ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – With the beginning of the academic school year comes more than just classes, it means Reddie Athletics are beginning their fall seasons. Volleyball is no exception, with athletes being on campus and practicing on the brand-new Don Dyer court. 

Head Coach Phil McDaniel begins his ninth season with the Reddies after another GAC Tournament campaign in 2024. "We're excited to be back, I like our preseason pick in the conference, I think we have a great balance of returners and newcomers. We're a fun, dynamic, exciting team, I'm excited to see us defensively, and hopefully our offence will catch up with our defense in the next couple weeks," said McDaniel. 

Key Returners: 

Defensive Specialist Kaylon Partain (Jr.): Partain, coming off a GAC All-Conference honorable mention, Partain brings strong defense to this Reddies team, ranking first on the team in Digs (631), with six matches with 30 or more. While defense is her specialty, Partain also contributed offensively, collecting 98 assists and 31 service aces. 

Middle Blocker Cassidi Campbell (Jr.): Campbell was a defensive stalwart this last season for the Reddies, ranking second on the team in total blocks (97.0). Campbell aided offensively as well, collecting 86 kills on 237 attacks. 

Outside Hitter Katilyn Steffes (Sr.): Steffes was a key acquisition last season, being named GAC Newcomer of the Year, while also picking up an All-Conference second team selection. Steffes was the leader of the offense last season, ranking first on the team in Kills (374) and attacks (1189), while also collecting 24 service aces. 

Fresh Faces: 

Setter Tyhia Mack (Fr.): Hailing from Longview, Texas; Mack was Setter of the District as a senior at Spring Hill High School. Mack earned first team honors from TSWA, THSCA and was named to the All-East Texas first team. Last September, Mack was named the Ford Athlete of the Month. 

Defensive Specialist Berkeley Berry (Fr.): An Arkadelphia native, Berry attended Arkadelphia High School, where she earned first team All-Conference honors. Berry also was named to the All-State team, the All-State tournament team, and was nominated for the All-Star team. 

Outsider Hitter Kelis Battles (Fr.): A Little Rock, Arkansas native, Battles comes to Henderson State after playing at Little Rock Central High School.  

 

The Reddies begin the season on September 4th in Nashville, Tennessee at the Ray Flasher Classic, hosted by Trevecca Nazarene. The team will have their home opener on Friday September 12th as part of the Reddie-Tiger Invitational. GAC Conference play begins September 16th, as the Reddies take on Arkansas Tech at the Duke Wells Center.