ARKADELPHIA, Ark.- In the first action of the 2022 season, Henderson State volleyball split their first two matches of the tournament, defeating Cameron University, 3-0, before falling to Kentucky Wesleyan, 3-0.
 
Sophomore setter Maddison Hatt registered 30 assists over the two matches, along with two kills and 12 digs. The Frisco, Texas native also had a pair of service aces, proving to be one of the top performers for the Reddies. Christiane Uzoh, who was the beneficiary of many of Hatt's set attempts, finished the day with 15 kills, eight of which came in the win against Cameron.
 
Junior middle blocker Kaitlyn Sykes provided support on both sides of the ball in both contests, scoring eight kills and claiming three blocks in the opening match before ending her day with five kills and three more blocks.
 
Henderson State (1-1) will return to the Duke Wells Center tomorrow for day two of the Reddie-Tiger Invitational. The Reddies will begin their day against LeMoyne-Owen at 11:30 a.m. before finishing with Quincy at 3:30 p.m.
 
Match 1: Henderson State 3, Cameron 0
SET ONE
HSU got out to an early 4-0 lead before the Aggies registered their first point of the match. Cameron closed the gap to make the score 7-4, but the Reddies responded with another 6-0 run, bringing the score to 13-4.
 
Henderson continued to dominate the first frame with strong offensive play, holding Cameron at bay for the remainder of the frame, cruising to a 25-15 win. The Reddies finished the set with a match-high .303 attacking average of and held CU to an attacking percentage of .077.
 
SET TWO
The Aggies started the scoring in set two, but the Reddies responded immediately as the two teams went back and forth in the first few exchanges. With Cameron up 5-4 on HSU, an Aggie run yielded a big lead for the team out of Oklahoma, jumping out to a 15-9 advantage.
 
The Aggies continued to stay on top of Henderson, but HSU began to rally. Down 18-12, the Reddies went on a 6-0 run to tie the match at 18-18, forcing Cameron to call its first timeout. Following the pause in play, HSU continued the comeback, outscoring CU 7-2 to close out the second frame on a 13-2 run for the 25-20 second-set victory.
 
SET THREE
The third frame saw both teams see brief leads before the other team used runs of their own to retake an advantage. The score remained tight till the end, with five lead changes and nine ties.
 
HSU found themselves in pole position after a 3-0 run put them ahead, 23-19. The Aggies fought to stay alive in an attempt to send the match to extra sets, but the Reddies were too much, winning their first match of the 2022 season with the 25-20 third-set triumph.  
 
Match 2: Kentucky Wesleyan 3, Henderson State 0
SET ONE
The Reddies jumped out to an early before Kentucky Wesleyan went on a 3-0 run and never looked back. HSU responded with a 3-0 run, but ultimately it would not be enough as the Panthers pulled away in the middle of the set in a back-and-forth frame.
 
Henderson attempted a late rally with a 3-0 run, closing the gap to 23-21, but could not complete the comeback. The Panthers took the first set 25-21. The Reddies hit .111 while Kentucky Wesleyan's attack percentage sat at .175.
 
SET TWO
The second set appeared to be in HSU's favor, with the home team jumping to a quick 7-1 lead before Kentucky Wesleyan battled back with a run of their own, giving them the advantage. Henderson could not close the gap on the Panthers, losing the frame 25-19.
 
SET THREE
KWU took a commanding lead on Henderson in what would be the final set, outscoring them 11-2 through the early going, but, as they had done before, the Reddies fought back, scoring six unanswered to close the gap to 11-9.
 
After both teams traded runs, Kentucky Wesleyan eventually pulled away late in the third frame to win the set 25-17, finishing off day one of the Reddie-Tiger Invitational.