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TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT: NOT FOR HANNAH BELLAI SECURING TMU’S WIN OVER OTTAWA
NOVEMBER 7, 2024
AVA PEARSON
The Pressure is on for TMU as they face the University of Ottawa in their Home Opener. Crowds slowly pile into the Mattamy Athletic Center and the tension builds for the TMU Women’s Volleyball team. From the first serve, it was evident both teams were ready to fight, especially Hannah Bellai who left it all on the floor. Bellai reaches her season high of points with 20 kills, 12 Digs and 1 Block against the GeeGee’s. She was a very crucial player from the start.
TMU struggled to find their feet as UOttawa took the first Set 25-21. Bellai, is more locked in than ever as the Second Set Starts. Being down a set, Bellai notes what keeps her going through pressure games like this “I like to have this Michael Jordan mindset…when it’s time to really focus, I think about trying to be great and believing in myself, and yea a lot of it has to do with mindset and belief. So I like to tap into that Michael Jordan energy.”
The feeling is mutual as TMU matched Bellai’s energy, dominating the Second. Head Coach Dustin Reid speaks to her ability and role on the team tonight, “Hannah is a really hard worker and always striving to improve, and today was the first time where the team really needed her to be able to score some points as a blocker and as an attacker.” TMU closed over Ottawa 25-14 in the second and 25-17 in the third set, leaving the University of Ottawa with no room to breathe.
TMU Bold too comfortable with their 2-1 Set lead and the Ottawa GeeGee’s able to capitalize on every mistake TMU put on the court. Too close for Comfort and too little too late for TMU to take home a quick win as the GeeGee’s take Set four 25-22.
Tension fills the room as the fifth Set is underway. Coach Reid noted, “going into the fifth, we just had to be really clear that it’s a fresh start-tie game now, and when it gets tight they’re not going to give us a lot of free points and we are going to have to play aggressively and not wait for them to implode…and you know I don’t think we win the fifth without the great start that we have.” Bellai putting whatever she had to save the ball and score points, giving TMU the motivation they needed to close this match. “You know from late in the second set all the way through the rest of the match, that’s what she did and gave us a chance to win” Coach Reid commented, TMU taking home a 15-13 win in the fifth Set.
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