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ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State opens the 2023 season in the Lone Star State, where the team will compete in the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational on Sept. 1-2. The tournament will feature HSU, Angelo State, Huston-Tillotson, UT Permian Basin and Southwest (N.M).
 
The Reddies begin day one of the invitational with a doubleheader, starting with Huston-Tillotson at 2 p.m., before taking on the hosts, Angelo State at 6 p.m. Saturday will see HSU face UT Permian Basin at 11 a.m. and Southwest at 3 p.m.
 
REDDIES REPORT
Henderson State enters the fall 2023 season with 11 returners, including four starters from last year. Among the returners is kills leader Christiane Uzoh, digs leader Dani Dagley and assists leader Madison Hatt.
 
In addition, HSU gets a boost to the lineup with Violeta Mendoza Quintana back from injury after missing all of 2022. The Chihuahua, Mexico native, is a career .196 hitter with 483 total kills, averaging 3.20 per set. Mendoza Quintana was the 2020-21 GAC Newcomer of the Year and 2021 All-GAC First Team.
 
The Reddies will have to replace a pair of starters from last year's lineup with the departures of Kaitlyn Sykes and Aleah Stogner. In four years in the red-and-gray, Sykes had 253.0 total blocks and 318 kills, including back-to-back seasons with 100 or more. Stogner totaled 196 kills as a freshman and broke triple-figure digs with 220.
 
Head coach Phil McDaniel added reinforcement on the outside with the addition of junior transfer Jagoda Szybinska from Northern State University. The Poznan, Poland native recorded 275 kills, 35.0 total blocks and 20 service aces at Vincennes University before moving to Northern State, where she featured in four matches and had eight kills.
 
Henderson State's opening match against Huston-Tillotson will be the first time the Reddies share the court with the Lady Rams. Following that match, Henderson will face Angelo State for the fourth time after last meeting in 2003. In that previous matchup, ASU snapped HSU's three-match win streak over the Belles that dated back to 1993.
 
On the second day of the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational, Henderson and UT Permian Basin will meet for just the second time. The Reddies and Falcons last played in 2014, when UTPB defeated HSU 3-0 in the Duke Wells Center. The conclusion of the tournament will see HSU face another new opponent when they take on Southwest (N.M.) for the first time. 

SCOUTING HUSTON-TILLOTSON
The Lady Rams finished their 2022 season with a record of 4-20 and finished 3-11 in conference matches. HT brings back six players from last year's roster and adds six new faces, including a pair of upperclassmen.
 
SCOUTING ANGELO STATE
ASU ended the season 11-18 and 7-9 in the Lone Star Conference, earning a spot in the league tournament. In addition, the Belles faced a pair of GAC opponents in 2022, defeating Southern Nazarene and East Central.
 
Angelo State returns a handful of key players from last season, which includes assists leader Laney Dale and digs leader Caleigh Enax. On the outside, the Belles bring back Hannah Kinnison, who was second on the team in kills (214), and Kaila Garnet, who hit for 202 kills.  
 
SCOUTING UT PERMIAN BASIN
The Falcons come into the 2023 season off the back of an 11-16 campaign last year, where they finished 13^th in the Lone Star Conference. UT Permian Basin will have to rely on some new faces this year after losing a handful of players, including its kills, digs and blocks leaders.
 
Devin Alcoser returns as one of the more experienced players in the Falcons lineup with 80 sets played in 2022, followed by Logan Terrazas, who featured in 77 sets. Alcoser led the team with 341 assists and had 18 service aces, while Terrazas recorded 92 kills in 22 matches.
 
SCOUTING SOUTHWEST (N.M.)
The Lady Mustangs made it to the second round of the 2022 RRAC Tournament after finishing the regular season 8-18 and 7-9 in league play. In her first two seasons with USW, head coach Cassandra Smith has led her team to the conference tournament each year.
 
Southwest's squad will feature seniors Valeria Trevino on the outside and Samantha Dreibelis on the front row. Trevino recorded 179 kills, 20 service aces and 131 digs. Dreibelis led the defense at the net for the Lady Mustangs with 25.0 total blocks last season.