ARKADELPHIA, Ark. —Southern Arkansas (4-11 | 0-3 GAC) traveled to Clark County for the group's first match this season against the Henderson State Reddies (8-7 | 1-2 GAC) inside the Duke Wells Center. After three sets of action in Arkadelphia, the Muleriders fell to HSU 3-0 and prepare to be back home next Tuesday. 

After a slow start in the first set, down 4-1, SAU began to come back to create a tightly knit outing as the Muleriders tied the set at 6-6 with a Brinklee Dauenhauer kill. The groups then went back and forth, matching each other actions before the Reddies claimed an 11-9 advantage with a 3-0 run after being down 9-8. Just after that 3-0 stretch for HSU, Southern Arkansas ripped a stretch of their by scoring five points unanswered, which included three kills for Addy Vollmer, a kill by Jessica Porten, and just one HSU attack error for the 14-11 lead. Henderson State countered right back with another three-point run to tie the set at 14-14. After another SAU point (kill by Porten), HSU rattled off another 3-0 stretch before the Muleriders recorded their second 5-0 run to take a 20-17 lead. With the first set looking well in hand for the Blue and Gold, the Reddies flipped the script with their own 5-0 stretch for a 22-20 HSU lead. The Muleriders recorded a pair of kills, one by Kendall Toliver and one by Dauenhauer, but it wasn't enough as the Reddies concluded the set by winning 25-22. 

While the first 19 points (HSU lead 10-9) kept the second tight, the Reddies began to pull away with a 5-2 stretch, that turned into a 10-4 stretch for a 20-14 HSU advantage. The Muleriders attempted to keep themselves in the set with a four more points scored, but the group's efforts proved to be all for not with the Reddies capping off the second set 25-18. 

Once again, Henderson State started the third set hot with a 5-1 lead off the rip. After an Alyssa Magness kill and an HSU attack error, the score came to 5-3, but the Reddies countered with two of their own. The Muleriders were able to bring the score back within two again at 9-7, but Henderson State began to stretch their lead back out to as much as six points, 22-16 | 23-17 | 24-18. HSU capped off the match with a kill for a 25-20 set three win and a 3-0 match win. 

Next Up:

The Muleriders continue Great American Conference play next week with the group welcoming the Harding Lady Bisons this coming Tuesday at 6:00 PM inside the W.T. Watson Center. The following Thursday, SAU will travel to Monticello, Arkansas to face the Arkansas-Monticello Cotton Blossoms inside Steelman Fieldhouse at 4:00 PM.