ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State put one in the win column on Tuesday night, delivering one of its most dominant performances of the season after defeating Southern Arkansas in straight sets while holding the Muleriders to nine points in the second frame along the way.
 
The last time HSU held a conference opponent to nine points in a single set? Feb. 29, 2021 against the Cotton Blossoms of Arkansas-Monticello. The Reddies will take on that same Cotton Blossoms squad on Thursday, Sept. 30 inside Steelman Fieldhouse in Monticello, Arkansas, at 6 p.m.
 
Henderson State (12-4, 2-2)
Everything was clicking for Henderson Tuesday night as the Reddies posted their second GAC sweep of the season and their eighth overall through 16 matches. The HSU defense held Southern Arkansas to nine points in the second set, marking the second fewest points an opposition has scored in a single set this season against Henderson (7 - LeMoyne-Owen).
 
Mya Robinson's nine kills, paired with Violeta Mendoza Quintana and Christiane Uzoh's seven kills each, helped HSU secure its 11th straight victory over the Muleriders. Robinson leads the team with 180 kills with Mendoza Quintana backing her up with 170. Uzoh is still boasting a team-high .312 attack percentage.
 
Kaitlyn Sykes and Brae Denton are trading off holding the spot of team leader in blocks, with Denton occupying the top of the list this week as the freshman has 61 total blocks to Sykes' 58. Both girls are averaging greater than one block per set.
 
Henderson State leads the all-time series over Monticello, 18-13. The Reddies have won eight of the last 10 meetings, but the last time the two teams played in Monticello, UAM got the victory, 3-1. Prior to that loss, HSU had claimed seven straight over the Cotton Blossoms.    
 
Arkansas-Monticello (6-9, 1-3)
Arkansas-Monticello is coming off back-to-back conference losses to Ouachita Baptist and Harding. All three of its conference losses, however, have come on the road with its one win occurring inside Steelman Fieldhouse. The Cotton Blossoms are 2-0 at home this season.
 
Jamie Agnew leads her team with 128 kills with Mikaela Brown following closely behind with 127. Off the two, Brown is hitting at a higher clip, carrying a .199 attack percentage. Victoria Hamilton has a team-high .228 percentage on 86 kills.
 
This contest will feature two of the best liberos in the GAC, as UAM's Katelyn Richbourg has 259 digs through 15 matches while HSU's reigning GAC Defensive Player of the Year Makenzie Thoman has 261 digs through 16 matches.
 
What To Watch For…
-Both Makenzie Thoman and Taylor Scalzi are carrying streaks into Thursday's match. Thoman has registered double-digit digs in 13 straight matches while Scalzi has seen at least 10 set assists in 22 straight matches – a streak dating all the way back to last season.
 
-In head coach Phil McDaniel's five seasons, he has had three standout setters in Abby Blackburn, who is currently eighth all-time in assists at HSU, Scalzi, who is ninth, and now freshman Madison Hatt. In each of the former's freshman seasons, they claimed 635 and 321 assists, respectively. Hatt has 216 so far and needs 106 – 8.15 per match – to surpass Blackburn for second-most assists as a freshman in the Phil McDaniel era.