TORONTO — The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's volleyball team swept the York Lions, 3-0, on Thursday evening for their annual Block Party event.

The Bold home crowd showed up and showed out for the Block Party, which was named the OUA's "Best Theme Night" of the 2024-25 season. The event kept up that reputation this time around, bringing a loud crowd that siphoned some energy into the Bold players.

"I thought [the event] was super cool," praised Bold Head Coach Dustin Reid, "I'm really appreciative of what the school has done to organize and promote this game."

"When we got a kill or made a good play, the whole gym was loud – not just us. I think it really helps the momentum, and volleyball is definitely a game of momentum," added first-year setter Sadie Bird.

It was Bird who started at setter for the Bold in the first set, kicking off her OUA regular season career with what would be a back-and-forth and entertaining battle of a frame.

TMU got off to a slow start, trailing 4-1 early. They needed a big play to help spark some momentum, and that came in the form of an emphatic block from outside hitter Kaiya Krahn and middle Julia Breen. The ball dropped to the floor without touching a single Lions player, and the home crowd at the Mattamy Athletic Centre erupted into a deafening cheer.

The exciting play boosted the Bold back into the match, as they fought back to tie things up at 7-7.

The score stayed close for multiple plays, with neither team letting up. A powerful Krahn kill from the back row gave the Bold a two-point lead, but the Lions managed to clap back with three straight points, resulting in a TMU timeout.

York kept the pressure on, testing the Bold's defence at the net. Despite yet another exciting block from middle Rayanna Amos-Ross Fisher, which again excited the crowd, back-to-back kills from the Lions put TMU down 19-17 and forced them into another timeout to avoid the set getting away from them.

That second timeout brought the Bold back to life, and they fought to make things close as both teams approached the set-ending 25-point mark.

A clutch block from Breen kept TMU alive down 24-23, and they used that momentum to push ahead and take the lead. A set from Bird to outside hitter Tyra Krapp was the final straw, as the Bold took the frame 29-27 and gained a 1-0 set lead in the match.

Bird, despite being a first year, managed to stay poised with the pressure on and help lead the team towards the end of the back-and-forth frame.

"I was just thinking point-by-point," she said after the game. 

Having that mentality is something common in veterans, but not first-years. Even with her inexperience, Bird served incredibly important to the Bold's success in the game.
 
TMU carried their positive momentum from the end of the first set into a dominant second set. They started things off with a 4-0 run, leading to a timeout by the Lions.

That lead continued to grow throughout the set. Krahn recorded an absolutely ridiculous four straight service aces to put her team up 10-1, the crowd getting louder with each point.

"Mostly just 'Can I get another one in? Can I keep this going?'," said Krahn when asked what was going through her mind in that moment, "The feeling of getting that many aces is great considering I've been working specifically on my serve since first year. To have it finally work out was really good."

Krahn would finish the game with 23.5 points, tied for the sixth-most ever in a game by a Bold player and the highest mark ever in a three-set match.

As she continued to dominate, Krahn grew more and more passionate in her reactions. That emotion is the result of a longtime connection with the game of volleyball:

"Volleyball has been in my life forever – my parents both played in university," she explained, "I was always passionate, and at first it came out more as aggression than passion, but I'm glad that I worked past that. Having a great team that cheers you on and always has your back is a great feeling as well."

Reid was incredibly impressed with Krahn's performance:

"She scored a lot of big points at the net. When we weren't really in control of the ball, we just gave it to her and she found a way to score. And obviously, from the service line she was unstoppable."

Krahn and the rest of the Bold team kept up the stellar play for the remainder of the third set, and TMU cruised into a 25-11 win to take a 2-0 set lead.

The third and final set was back-and-forth to start, with the Lions and the Bold taking turns on separate 4-0 runs before either team had even reached 10 points. 

The battle continued into the middle of the frame. Back-to-back kills from Krahn and outside hitter Hannah Bellai prompted York to call timeout with the Bold leading 13-10.

The Lions came out of their timeout with some momentum, fighting to take back the lead, 17-16. 

It was middle Ayla Cross who kept TMU afloat in the clutch, snagging a kill and three straight service aces to put her team up once again late in the set. 

Cross finished the match with six service aces, tying for the fourth-highest in TMU history. Krahn logged five aces of her own in the match, tying her for eighth on that list. The team overall had 15 in the match, which is also fourth all-time in the history of the program.

Service aces were the theme of the night, and brought the Bold the win as Breen logged one to seal the third set at 25-22, and the match at three sets to none.

The Bold continue their season with the second of a back-to-back against the Lions on Friday evening. Despite their impressive play in their first meeting, Reid isn't expecting York to go down without a fight.

"It'll be a big challenge for us. York's a very talented team. They're young like we are, and I expect we'll see their best volleyball tomorrow."

First serve for the matchup is at 6 p.m. in the Mattamy Athletic Centre. Students can enter the game for free with their OneCards.