ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State, after dominating the first two sets by a combined score of 50-25, was outscored in the next two sets 48-46, yet HSU found a way to close it out in four frames, improving to 2-3 on the season.
 
Violeta Mendoza Quintana was massive for the Reddies, throwing down a team-high 16 kills while hitting .234 and also putting up three block assists. Mya Robinson followed her with 12 kills. Bree Sanders outdid Quintana in the blocks category with four block assists herself. Abby Blackburn saw a season-high 22 assists in the win.
 
SET ONE
Henderson State came out sharp, jumping out to a quick 10-2 lead. A 4-1 run by UAM to follow was quickly erased by HSU as the Reddies put together 10 unanswered points aided by five straight attack errors from the Cotton Blossoms to extend their lead to 21-6.
 
After UAM squeaked out another two points, Henderson closed it out with a 4-1 run thanks to two kills from Quintana and a kill from Sanders for the set-clinching 25th point, 25-9.
 
SET TWO
Set two was much of the same as set one as, once again, the Reddies sprinted out to a 10-2 lead. Though HSU never saw a 10-0 run like it did in the first, consistent scoring from the Reddies was too much for Monticello as Henderson was quickly up two sets to none with a 25-16 second frame triumph.
 
Brittany Barnekoff saw three of her total seven kills in that set to aid Quintana who was a menace at the net, contributing seven kills through the second 25. The Reddies had a sweep on their minds.
 
SET THREE
Neither team jumped out to a huge lead this time as each team exchanged 3-0 spurts, culminating in a 9-6 HSU lead. HSU continued to hold its lead until just over halfway through the set.
 
Monticello went on its own 6-1 run to see its first lead of the set as it built to 19-16. After a 3-1 spurt from HSU in an attempt to finish the match in three sets, UAM closed out on a 5-2 run consisting of four kills and an HSU attack error to take the third set 25-21.
 
SET FOUR
With the Cotton Blossoms still alive, they took full advantage of the momentum shift. With the Reddies refusing to allow this match to get away from them, however, the crowd at Duke Wells Center witnessed 10 ties and five lead changes in what would wind up being the final frame of the night.
 
After UAM used four unanswered points to gain a 19-15 advantage, HSU decided enough was enough as an 8-1 run for the Reddies spelled doom for the Cotton Blossoms. With the eventual score favoring Henderson 23-21, a last ditch 3-1 spurt by UAM was foiled by a match-sealing block from Quintana and Sanders, giving HSU the fourth-set victory 25-23.
 
Henderson State will play again in four days when it heads to Magnolia, Arkansas to take on Southern Arkansas in the second meeting of the year Tuesday, Mar. 2.