NORTH BAY, Ont. — The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's volleyball team defeated the NIpissing University Lakers 3-2 in a five-set thriller on Friday night.

The Bold entered the contest coming off two straight wins over the York University Lions, sweeping them 3-0 in their first matchup and winning  3-1 in the second. This game against the Lakers marked the team's first away game this season and they did not disappoint—extending their win streak to three games.

The first set was not what the Bold had hoped for, despite great kills by Kaiya Krahn and Julia Breen. By the time the Bold reached 10 points, the Lakers had already pulled ahead by 11 points and finished the set winning 25-15.

In the second set, the Bold pulled ahead early and maintained a steady point gap. TMU's Darcie Buchanan, Hannah Bellai and Breen were the stars of this set.

Buchanan finished the game with 16 kills, Bellai with 11 and Breen with 9 — showcasing their dominance on the court and proving to be key contributors to the Bold's success.

With the Bold taking the lead early, they kept control from start to finish and closed out the set, 25-17.

At one set apiece, the Bold used the positive momentum from the second set to carry into the third.

Similar to the previous set, the Bold took the lead early in the third, taking the first three points before the Lakers could score. The Bold relied on consistent serving, sharp attacks and strong teamwork to maintain their advantage. Key plays from Breen, Ayla Cross, Buchanan and Bellai helped the team steadily continue to pull ahead and take the set, 25-20.

The Lakers pushed forward in the fourth set, blocking the chances of TMU taking the set and closing out the match. Different from the last two sets, the Lakers took the lead early in the set.  With a double block by Sadie Bird and Cross followed by a block from Buchanan, the Bold tied things up 10-10, however they could not keep the lead and fell 25-20 in the fourth frame.

The fifth set was a back and forth affair and went down to the wire. As the Lakers started to pull ahead, the Bold replied with two kills each by Krahn and Buchanan bringing the score even and the Bold closer to taking the lead.

A kill from Ayla cross brought the game to match point and with an error from the Lakers the Bold claimed fifth set victory 15-13 and won the match 3-2.

The Bold will play the Lakers once again on Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. Fans can watch the game on OUA.tv.