson stuffed and clawed their way towards their second victory of the match through an array of momentous net-stops. 

Young would cue the comeback for the home side, dicing his third kill of the afternoon to spark an offensive run later to be finished by Hudson.

Rukavina was impressed with the play of his veteran middle, saying: "I was really impressed with [Omari]. His blocking really helped us a lot."

With the match favouring the Bold after three sets of play, Toronto resorted to their early-game habits and put their star left side to work. Despite allowing the Bold to mount a late-set comeback, Falardeau and the Blues forced seven attacking errors upon their city rivals and took the set by a tight 25-21 score. 

Heading into a pivotal fifth set, Jacob Walker and the Bold understood the fight for the win would be tight, with the former believing the key to staying composed began with: "controlling our side of the court."

TMU would do exactly that, yet would walk away from the set overmatched by the dominant play of Falardeau. The veteran had been a thorn in the Bold's side all game long and would only receive similar competition from Walker, who nearly matched Falardeau's level of offence by sending a team-leading 21 kills to the hardwood. 

"It's really nice to set our left side like that and be able to score when we need it," said Rukavina following the loss. 

Despite losing out on the match, the Bold were pleased with the level of battle shown in response to the team being shut out last weekend. The group will look to pick up their first win of the season next Friday when they host McMaster at 8 p.m.
 
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