RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Henderson State improves to 2-1 in conference matches after defeating Arkansas Tech 3-1 inside the Tucker Coliseum. This is the first time since 2019 that the Reddies defeated ATU in Russellville.

HSU (10-5, 2-1) finished the match with 46 kills on a .139 attack average, compared to the Golden Suns, who had 50 kills and a .158 attack average. The Reddies' defense notched 66 digs and seven total blocks across the four sets and forced 23 ATU attack errors.

Violeta Mendoza Quintana recorded her sixth double-double of the year with 15 kills and 11 digs, while Christiane Uzoh had 12 kills on a blistering .364 attack average.  Larkin Luke led the frontline with Brae Denton as the pair combined for seven blocks, and in the back row, Trinity Sharp and Dani Dagley each had 14 digs.
 
SET ONE
Henderson State and Arkansas Tech traded the first eight points with the score tied 4-4, and the Reddies would break the deadlock on a 3-0 run to take the lead 7-4. HSU kept up the pace, extending its score to 14-8 after a 7-2 surge with two kills each by Mendoza Quintana and Uzoh. Arkansas Tech used its first timeout of the set after Henderson went ahead 16-10.
 
The Reddies stretched their lead out of the break with two kills by Mendoza Quintana and a block assist with Luke, 21-13. The Golden Suns did not make the set point easy for HSU, as ATU scored five straight points to slash the Reddies' advantage to 24-20. Henderson found the final point on a bad set by Arkansas Tech to take the first frame 25-20. Mendoza Quintana finished the set with seven kills on a .294 attack average.
 
SET TWO
After ATU opened the scoring, a 4-0 run that had two kills from Uzoh and a service ace by Sharp pushed HSU ahead 6-3 and would grow to 8-4 after another service ace by Nathalie Van. The two sides went back and forth, with the Reddies holding a two to three-point margin over the Golden Suns 14-11. Another service ace by Van and a kill from Uzoh opened the gap to five, 19-14.
 
The Golden Suns again battled back late in the set to tie the frame 23-23 after outscoring HSU 5-1. An Arkansas Tech service error followed by a kill from Uzoh would see Henderson claim the second set 26-24 and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
SET THREE
The Golden Suns and Reddies were tied at 8-8 before ATU went on a 3-0 tear to jump in front 13-9.  Two kills each by Mendoza Quintana and Mia Sanchez brought HSU within three of ATU 16-13, but the Golden Suns rallied with a 4-0 run to extend their advantage to 20-13. Arkansas would take the third set 25-17 and trail 2-1 in the match.

SET FOUR
Henderson scored 12 of the first 15 points of the set, racing out to a 12-3 lead. Sharp served two aces while Uzoh, Mendoza Quintana and Sanchez each had a kill. After a flurry of attacks by HSU, ATU found some footing with a 3-0 run to cut the lead to 13-7. The Reddies kept up the pressure with another burst of attacks to extend their advantage to 22-13 after kills from Luke and Jagoda Szybinksa. Mendoza Quintana and freshman Cassidi Campbell combined for the set's final two points to win the final frame 25-17.
 
Henderson State (10-5, 2-1) returns home on Tuesday, Sept. 26, to host the Southern Arkansas Muleriders in the Duke Wells Center.