Axewomen drop tight four-set battle to Dalhousie at home

The Acadia Axewomen fell to the Dalhousie Tigers in a tightly contested four-set match Sunday afternoon at Stu Aberdeen Court. Dalhousie claimed the win by scores of 28-26, 25-15, 16-25 and 25-23.

Dalhousie finished with 56 kills to Acadia's 45, using late-set execution to edge the hosts in two of the four frames.

Acadia set the tone early in the opening set with a kill from Jenna Lake off a set from Katie MacLean. MacLean continued to distribute the ball well, setting up Alexia Lemay-Evans for early points, while a block by Brianna Bourque gave Acadia a narrow 9-6 edge.

The opening set stayed close throughout, with the teams trading points as Dalhousie answered behind the play of Ella Hornby and Annik Boldon. Acadia responded through consistent attacking from Mia Lemay-Evans and Bourque, but Dalhousie closed the set late, sealing the 28-26 decision with a block by Paris Stewart.

The Tigers carried momentum into the second set. Despite an early kill from Alexia Lemay-Evans, Dalhousie used a strong service run and capitalized on Acadia errors to build separation. Acadia worked to steady the set through MacLean's distribution and attacks from the middle, but Dalhousie maintained control to take the set 25-15.

Acadia responded in the third. Olivia Nicholls recorded an early kill and Jenna Lake followed with a service ace as the Axewomen built a 6-3 lead. Dalhousie errors opened the door for Acadia to extend the margin, with Alexia Lemay-Evans contributing at both ends of the court. A late block from Lake and a kill by Bourque pushed the score out of reach, and an attack error closed the set 25-16 in Acadia's favour.

The fourth set delivered another back-and-forth battle. Dalhousie gained an early edge, but Acadia answered through kills from both Lemay-Evans sisters and steady play from MacLean. Nicholls' service ace pulled Acadia within one late, and the Axewomen stayed within striking distance down the stretch. Dalhousie held firm, however, closing the match 25-23 on a final kill from Stewart.

MacLean led Acadia with 40 assists and added 13 digs. Alexia Lemay-Evans finished with 20 kills and three solo blocks, totaling 23 points. Mia Lemay-Evans posted eight kills on a .538 hitting percentage, while Anja Erminio anchored the backcourt with 20 digs.

Boldon paced Dalhousie with 19 kills and 22 points. Stewart added 13 kills and 13 digs, while Hornby finished with 13 kills and 13 digs in a balanced effort.

Game Notes:

• Acadia travels to Halifax on Wednesday night to face the Saint Mary's Huskies in a must-win matchup. First serve is set for 7 p.m.