TORONTO — The Toronto Metropolitan University men's volleyball team came up just short in a five-set battle, falling 3-2 (20-25, 20-25, 25-20, 25-18, 15-13) to the Western Mustangs in the first regular-season matchup of the new year.
The Bold opened the match on the right foot, claiming the first point on a kill by Riley Donovan. Afterward, the Mustangs were able to take control, but the Bold responded by playing a back-and-forth game, continuously trading points and erasing a one-point deficit to level the score.
By the 13th point, TMU seized momentum. Day Westell, William Gimbert and Ross Buchanan — all assisted by Declan Dunn — applied offensive and defensive pressure, halting the Mustangs and creating a five-point gap that forced Western to scramble.
With four rookies playing in today's lineup — Aidan Suttie, Gimbert, Buchanan and Ethan Lau — they demonstrated a cohesive style of play and composure early, blending well with the returning players.
"All four of them played really well today," said Rukavina. "They have to be in these big games to learn how to execute and I thought we played a really solid game."
The Bold's continuous pressure resulted in a Western timeout at 22-19. TMU closed out the set efficiently, allowing Western just one more point to take the opening set 25-20.
The Mustangs scored the first two points in the second set, but the Bold flipped the script. A service ace from Gimbert, followed by a Suttie block, gave TMU their first lead. From there, the score remained close, but the Bold maintained a narrow edge, consistently pulling ahead.
Soon, TMU had their first three-point lead after a Donovan kill and a double block by Westell and Donovan. Westell was a key contributor at the net, finishing with eight blocks — four assists and four solo — tying the program record for the fourth-most blocks in a single game.
Following an exhibition game against Princeton on Jan. 3, Rukavina stated the game was a good indicator of what the team had to work on, especially on defence.
"We were really focused on our block defence this week at practice," said Rukavina. "We really just tried to hone in on some defensive principles and I thought for the most part we did that today."
The Bold continued to steadily widen the gap, point by point, giving them the cushion to end the set 25-20 and take a two-set lead.
The momentum shifted in the third, with TMU opening the set with the first two points. However, the Bold eventually found themselves falling behind after Western took a four-point advantage at 15-11. Late in the set, TMU closed the gap by two points, but the Mustangs took the set 25-20.
Western carried their momentum into the fourth set, opening with four straight points. TMU struggled to gain control, dropping the set 25-18.
"The first two sets we were playing really well," said Westell. "Then Western made some adjustments and I don't think we responded in the third and once that happened we lost a bit of confidence in the game and it showed. That energy transferred throughout the rest of the game."
In the final set, TMU erased an early 6-3 deficit following a Western service error, an attack error and a block by Westell. The score remained tight through 13 points, but the Mustangs edged ahead to close out the match 15-13.
The Bold will look to rebound quickly, and Rukavina stated simply what the team has to do to come back stronger.
"Take care of our bodies, get some sleep and get some food," said Rukavina.
Next up, the Bold will face the Mustangs again on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 6 p.m. Students can attend the game for free with their OneCard.
