Marauders edge out Bold in five sets

HAMILTON, Ont., – The Toronto Metropolitan University Bold women’s volleyball team headed west to take on the nationally ranked No. 5 McMaster Marauders in a Friday night matchup. The squad pushed the Marauders through a tough five sets, but ultimately, the maroon and grey came out on the winning side.

The first set started off in favour of the Marauders, with the team winning back-to-back points early on. It wasn’t until halfway through the set when the Bold pulled their act together to hack their first lead of the game 17-16.

Rallying points in Hamilton, the Bold took the opportunity to steal the set from under the Marauders, something the team wasn’t expecting. The Bold handed the Marauders their first season loss on Nov. 25 and were ready to show them that their win wasn’t a fluke.

Scarlett Gingera’s 11 kills throughout the game helped the Bold earn some points. The squad seemed to have lost their groove, with the set ending quickly. The Marauders took the second 25-12.

Hot off the court in the third, the Marauders struggled slightly against the Bold. Both teams were looking to earn as many points as they could. Setter Sarah Zonneveld was ready to do what it took to help her team, putting up 40 assists and 14 digs.

The Bold remained unsuccessful, losing the set in a tight 25-22 decision. With one last set to make a comeback, the Bold knew how important winning this set was because it was their only chance at winning the game. 

Leading the Bold into the fourth set, senior players Lauren Veltman and Julie Gordon were big leaders for the team, making sure to tuck in as many points as they could to push this game to five sets.

Veltman came out with nine points, whereas Gordon put up 13. The blue and gold worked hard as a team, and put up a 25-18 set win in the fourth.

The pressure came down to the final 15-point set, where either team could take the Friday night win home.

The Bold’s strategies on the court earned them some points, but the Marauders weren’t far off. Much back-and-forth continued the night in Hamilton, but the pressure built as the two teams were tied 15 all.

Despite putting up a hard fight, the Marauders took the last two points, winning the set 17-15. The Bold walk away from Hamilton with their heads held high, playing some quality volleyball against a nationally ranked top 10 team. 

The Bold return to the court on January 26 to take on the Nipissing Lakers after a much needed break. The first serve flies at 6 p.m. at the MAC.