TORONTO — On the journey to greatness, young teams often stumble at pit stops that test them with trials and tribulations. Being stuck at these roadblocks isn't necessarily something to lament about. It's frequently a part of a mandatory process designed to push groups to heights they desperately seek. 

For the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) men's volleyball team, that process and development continued in their 3-1 (25-16, 28-30, 19-25, 17-25) loss to the Western Mustangs on Saturday.

With the defeat, the Bold dropped to 2-10 on the season. TMU had entered the new year on a two-game winning streak. But despite enduring a season currently defined by learning experiences and close calls, there are encouraging signs manifesting inside the locker room. 

For a squad that features seven first-year players, that's valuable. 

The Bold once again came out hot from the opening serve, establishing a 16-12 lead and forcing the Mustangs to regroup with a timeout. Led by William Gimbert, who recorded six kills and one ace in the frame, the Bold took the first set for the second consecutive night. 

Less than twenty-four hours before the match, the Bold took the first two sets against the Mustangs before conceding the next three. 

"We're a young team and we've got to learn how to put teams away," said Bold Head Coach Niko Rukavina. 

The Bold had another opportunity to put themselves in the driver's seat in the second set. With the game tied at 19-19, both TMU and Western traded the next 18 points. TMU's Ross Buchanan chipped in eight of his game-high 15 kills. Gimbert added another five of his own. But it was Western who eventually broke free from the gridlock to take the second set.

"It was a battle," said Rukavina. "When a (set) goes that long, usually the team that pulls it out has the advantage." 

Despite the emotional letdown of the prior set and the ensuing hole the Bold found themselves in during set three, the home team clawed its way back within four points (14-18) when Mustangs setter Michael Jones misplayed the ball. However, a series of errors, 13 in total, ultimately put the period out of reach. 

Western remained focused to begin the fourth and raced out to a 5-1 lead. But the Bold authored one last comeback attempt, sparked by Day Westell's massive block that reignited the excitement inside the Mattamy Athletic Centre. Unfortunately, the Mustangs would quell the momentum and the Bold finally ran out of gas before dropping the final set.

There's a plethora of moments that reveal this team's tantalizing potential. For the coaching staff, it's just a matter of stringing these moments together.

"It's just consistency," said Rukavina. "When you win in a league like this, you're expecting other teams to make an adjustment, and so how do you counter that?"  

The Bold's next opportunity to build on their consistency will be against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Jan. 16. The opening serve is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on OUA.tv.