FULL 2018 GAC TOURNAMENT BRACKET

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — After posting its most successful regular season since 2001, the Henderson State volleyball team looks to get its first ever win in the Great American Conference tournament when they take on the Oklahoma Baptist Lady Bison in the quarterfinals at 12 p.m. Thursday in the Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Coming into the 2018 season, Henderson State (26-5, 13-3) had never won more than eight matches in GAC play. This year, the Reddies shattered that mark with 13 conference wins, including season sweeps of rival Ouachita Baptist and perennial GAC power Arkansas Tech.

Henderson State finished the season in a second-place tie in the GAC, but lost out on the tiebreaker and was awarded the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. The Reddies will take on No. 6 seed Oklahoma Baptist, a team the Reddies defeated in late October, 3-1 (16-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-18). In that match, Adrianna Hartmann and Courtney Bolf shared the team lead with 13 kills, while Karlie Greene added 12. A season-high five Reddies collected double-digit digs while Gigi Garramone paced the Reddies with 15.

This will mark just the second time Henderson has participated in the GAC tournament. Its previous appearance came in 2016 when the Reddies finished the season with a 13-16 overall record and an 8-8 mark in conference play. The Reddies fell in the opening round to eventual champion Southern Nazarene.

Scouting Oklahoma Baptist
The Oklahoma Baptist Lady Bison (16-16, 9-7) had an up and down 2018 season, but back-to-back wins against Southeastern Oklahoma State and Southern Nazarene gave the Lady Bison a winning record in GAC play and put them safely in the postseason tournament. OKBU came out of the gates a bit sluggish and had a 3-6 record through the first nine matches of the season. However, the Lady Bison got back on track as soon as GAC play opened up, posting a 5-1 record in the first six matches of the conference season. Oklahoma Baptist's attack is led by Mikayla Watson, a Second Team All-GAC selection in 2017 who ranks third in the GAC in kills per set with 3.53. Head Coach Anna Howle is one of the most successful coaches in the GAC and has compiled a 288-131 record in 10 years at OKBU while taking home three Coach of the Year awards.

HSU Statistical Leaders
Junior, Courtney Bolf – 393 Kills
Freshman, Taylor Scalzi – 568 Assists
Junior, Gigi Garramone – 400 Digs
Juniors, Karlie Greene, Adrianna Hartmann – 116 Blocks

OKBU Statistical Leaders
Sophomore, Mikayla Watson – 399 Kills
Freshman, Jenna Gremmel – 638 Assists
Sophomore, Kelsi Chavez – 465 Digs
Sophomore, Brecken Roquemore – 84 Blocks