Axewomen Hold Off REDS

(FREDERICTON, NB) The Acadia Axewomen held on to beat the UNB REDS 3-2 Friday night in an exciting Atlantic University Sport women's volleyball match at UNB's Richard J. Currie Center.

The Axewomen won 25-27, 25-18, 25-18, 18-25, and 16-14.

The REDS began with a hot hand, opening with a 4-0 run.

The Axewomen closed the gap and pulled even at 10-10, and the teams then mostly traded points to 16-16.

UNB went on another short run, building a 19-16 lead.

The REDS and Axewomen then went toe-to-toe, neither team able to establish much of an advantage.

Tied 25-25, UNB finally managed to string together a pair of points to win the opening set 27-25.

The Axewomen responded in the second set, taking an early 6-1 lead.

Heather Benko (Sechelt, BC) then served to pull UNB to within a pair, at 6-4, but Acadia rallied and pushed the lead back to four.

The REDS trimmed the lead to two and managed to keep it there until they closed the gap completely at 14-14 on a Bailey Lemieux (Fredericton, NB) service ace.

When Acadia pushed the lead back to three, at 17-14, the REDS took a time-out.

The tactic did little and the Axewomen ran their lead to 23-17 on route to a 25-18 set victory.

In the third, UNB built an early 2-0 lead before Acadia drew even and raced ahead 5-3.

Tied 11-11, the Axewomen went on a 2-0 run, prompting a UNB time-out.

Acadia added to their lead, going up 14-11 before a couple of REDS kills halted their momentum.

The Axewomen were able to maintain an advantage, going up 20-16 and winning the set 25-18.

In the fourth, the REDS were able to rebound.

They started on a 2-0 run, then built an 11-5 lead.

UNB pushed that lead to 18-10 and extended it to 21-12.

The REDS held on and then some, winning 25-18.

The deciding set saw Acadia establish an early lead and hold it.

The Axewomen held leads of 9-6 and 11-7.

The REDS rallied with a 2-0 run to make it 11-9, prompting an Acadia time-out.

UNB's rally continued as the REDS tied the set 14-14 before the Axewomen pulled out the victory, 16-14.

"You can't take anyone in the AUS lightly," said Axewomen setter Sydney Zakutney (Ottawa, ON), named Subway Player of the Game. "You've got to give it your best, no matter what, because every team is going to give us their best too."

"I think we were just trying to be patient with the ball," she added. "When it wasn't perfect, we were trying to put in good continues and when we had the chance, we were using it to score."

With the win, the Axewomen improve to 13-4 while the REDS are now 8-10.

"You're always disappointed with losses, but as a whole, especially in that fifth set, we battled harder than I've seen us battle," said the REDS' Lemieux. "We were finally playing how we know how to play. Of course, we're upset with the loss, but it just fuels us for tomorrow."

"From a fan's perspective, it was probably a pretty exciting show," said REDS' head coach Richard Schick. "I was happy with the way that we started and, believe it or not, happy with the way we finished, the stuff in between… we struggled."

The REDS and Axewomen conclude their weekend series on Saturday when they meet in a re-match. First serve is set for 1:00pm.

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics