ARKADELPHIA, Ark- Henderson State defeats defending GAC Champions Arkansas Tech in a five-set thriller, winning 3-2 to secure its first conference win. The Reddies took the first two sets, but the Golden Suns stormed back, winning the next two, forcing a fifth set. HSU closed the door on any chance of a comeback, winning the fifth set 15-11.
 
The Reddies finished with an attack average of .150, registering 54 kills. Christiane Uzoh led the attack, tallying 17 kills, finishing the match hitting .424 percent. Freshman Aleah Stogner recorded her third double-double of the season with ten kills and 18 digs. Madison Hatt provided the support in attack, leading the team with 38 assists.
 
On the net, HSU's defense held the Golden Suns offense to a .118 attack percentage. Brae Denton led the line with four of the 14 total blocks for the team. Uzoh and Carson Edwards supported Denton on the net, registering three blocks apiece.
 
SET ONE
A fast start for the Reddies in set one saw them jump to a 7-0 lead, but a 5-1 run by the Golden Suns closed the gap to 8-5. Henderson gave themselves some breathing room with a four-point run to create a 15-6 gap.
 
Arkansas Tech had a late five-point run, but it was too late, down 20-14. A five-point run by the Reddies closed out a dominant set one, winning 25-14. Henderson held the Golden Suns to a -.121 attack average while hitting .233 percent.
 
SET TWO
Henderson started fast again with a 4-0 run, but Arkansas Tech responded with a four-point run of their own, tying the set at 4-4. The frame would continue to go back and forth with seven ties and two lead changes. At 6-6, the Reddies created some separation with a 3-0 run.
 
HSU carried a three-point advantage to 21-17, but the Golden Suns clawed back into the set with a three-point run to trail 21-20.
 
Back-and-forth, the two teams went going past the normal 25 points for a set victory. Down 27-26, Henderson secured a 29-27 set victory after two crucial errors by Arkansas Tech.
 
SET THREE
Once again, the Reddies took the first points of the set after a flurry of attacks to give them a 5-1 lead. The Golden Suns responded with a four-point and three-point run to take a 10-8 lead, forcing an early timeout from HSU.
 
Arkansas Tech found breathing room after outscoring the Reddies 6-1 to take a 21-16 lead. A late rally by HSU after a four-point run tied the set at 24-24, forcing the teams into extra points. With their backs against the walls, the Golden Suns held off HSU, winning 27-25.
 
SET FOUR
After two close sets, the fourth set would be similar to the first, only this time Arkansas Tech would be on the winning side. Set four started with the Reddies down 3-0 early and soon were behind 5-2.
 
HSU kept the frame close, trailing by one, 10-9, but a four-point run by the Golden Suns gave them a 17-11 advantage. After another four-point run, Arkansas Tech forced a fifth set, winning the fourth frame 25-15.
 
SET FIVE
A cagey start to the final set saw both teams tied 10-10. There were seven ties and three lead changes before the Golden Suns grabbed the first advantage of the set, going up 11-10. A five-point run fueled by two kills from Uzoh gave the Reddies a 15-11 set win and match victory.
 
The Reddies (7-7, 1-1) return to action on Thursday Sept. 17 when they host Arkansas Monticello in the Duke Wells Center. The first serve of the GAC match starts at 6:30 p.m.