Acadia captures first AUS title, beating SMU at home in Game 3
(WOLFVILLE, N.S.) – The Acadia Axewomen won their first Atlantic University Sport women's volleyball championship in program history, defeating the Saint Mary's Huskies in three sets (25-18, 27-25, 20-18) in game three of the AUS final, Tuesday night at Stu Aberdeen Court in Wolfville, NS.
The sold-out home crowd of the Axewomen seemed to give them a boost in the opening moments, as they opened up an early 10-3 lead.
League MVP Olivia Bell started to heat up as the set went on, recording three kills to lead Saint Mary's. But the early Acadia lead proved too large to overcome, as the Axewomen took the first set 25-18, with outsider hitter Jenna Lake recording six kills to lead the home team.
After Acadia opened up a 16-12 lead, the Huskies were able to fight back to take a 20-17 lead. The two teams traded points for the remainder of the set with the Axewomen pulling out a 27-25 win to take a commanding two set to none lead.
In the third, the Huskies led early, but the Axewomen fought back with a couple kills courtesy of Lake, but a service ace from Alena Piatukhova helped restore the Huskies lead at 15-14. Another ace from Bell put the Huskies up 18-17, but a huge block from Alexia Lemay-Evans tied it up again at 18, and back-to-back Lake kills gave Acadia the lead 20-18. A Piatukhova kill cut the lead to 20-19, but Acadia won four of the next five points to force match point. A Lake kill gave the Axewomen the 25-22 set win, and clinched the first AUS championship in program history.
The Axewomen were led by a match-high 18 points, including 17 kills from AUS playoffs MVP Jenna Lake, while setter Charlotte Dean dished out 30 assists, libero Rebecca Dorsey recorded 16 digs and middle Erica Fisher was dominant at the net with five total blocks and 8.5 points.
The Huskies were led by Bell, who led the team in points (12.5), kills (11) and digs (12). Piatukhova chipped in 8.5 points, including six kills and two total blocks, and setter Taylor Lougheed was named player of the match for Saint Mary's with 23 assists.
Both the Huskies and the Axewomen will be competing at the U SPORTS women's volleyball championship, which will be played March 15-17 at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.