ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State and Harding each took a set in the first two stanzas, but the Lady Bisons' attack proved too much in the final two sets as the Reddies fell 3-1 inside the Duke Wells Center.
 
Christiane Uzoh led the attack for Henderson, recording 16 kills on a .433 attack average and just three errors. Jacey Tupper and Brae Denton combined for 11 kills, while Larkin Luke tallied a team-high six blocks.
 
HSU (9-5, 1-1) continues with GAC action this Thursday on the road at Arkansas Tech at 6 p.m. inside the Tucker Coliseum.
 
SET ONE
After trading the first exchanges, Harding took charge on a 3-0 stretch to lead 6-3. The Lady Bisons continued to hold a two to three-point margin over the Reddies until a 2-0 burst by HSU tied the set 12-12. Henderson would take the lead in the next three points after a kill by Tupper and an HU attack error, 14-13.
 
The Reddies had to use their first timeout of the set due to a 4-0 run by Harding, 17-14, and the Lady Bisons would extend their advantage to 19-15 out of the break. Three errors by HU and a service ace from Violeta Mendoza Quintana cut HU's lead to one, 22-21, though Harding would take the set 25-22, outscoring HSU 3-1 in the final four points.
 
SET TWO
Another back-and-forth set would come down to the end, but this time, the red-and-gray were on the winning side of a 25-23 second set and tying the match at 1-1. The first four points saw three ties and two lead changes, with the Reddies ahead 4-3. A kill by Tupper and a block by Luke stretched the lead to 8-4, forcing a Harding timeout.
 
The two sides traded the next 13 points before Uzoh tied the set at 19-19 on a kill. HSU was forced into using a timeout after HU went on a 2-0 run to take a late lead, 21-19. After the break, Uzoh had three kills before Carson Edwards served an ace for the final point of the set, 25-23.
 
SET THREE
Harding had the early advantage in set three after a 4-0 tear in the opening rallies, 7-4. A kill by Luke and a service ace from Dani Dagley slashed the HU lead to one, 9-8. The Lady Bisons would build upon their advantage again on a 3-0 stretch followed by a 2-0 run, 18-13. Harding outscored Henderson 6-1 in the final seven points to win the third frame 25-16.

SET FOUR
The Lady Bisons kept up the pace in the fourth stanza, jumping ahead 12-5. A kill and solo block by Luke cut HU's advantage to 13-7, but the Harding attack would prove too much, extending its lead to 20-10. The Lady Bisons scored the final three points to take the set 25-11.