The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s volleyball squad picked up their fourth straight victory on Friday evening, besting the Trent Excalibur in four sets by scores of 25-18, 16-25, 25-8, 27-25.
The Bold cruised towards an opening set victory on Friday, using deception from both sides of the court to take a 1-0 lead over the Excalibur.
Scarlett Gingera and Marta Cerovic paved the way for the Bold in the opening set, combining for nine of the home side’s 13 kills while helping manufacture a .333 hitting percentage in TMU’s early route.
Head coach of the Bold Dustin Reid praised the early success of his outside hitters following the match, particularly the performance of third-year Gingera.
“[Gingera] is such an important player for us and it’s not just in her attacking..it’s in her passing, defensive play and blocking,” mentioned Reid.
“To see her contributing in all those areas for us, it’s great to see,” he added.
Trent managed to steady the ship in the second set however, clapping back at the Bold with a 25-16 win that featured a trio of lengthy offensive runs from the visitors.
Elizabeth Turner catapulted the Excalibur to a quick 8-2 lead in the second set with three service aces to snatch back some of the momentum lost in the first set.
The group added another pair of 5-0 runs in the second frame to further distance themselves from the Bold and eventually even the game up at one apiece.
“You can’t just get a lead and then take your foot off the gas,” mentioned Reid – who visually expressed his agitation on the issue that he feels has nipped at the heels of the Bold since the start of the winter semester.
“It’s an extremely immature way to play this game in this league,” Reid added.
TMU got back to their winning ways in the third set of Friday’s contest and made a statement while doing so. Their 25-10 thumping over the Excalibur featured the Bold land 14 kills on 25 attack attempts and a game-high .444 hitting percentage to push Trent to the brink.
Gingera and her teammate Ashley Ditchfield slammed down five kills each to help get the Bold over the line. Ditchfield in particular found the Bold’s determination to shine above all else in the team’s critical third set win.
“Staying determined and making sure that we executed in those long rallies…that was key in the third [set].”
Trent failed to go down as easy in the fourth set, testing both the determination and patience of the Bold contingent from start to finish. With the score favoring the Excalibur 25-24, Julie Gordon rang off a pair of kills to help save the Bold from fifth set action and secure the win.
“I think that’s the thing about our squad at the moment,” mentioned Reid. “With tight situations at the end of sets, we handle them well.
The group will look to close out their home schedule on a high with a win against the Excalibur on Saturday.
First serve flies from the MAC at 6:00 p.m, with senior ceremonies being featured for graduating players prior to the contest.