(WOLFVILLE, NS) The Acadia Axewomen posted a 3-1 win over the visiting UNB Reds on Friday.

The loss came a week after the Reds swept a two-match series from Acadia, at the Richard J. Currie Center.

A close early set changed quickly after an Acadia attack error and a UNB service ace pushed a one point lead to a 14-11 Reds advantage. The Axewomen came back to lead 15-14, but UNB was quick to jump to a 22-15 lead on two Adora Rooyakkers (Port Hawkesbury, NS) kills, two Acadia attack errors and a service ace by Kristen Burns (Mississauga, ON).

After the opening 25-21 first set loss, the Axewomen bounced back with three straight set wins.

In the second, and out to a 13-5 lead, the Axewomen continued to hold a lead of no less than five points until the close.

The Reds went on a four point tear to close a 19-10 Acadia lead to 20-14. Two kills by Rooyakkers and two Acadia attack errors closed the Acadia advantage to 24-21, but Peyton DeWolfe's (Bridgewater, NS) kill and a Regan Herrington (Newmarket, ON) service ace closed the set 25-21.

"I think in the first set there were flaws in the communication. People were kind of nervous and excited about being here today. There was a lot of pressure on this game as well, being a senior's game, and after losing to UNB twice last weekend, so I think everyone was really ramped up in the first set, kind of all over the place, but in the second set, we had them. We just said let's calm down and do what we have to do," noted Herrington who was named the Subway Player of the Game.

The Axewomen lead the third set by as much as 12 points at 23-11, but once again the Reds fought back to close the gap to 24-17. The Axewomen prevailed with a 25-18 third set win.

Leading the match 2-1, the Axewomen posted a fourth victory to grab the 3-1 match win. A kill by Lucy Glen-Carter (Toronto, ON) at 17-12 proved to be the turning point as the Axewomen inched their way towards a 22-17 lead and eventual 25-19 win.

Glen-Carter led the Axewomen with 12 kills while DeWolfe posted 10. Herrington engineered the attack with 29 of 43 sets and Micaela Sabean (Bridgewater, NS) defended with 21 digs.

Rooyakkers led all on the court with 15 kills. Maggie McLenahan (Oromocto, NB) recorded 21 digs for the Reds.  

The Reds drop to 8-7 and trail second place Acadia by eight points in the Atlantic University Sport standings. UNB has five games remaining in the regular season, while Acadia has three.

UNB is in Moncton on Saturday afternoon for a 4:00pm match, while the Axewomen visit Moncton on Sunday.

RECAP AND PHOTOS BY: Acadia Athletics