Henderson State University Athletics

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State finished the season the same way it started the season by sweeping the team on the other side of the net. This time, Southern Arkansas was the victim as HSU downed a scrappy Muleriders squad, 26-24, 25-16, 28-26.
 
Tyasia McGruder was connecting on just about everything she was throwing down on the night, posting an attacking percentage of .625 as she had five kills on only eight total attacks. McGruder posted 28 kills and hit .329 in her final four collegiate matches.
 
Brae Denton, after starting out the match with two early attack errors in the first set, came back with eight kills as she did not see another error the rest of the way, carrying a .462 attacking percentage.  
 
SET ONE
On the Muleriders' senior night, the home team came out sharp, pitting the Reddies in a 2-0 hole right out of the gate. Henderson calmly came back, however, and rattled off seven straight points to take the 7-2 advantage.
 
With the score staying close the rest of the way, HSU found itself up 19-15 before Southern Arkansas put together a 4-0 run thanks to two service aces from SAU's Landry Rogers. A Robinson kill stopped the bleeding momentarily until SAU again executed a 3-0 run to force Phil McDaniel to call his second timeout in the course of five points as his team found itself down 22-20.
 
Henderson was able to use a Mulerider service error and a Sykes and Mendoza Quintana block to even the count at 22 before SAU put together two points to have double set point. The Reddies dug deep, though, overcoming the final blows that threatened and strung together four straight points, capitalized by a solo rejection from Sykes, to take the opening set, 26-24.
 
SET TWO
Once again, Southern Arkansas came to play as it held the lead through the early part of the frame until Mendoza Quintana delivered a kill to put the Reddies up, 8-7. Henderson would not relinquish that lead the rest of the way, running away with the second set, 25-16.
 
SET THREE
In similar fashion to the set prior, Henderson found itself slightly behind, 5-4, before using a pair of aces from Madison Hatt to fuel a 6-0 run to make it 10-5. The Reddies did not trail the rest of the way until a late kill from Isla Olivas gave SAU its first lead since 5-4 as the Muleriders stood one point away from extending the match, 26-25.
 
As it had done all night, HSU dug deep and found three straight points as a kill from McGruder in her final regular season collegiate match completed the sweep for Henderson, 28-26.
 
Henderson St. (21-8, 10-6) closed the season winning 10 consecutive sets as they enter GAC Tournament play on a four-match winning streak. Round one of the conference championships will begin Thursday, Nov. 18.