Acadia outlasts Moncton in five-set road battle

Acadia earned a hard-fought five-set victory over Moncton on Saturday at CEPS, winning 13–25, 26–24, 25–18, 22–25, 17–15. The Axewomen improved to 2–4 with the win, closing out the match in a tight final set that featured multiple lead changes.

Moncton controlled the first set from the start, taking advantage of early Acadia errors and consistent serving pressure. Despite kills from Brianna Bourque and Alexia Lemay-Evans, as well as defensive plays from Jenna Guy and Charley McDonald, Acadia couldn't overcome Moncton's momentum and dropped the opening frame 25–13.

Acadia responded immediately in the second set, starting with a 4–0 run behind kills from McDonald, Jenna Lake, and Lemay-Evans. With steady setting from Katie MacLean, the Axewomen built a lead and continued to capitalize on Moncton miscues. The Blue Eagles tied the set late at 22–22, but Acadia closed strong with kills from Lemay-Evans and Lake. MacLean delivered the set-winning kill for a 26–24 victory.

The Axewomen carried that energy into the third set, turning an early deficit into a 5–1 lead. McDonald and Lemay-Evans powered the offense while Guy and Lake added timely kills. After Moncton tied the score 11–11, Acadia answered with a decisive run sparked by a key block from McDonald. Bourque contributed on both sides of the ball, and Guy sealed the set with the final kill for a 25–18 win.

Moncton regained momentum in the fourth, stringing together a series of points to build a 20–11 lead. Acadia closed the gap with a five-point run featuring kills from Lake and Lemay-Evans, but Moncton held on to win the set 25–22 and force a fifth.

The deciding set continued the back-and-forth pattern. Lemay-Evans opened with a kill, and Lake and Bourque added important points as the teams stayed level. Bourque delivered consecutive kills to tie it 11–11, and Acadia capitalized on Moncton's service errors to stay in front. In the final moments, Mia Lemay-Evans delivered the match-winning kill, securing a 17–15 set and the 3–2 victory.

MacLean led Acadia with 45 assists. McDonald recorded nine kills on .467 hitting and added three blocks. Lemay-Evans paced the attack with 17 kills and 15 digs, while Lake anchored the defense with 22 digs. Bourque contributed offensively and defensively throughout, finishing with several key kills in the final sets.

Moncton was led by Anne Paquette with 17 kills and 20 points. Mia Ladd had 42 assists, and Jasmine Allain recorded a team-high 18 digs. Tori Casey added 13 kills and 14 digs.

Up next: Acadia is back in action Sunday at 2 p.m. in Moncton.