TORONTO — The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men's volleyball team fell 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-18) to the Waterloo Warriors.

The Bold got off to a fast start in the opening frame, with Day Westell at the serving line creating a three-point lead following two Warrior errors and a service ace.

Waterloo quickly caught up, turning it into a point-for-point battle, with the Bold on the wrong side of a one-point gap.

Strong performances from veteran players Riley Donovan and setter Declan Dunn helped keep the Bold in the set—Donovan recorded seven kills and Dunn 24 assists.

TMU didn't let Waterloo create a large gap in the second half of the set, with Ross Buchanan putting the ball away at 20-19.

Late in the set, the Warriors created a three-point lead, and the Bold were unable to mount a comeback, dropping the first set 25-20.

"We didn't execute a game plan," said Donovan. "I talked yesterday about belief being one of our values, and we didn't demonstrate that today. We had many opportunities that we didn't execute or capitalize on."

The second set saw the Bold fall into a four-point deficit early but claw back to remain in the mix thanks to a kill from Will Gimbert and three consecutive errors from the Warriors.

Errors on the Bold's side kept the team behind, prompting a timeout at 13-9.

Down 18-13 after the timeout, Brayden Walker was substituted in for his eighth game of the season.

With the change, the Bold regained their footing—Westell delivered a kill and Donovan a block to narrow the deficit to 18-16, and a double block from Westell and Walker brought it to a one-point game. Walker continued to shine with a well-placed tip the Warriors could not reach.

The Bold fought to stay competitive but couldn't close out the set, falling 25-21.

"We didn't really execute the way we did yesterday, and it was just another learning opportunity to get better," said head coach Niko Rukavina.

The Bold struggled out of the gate in the third set, quickly falling 7-1. They began chipping away at the Warriors' lead through three kills from Buchanan and a strong block from Aidan Suttie, narrowing the gap to 10-9.

Back-to-back kills from Gimbert, both assisted by Dunn, allowed TMU to pull ahead of the Warriors for the first time in the set, 13-12.

Using that momentum, the Bold fought hard in long rallies, with libero Ethan Lau showcasing improved floor coverage, keeping balls alive and ultimately earning points for TMU.

The Bold gained ground late, but the Warriors closed out the set 25-18 and the match 3-0.

Donovan's leadership stood out despite the loss, emphasizing teamwork and support for his teammates.

"My job is to support the players as much as I can," said Donovan. "Right now, that means staying together, playing together, being together, and backing each other up and trusting each other. That's what I try to emphasize."

Up next, the Bold return to the road to face the Guelph Gryphons on Friday, Jan. 30. First serve is at 8 p.m. Fans can catch the action on OUA.tv.