REDS Drop Playoff Opener

(WOLFVILLE, NS) The Acadia Axewomen used home court advantage to pick up a 3-1 win over the UNB REDS in the opening match of their Atlantic University Sport women's volleyball semi-final, Thursday night in Wolfville.

Acadia opened the match with a narrow 26-24 first set win before UNB took a decisive 25-14 second set. 

The Axewomen rebounded with 25-21 and 25-19 third and fourth sets to take the match 3-1. 

Alexia Lemay-Evans (Azilda, ON) and Jenna Lake (Conception Bay South, NL) led Acadia's offence with 16 points apiece. Lake had a match-high 16 kills.

Acadia's Erica Fisher (Middle Stewiacke, NS) finished the match with 10 kills and 14 points. The offence ran through Charlotte Dean (Mississauga, ON) who finished with 38 assists and was named Acadia's player of the game.

For the REDS, it was second team AUS All-Star Heather Benko (Sechelt, BC) leading the way with 15 kills and 18 points. She had a match-high two aces, while also picking up a block. 

AUS Rookie of the Year Talia Nixon (Fredericton, NB) also stood out for the REDS, finishing the night with 10 kills and two block assists.

At the net, Meghan Vaags (Abbotsford, BC) made it tough for the Axewomen as she finished with six blocks and two block assists. Combined with two kills, she was the third UNB player in double-digit points with 10.  

The two top liberos in the AUS were neck-and-neck all night, with UNB's Jenna Adams (Truro, NS) edging out Acadia's Rebecca Dorsey (Toronto, ON) by one dig, finishing with 23. For her performance, Adams was named UNB's Player of the Game.

Game two is Saturday night at UNB's Richard J. Currie Center. First serve is scheduled for 7:00pm.

RECAP BY: Chris Cameron/Acadia Athletics

PHOTOS BY: Peter Oleskevich/for Acadia Athletics