(FREDERICTON, NB) The Acadia Axewomen rallied from down two sets to beat the UNB REDS 3-2 on Saturday afternoon.
The Axewomen won 16-25, 16-25, 28-26, 25-8 and 15-12.
"It was rough at the beginning, but I feel like we really came together," said Acadia hitter Taylor Witty (Dartmouth, NS), named Subway Player of the Game. "It was a huge team win. Honestly, it just felt like we refused to lose."
The teams seemed to pick up Saturday what they ended on Friday… with tight, hard-fought play, and neither team able to establish any significant advantage.
The REDS fashioned leads of 8-6 and 14-11 in the first set, but never led by more than three until a Heather Benko (Sechelt, BC) kill put UNB in front 17-13, prompting an Acadia time-out.
UNB pushed their lead to five, at 20-15 and 23-16, and won the set in dominant fashion, 25-16.
The REDS began the second set the same way they ended the first, dominating the Axewomen.
UNB led 6-1 early, forcing Acadia head coach Michelle Wood to call time-out.
Uncharacteristic Acadia errors allowed the REDS to push their lead to 10-2 and Wood was, again, forced to take a time-out.
Benko would serve back-to-back aces to extend the UNB lead to 13-4, but Acadia would score four of the next six points, trimming the REDS advantage to 15-8.
UNB continued to build their lead, going ahead by as many as 11, at 21-10, on route to another 25-16 set victory and a two-sets-to-none lead.
In a marathon third set, the REDS continued to exert their dominance, taking an early 6-2 lead.
An Isla Olesen (Calgary, AB) kill put UNB ahead 10-3.
Cue the Axewomen, who scored four of the next six points to trim the UNB lead to five, at 12-7, prompting a REDS time-out.
The Axewomen continued to chip away at the UNB lead, coming within three at 16-13 and again at 20-17.
Riding the strong serving of Eve Collombin (Victoria, BC), the Axewomen drew even, 20-20.
The teams were then tied at 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 before Acadia won consecutive points to take the set 28-26.
Buoyed by the momentum generated in the third set, the Axewomen continued to hammer on the REDS in the fourth, building an early 10-3 lead and pushing it to 20-5.
Acadia won the set, easily, 25-8.
In the deciding set, the REDS got out to an early 4-1 lead, but Acadia rallied to draw even, 4-4.
The Axewomen then established a 10-7 lead, prompting a UNB time-out.
The REDS fought back and trailed 12-9 but were unable to find a way back. The Axewomen won 15-12.
"We cleaned it up a lot," said Witty. "We were a little more crisp in the third, fourth and fifth sets and the determination was there as well."
"We were making our own mistakes and putting ourselves in trouble, which we weren't in the first two sets, but did in three, four and five," said veteran REDS setter Paige Lehto (North Vancouver, BC).
"It's tough, but I think we laid it all out there," she added. "It came down to a few execution calls, but we played hard and we were happy to play together today, but it's a tough loss."
The loss drops the REDS' record to 8-11, while the Axewomen are now 14-4.
Both teams are headed to Atlantic University Sport post-season play once they finish their regular season schedules.
Up next for the Axewomen, a Friday home game against the Saint Mary's Huskies. First serve is scheduled for 7:00pm.
The REDS wrap up regular season play on Friday, in Moncton. Game time is 7:00pm.
"I'm excited to see what we learn from this (loss)," said Lehto. "I think we're going to come back swinging."
RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics