(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS rallied from down two sets to beat the Acadia Axewomen 3-2 on Saturday.

The REDS won 23-25, 17-25, 25-22, 25-21 and 19-17.

"I think we really just turned around our work ethic and our attitude," said REDS outside hitter Sonya Nielsen (Delia, AB). "We were working hard, but we just need to do the things we normally do. Our serve and pass game was off in the first two sets, so we really had to bring that back in order to win the last three."

Nielsen finished the match with 12 kills and 11 digs, earning Subway Player of the Game honours.

In the first set, with the Axewomen up 6-4, Charlotte Dean (Mississauga, ON) served an ace to extend Acadia's lead and prompting REDS head coach Richard Schick to call a timeout.

The tactic did not have the affect Schick had hoped, and Acadia reeled off three more points to lead 9-4.

The REDS fought back, pulling even at 12-12, but the Axewomen led 16-13 at the technical timeout of the first set.

Down five and facing set point, UNB scored four straight to make the score 24-23, but Acadia stopped the REDS run and won the set 25-23.

In the second, the Axewomen once again established an early lead, going up 4-2, but a kill and block by UNB's Bailey Lemieux (Fredericton, NB) gave the home side a 6-5 edge.

Acadia moved ahead, pulling out to a 12-7 lead and was up 16-10 at the technical timeout.

Out of the break, Dean served three more points to give Acadia a 19-11 lead, and the Axewomen went on to win the set 25-17.

The REDS fought back in the third, building a 6-3 lead and forcing an Acadia timeout.

UNB held that three-point advantage through 9-6 before the Axewomen drew even at 9, then went ahead 10-9.

Acadia led 16-14 at the technical timeout, but the hosts fought from behind again, fashioning a lead of 19-17 and extending it to 21-19.

When Acadia rallied to within one, at 22-21, the REDS called timeout.

UNB then scored three of the next four points to take the set 25-22.

The fourth set saw back and forth action and the teams tied 7-7 early on.

When Acadia moved ahead 10-7, the REDS called timeout.

A Nielsen kill and put-back on consecutive plays, followed by an Emma Burns (Fredericton, NB) ace put UNB back in front, 14-12 and prompted another Acadia timeout.

The REDS led 16-15 at the technical timeout.

The teams then traded points, tying at 19 and 20 before the REDS pulled out to a 22-20 lead.

One of the longest rallies of the night ended in a Lemieux block to give UNB a 23-20 lead and the hosts won the fourth set 25-21.

Taylor Collombin (Victoria, BC) opened the fifth set with a kill and Acadia led 2-1 early on.

UNB rallied to tie the set 5-5 before a 3-0 run by the Axewomen gave Acadia an 8-5 lead and forced a REDS timeout.

Acadia scored the next point to go up 9-5.

With Acadia up 12-9, Lemieux and Burns fired consecutive kills to close the gap to 12-11 and prompt an Axewomen timeout.

UNB and Acadia were tied at 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 before the REDS powered past the Axewomen for a 19-17 win and the come-from-behind 3-2 win.

"It feels good," said Nielsen. "It's hard work and we're putting in the hard and it feels good and it's very rewarding, but I think we still have a way to go to where we want to be."

Lemieux also finished with a double-double, recording 11 kills and 24 digs, while Katelyn Chapman (Indian Mountain, NB) had 25 digs and Catherine Burns (Fredericton, NB) had 34 assists.

Dean led Acadia with a game-high 38 assists.

Rebecca Dorsey (Toronto, ON) registered a game-high 27 digs.

"We played into what they were doing," said Dorsey. "It was a frantic game for us, we needed to take a second and go back to our game plan because that's what won us the first two sets, sticking to our game plan. When we steered away from that, it lost us the game."

Jenna Lake (Conception Bay South, NL) struck 16 kills for Acadia.

"It's disappointing for sure," said Dorsey. "It's tough with a shortage of players, but we still needed to pull out a win there and we didn't."

With the win, UNB is now 8-5 and tied for third in the Atlantic University Sport standings.

Acadia is 9-5. The Axewomen are in second place, two points up on UNB and Dal.

The REDS and Axewomen conclude their weekend series on Sunday. First serve is scheduled for 3:00pm.

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics