ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State pushed its longest winning streak of the season to four games Tuesday night when the Reddies took down LeMoyne-Owen 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-21).
HSU (12-9, 4-3) got a balanced attack and was led by sophomore Tyasia McGruder, who tallied seven kills and three digs. Adrianna Hartmann, Courtney Bolf, and McKenzie Tuyo all chipped in with five kills, while Danika Daum notched the team lead with 18 assists.Â
Abby Blackburn inched her way closer to the Top-10 all-aime at Henderson in assists with 10 in the win. Blackburn has compiled double-digit assists in every match this season.Â
The Reddies return to GAC play on Thursday when they host Southeastern Oklahoma State at 6:30 p.m.Â
SET ONE
HSU got off to a slow start, as the Magicians jumped out to a 5-2 lead early in the match. Trailing 10-7, the Reddies went on their first run of the evening. Two McGruder kills highlighted a 9-0 spurt that put HSU in front 16-10. LeMoyne-Owen got no closer than five points, as Henderson cruised to a 1-0 lead, 25-16. Â
SET TWO
For the second time in as many sets, the Reddies started sluggishly and found themselves trailing 5-2. Despite a 4-1 run that tied the set 6-6, the Magician's retook control with an 8-4 spurt that put them ahead 14-10. A kill from Bree Sanders gave HSU a spark and jumpstarted a 5-0 run which gave Henderson their first lead of the set, 15-14. After LeMoyne-Owen responded to take a 18-17 lead, a kill from Kaitlyn Sykes, followed by three-straight errors from the Magicians, gave the Reddies breathing room with a 21-18 advantage. HSU kept LeMoyne-Owen off balance for the rest of the set, not allowing the Magicians to score back-to-back points, as the Reddies took a 2-0 match lead, 25-21.Â
SET THREE
Neither team could find the early edge in what would be the third and final frame, as the Reddies and Magicians played to a 6-6 tie. After alternating 4-0 runs by both teams moved the score to 10-10, the Magicians rattled off their best sequence of the evening in the form of an 11-4 run that put them in front 21-14. Unfortunately for Lemoyne-Owen, the Reddies responded with their most dominant run of the season, as HSU kept the Magicians off the board for the remainder of the match. Three kills from McGruder helped the Reddies rip off an 11-0 run that gave them the set, and the match, 25-21.
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