COVERAGE LINKS | 2022 Reddie-Tiger Invitational Page 

ARKADELPHIA, Ark.- The Henderson State Reddies will open their 2022 season inside the Duke Wells Center with the fourth annual Reddie-Tiger Invitational August 26-27. The two-day tournament will feature HSU, Cameron, Kentucky Wesleyan, LeMoyne-Owen, Quincy, Arkansas-Fort Smith and Auburn-Montgomery.  

The Reddies will play four matches over the next two days, beginning Friday when HSU opens with Cameron at 11 a.m. and then Kentucky Wesleyan at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Henderson faces LeMoyne-Owen at 11:30 a.m. and finishes its weekend with Quincy University at 3:30 p.m. 

Henderson State (0-0, 0-0)  
Henderson returns 2021 All-GAC First Teamer Violate Mendoza Quintana and 2021 All-GAC Honorable Mention Christiane Uzoh. The Reddies also return sophomore setter Madison Hatt, who finished last season with the second most assists on the team with 457.  

HSU will look to veteran leadership from Mendoza Quintana and junior middle blocker Kaitlyn Sykes. Sykes played in all 30 matches for HSU last season as she led the team in blocks with 120.  

The Reddies will have to replace starters Makenzie Thoman and Taylor Scalzi from last year's squad. Thoman finished her career fifth in career digs with 1812 and was named the Great American Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021. Scalzi closed her collegiate career eighth all-time in assists with 1918.  

Henderson State's first serve of the tournament comes against Cameron University. In the all-time series, both programs have won three matches a piece. HSU claimed victory over CU in the last meeting back in 2017, as the Reddies shutout the Aggies, 3-0.  

Finishing competition on day one will be Henderson taking on Kentucky Wesleyan in what will be just the second all-time meeting between both the Reddies and the Panthers. The first meeting came at last year's Kentucky Wesleyan Tournament in Owensboro, Kentucky. 

On day two, HSU will face LeMoyne-Owen, a team the Reddies have never lost to, boasting a 7-0 record over the Lady Magicians. Henderson has dominated LOU in the all-time series, having only lost one set throughout all seven meetings.  

The Reddies' final match is a meeting with Quincy University, a team HSU has not faced since 2000. Saturday will be the second time the two teams will have played each other, with the first meeting going Henderson's way as the Reddies defeated Quincy, 3-1.  

Scouting Cameron 
The Aggies comes into the 2022 season off a 2-27 campaign in 2021. Head coach Brandon Stephenson will look to filter his team's offense through junior outside hitter Arianna Navarrete, who led the team last season with 284 kills, which was more than the team's next two best attackers combined.  

Scouting Kentucky Wesleyan  
Kentucky Wesleyan returns junior Karrah Corn, who led the team with 530 assists during the 2021 season. The Panthers will look to lean on sophomore outside hitter Diana Wesoloky to lead the attack with their two top hitters from last season gone in Lilly Trump and Nicole Martin. 

Scouting LeMoyne-Owen  
The Lady Magicians return two senior starters, one junior, and a handful of first and second year players. LeMoyne-Owen finished the 2021 season with an 8-20 overall record while going 4-13 in conference play.  

Scouting Quincy 
Quincy finished 18-13 last year with an 8-1 record at home. The Hawks return their two senior outside hitters who led Quincy's attack last season. Emily Rehagen registered the most kills on the team with 382, followed by Mattison Norris with 277. 

What To Watch For...  
- The Reddies will look to continue their success under head coach Phil McDaniel, who is entering his sixth season. After reaching his fourth straight GAC tournament, McDaniel will look to make it five years in a row.  

- The Reddies finished the 2021 season with a 21-9 overall record. The 21 victories marked the third time in four seasons that HSU has reached at least 20 wins, making them the only GAC team to reach such a feat in that timespan. 

- Middle blocker Kaitlyn Sykes, after accumulating 41 solo blocks last season, now holds 51 for her career. Sykes is 40 solo rejections away from moving past Lili Felimi (90) for tenth on the all-time solo blocks list in school history.