Dalhousie holds off Acadia in four-set match at Dalplex
Axewomen take third set but fall 3–1 on the road
Acadia dropped a 3–1 decision to Dalhousie on Saturday afternoon at the Dalplex, falling by set scores of 25–22, 25–19, 18–25 and 25–19.
Acadia earned momentum in the third set with a .400 hitting percentage, but Dalhousie's pressure from the service line proved decisive. The Tigers recorded 15 aces in the match to close out the win.
The opening set featured long rallies and tight exchanges. Acadia stayed within reach early, with Jenna Lake capitalizing on a miscue to give the Axewomen a brief lead. Katie MacLean directed the offence, setting up kills by Alexia and Mia Lemay-Evans as the teams traded points through the middle of the set.
Acadia moved ahead 22–19 late in the frame, but Dalhousie responded with a strong run. A series of service aces and attack errors swung momentum, and the Tigers closed the set 25–22 on a kill from Ella Hornby.
Dalhousie carried that momentum into the second set. Acadia answered early with a kill from Mia Lemay-Evans and a block by Alexia Lemay-Evans to level the score, but the Tigers again found success from the service line. Despite steady contributions from Jenna Guy, Olivia Nicholls and Lake, Dalhousie pulled away to take the set 25–19.
Acadia responded with its strongest stretch in the third set. Lake and Nicholls delivered key kills early, while Nicholls added a service ace to help build a lead. Brianna Bourque followed with back-to-back aces midway through the set, pushing Acadia ahead 15–9.
With MacLean continuing to spread the ball, the Axewomen maintained control. Blocks from Bourque and Charley McDonald slowed Dalhousie's attack, and Acadia closed the set 25–18 to extend the match.
The fourth set opened with Acadia on the front foot, racing out to a 5–0 lead behind Bourque's service run and a pair of early kills. Dalhousie responded with a timeout and worked back into the set, tying the score at 12–12 behind strong serving and steady execution.
The Tigers capitalized on late Acadia errors and regained control down the stretch. Despite continued pressure at the net from Alexia Lemay-Evans and Lake, Dalhousie secured the set 25–19 to close the match.
Lake led Acadia with 12 kills and a .393 hitting percentage, adding two solo blocks. MacLean recorded 36 assists and 14 digs, while Alexia Lemay-Evans added 12 kills and seven digs.
Acadia returns home Friday night to host Moncton before welcoming Dalhousie for a rematch on Sunday, Feb. 1.