TORONTO — The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) men's volleyball team fell to the nationally fifth-ranked Queen's Gaels on Friday evening at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, 3-1.

The matchup was the second of a back-to-back between the Bold and the Gaels; it was Queen's who came up on top on Thursday night, taking the match in straight sets. 

TMU was the winning team early in the first set on Friday, though, climbing to a 3-1 lead thanks to back-to-back kills from outside hitter Riley Donovan and middle Aidan Suttie.

Suttie, the first-year middle, ended up placing second on the team in points (9.5) to go along with six kills. He's impressed despite his youth so far this season, notching nine or more points in three of TMU's six matches.

But despite the Bold's hot start, the Gaels utilized their strong attacking to bring themselves back in the game. A 14-6 run prompted a timeout from Bold Head Coach Niko Rukavina.

Coming out of the timeout, the momentum stayed on the side of Queen's. A highlight kill from Suttie and an impressive left-handed block from Donovan weren't quite enough to help the Bold recover from their deficit, and the Gaels took set one with a score of 25-17.

But the Bold came out with a bang in the second set: back-to-back kills from first-year outside hitter William Gimbert got both the TMU bench and the home crowd roaring.

Gimbert, another impressive freshman, notched seven points and six kills in the match. It was just his second time seeing the court in his OUA regular season career, but it was clear that nerves weren't an issue.

"I don't know where to start," praised Rukavina when asked about Gimbert's play, "He was a middle blocker in club, but was recruited to play left side. To play left side and pass against one of the best teams in the country is really impressive. He's a physical kid: we're working on the small things in the game, but these are the moments he needs to experience to work through it."

Gimbert's individual play helped the Bold fight during the early moments of the set: they came out to a 9-8 lead over the Gaels.

Queen's continued their efficient attack, though, and forced their way back into the game. Forcing TMU into attacking errors, the Gaels charged into a 9-2 run and a 16-10 lead.

Those attacking errors really hurt the Bold in the first two sets. In both frames, they surpassed the Gaels in assists and tied them in total kills. It was their efficiency that killed them, notching seven errors to the one by Queen's in the first, and 10 errors to their five in set two.

That weakness allowed the Gaels to extend their lead late in the second, and they eventually took the second 25-14. 

With their backs against the ropes, TMU came into the third set fighting. A stellar block from the 6-0 setter Declan Dunn erupted the Mattamy Athletic Centre, and helped bring the Bold some much-needed momentum. 

They battled their way into an 11-10 lead, forcing the Gaels into a timeout.

As the set continued, things stayed close. The young and hungry Bold were playing all-out to avoid a 3-0 set sweep.

Back-to-back points from TMU prompted another timeout from Queen's: a kill from Suttie, and a service ace from outside hitter Ross Buchanan.

Buchanan, yet another first-year who gave the Bold strong minutes in the match, ended up leading the team in both kills (eight) and points (10.0). Combine his talents with Suttie and Gimbert, and it adds up to a quite talented recruiting class for TMU this summer – and hopefully a bright future for the team

Things came down to the wire in the third, but two service errors from the Gaels helped propel TMU to a 25-23 win. The Bold creeped a little closer in the set score, 1-2.

"The belief that we were good enough," answered Rukavina when asked about what changed for his team in the third, "sometimes when you're playing a top team with a lot of young guys on the court, that hesitancy or nervousness comes out. I was really happy with the confidence out there, and the young guys really handled the pressure of a serving, physical team."

Another key to the set win was TMU limiting their errors: they dropped down to only three in the frame.

Having brought themselves into match, the Bold entered the fourth set with a newfound sense of energy. The frame was a back-and-forth one to start, with neither team scoring more than three points in a row. 

Queen's was eventually able to scratch their way to a 15-11 lead, though, prompting a timeout from Rukavina.

The Gaels were already into a rhythm, though, and racked up some points with service aces and kills to give themselves a 23-16 lead. 

TMU kept fighting, and managed to go on a 3-1 run to keep themselves alive and make things closer. The streak featured two kills from third-year outside hitter Day Westell, who finished with 6.0 points on the night.

A Queen's kill sealed the deal, though, and the Gaels ended up taking the set 25-19 and the match 3 sets to 1.

"We knew this was going to be a tough game against a tough team," reflected Rukavina, "we just tried to focus on ourselves and how we've gotten better. I was really happy with how we responded in that third set, and we just have to take the small wins in games like this."

Despite the loss, multiple young players stepped up for the Bold. Suttie, Buchanan, and Gimbert all performed well, showing some real potential for the future of the team's season as they continue to learn and grow.

The Bold now have a full week to rest before traveling West to take on the nationally fourth-ranked Windsor Lancers in a weekend series on November 14 and 15. 

"Rest and recovery this weekend, and then back to work Monday," said Rukavina, "Windsor's another top team, so we'll stay locked in on practice and we're going up to Windsor a little bit early to get used to their gym."

Their first matchup with the Lancers starts at 8 p.m. on November 14, and fans can watch the action live on OUA.tv.