Bold season ends in semifinal loss to Badgers

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – The TMU Bold women’s volleyball team built a 2-0 lead but fell 3-2 to the Brock Badgers in the OUA semifinal on Friday night, ending their 2023-24 season.

Both teams were ready for a stellar matchup against one another, and the playoff pressure was on. The crowd was filled with both Badger and Bold fans, cheering on their squads in a fight for a spot in the OUA final.

The Bold fell short of the Badgers earlier this season, but tonight they were hoping to change that.

Right away, the Badgers managed to pick up a few points, but the Bold stood their ground. Lauren Veltman started strong on the outside and continued to be a vital player on the court, finishing the night with 19 points.

Both teams played a strong defensive game, and it was all about who took control of the offense. 

The scoreboard saw a lot of back and forth in the first set, with each team putting up big plays.

Captain Ashley Ditchfield proved time and time again that her blocks are vital to this team’s success, after finishing the regular season second in the OUA in blocks.

The Badgers were not able to establish a block in the first half of the first set. Ditchfield went into the first with an incredible seven serves in a row.

The Bold took control of this set, being on point with every play. They left the Badgers behind on the scoreboard and put the ball exactly where they needed to. The visitors dominated in the first set with a score of 25-16 and needed to bring that same energy to the second.

Moving into the second set, the Bold secured the first point but followed with a rotation error to delay the game. 

Mikayla Sherriffs came in with momentum that the Bold needed to keep this game close, and she racked up 12 kills and three aces by the end of the night.

The Badgers suffered a few service errors in the second which were important points for the Bold. TMU finally had the advantage, and they ran with it. Ditchfield was back on the serving rotation, and the Bold picked up extra points to keep the Badgers behind.

With the Bold on the road to another successful set, the Badgers were losing confidence on the court, which they rarely do at home. 

Veltman continued to push this team throughout the night, and the Bold came out on top in the second set with a score of 25-16.

Going into the third set, the Bold had a chance for a sweep and a ticket to the OUA finals. 

In response, the Badgers came out with some changes to their lineup hoping for a different outcome.

The Bold started a little rough and needed a timeout to recoup before heading back onto the court. After closing the gap, the Bold kept the score close, keeping the crowd on their toes. 

Julie Gordon responded for TMU, coming in from the outside and killing the ball every chance she could. 

The Bold made great use of the middle, hoping to move past the top OUA tea, and reigning Quigley Cup champs.

Late into the third, the Badgers closed the gap and it became a tight game, not clear which team would pull through to the end. Everything came down to the wire, as the Bold and the Badgers battled back and forth hoping to be the one to come out on top. 

The Badgers slightly passed the Bold and took the third set with a score of 25-22. 

Looking to rebound in the fourth, Ditchfield opened the scoring with a kill from the outside, and the Bold needed to focus on reducing any serve and attack errors. 

Veltman racked up the first few points for the Bold in this set, adding to her high totals.

The Bold fell to the Badgers in the fourth with a score of 25-15, leaving the match to come down to the fifth set.

With the fifth set starting, and a finals spot on the line, the Bold were ready for the biggest fight yet this season. However, the Bold suffered some service and attack errors that gave up early points to the Badgers.

Brock were able to come back and take the final set, making this a 3-2 game, unfortunately, ending the season for the Bold in the semifinal.