ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - In its home conference finale, Henderson State defeated the Great American Conference's preseason favorite Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm, 4-3. The win marks the first time HSU has gotten the better of Southeastern in the GAC era.

For the second straight match, Henderson managed to take the doubles point after claiming two of the three doubles matches. This time, the Reddies were able to find three singles victories to clinch the match, including a pair of three-set wins.

 The Savage Storm picked up the first doubles win before HSU came with wins at No. 3 and No. 1 to go ahead the in the match, 1-0. Marianna Murcia and Tirzah Bailey defeated SE's Rhythm Aswal and Michelle Markovic 6-2 to improve to 11-3 on the season. Mulan Kamoe and Kristina Kozlova clinched the doubles nod with a 6-4 win at the top line as they are now 10-1 together.

Kamoe made quick work of her singles opponent with a 6-1, 6-1 win to make it 2-0 in favor of the home team. The next three points, however, went the way of Southeastern to take the lead, 3-2.

Haarini Balakrishnan, after two hard-fought sets to make it even, 1-1, the University of Charleston transfer prevailed in the third set at the No. 5 spot, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2. The win left Murcia as the final match left to decide the day's winner for the second consecutive contest.

With all eyes on her, Murcia, who took the first set, 6-4, made good in the moment, withstanding Southeastern's Michelle Markovic's second-set win to take the third set, 6-2, and hand Henderson its second conference victory of the season.

The Reddies (11-4, 2-1 GAC) will hit the road for its final two conference matches of the season, beginning Tuesday, Apr. 11 at 12 p.m. in Magnolia, Arkansas, against Southern Arkansas before finishing the league slate in Russellville against Arkansas Tech Thursday, Apr. 13 at 2 p.m. 


RESULTS

Doubles
No. 1 Mulan Kamoe/Kristina Kozlova (HSU) def. Georgia Hosking/Sara Gonzalez (SE) 6-4
No. 2 Vanessa Nitu/Chiara Matteodo (SE) def. Haarini Balakrishnan/Jenna Kate Bohnert (HSU) 6-2
No. 3 Marianna Murcia/Tirzah Bailey (HSU) def. Rhythm Aswal/Michelle Markovic (SE) 6-2

Singles
No. 1 Mulan Kamoe (HSU) def. Sara Gonzalez (SE) 6-1, 6-1
No. 2 Vanessa Nitu (SE) def. Kristina Kozlova (HSU) 6-3, 0-6, 6-3
No. 3 Marianna Murcia (HSU) def. Michelle Markovic (SE) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
No. 4 Georgia Hosking (SE) def. Jenna Kate Bohnert (HSU) 6-1, 6-2
No. 5 Haarini Balakrishnan (HSU) def. Chiara Matteodo (SE) 7-5, 4-6, 6-2
No. 6 Rhythm Aswal (SE) def. Neha Dandu (HSU) 6-1, 6-1