ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - SWOSU Volleyball played the back end of an Arkadelphia trip against Henderson State, where they survived a reverse sweep attempt by the Reddies to hang on for a 16-14 win in the fifth set and get back to their winning ways.
The Bulldogs and Reddies both tallied an unbelievable 223 attacks, marking the highest output for SWOSU since a win over Northwestern in November 2021.
In a matchup that featured the top two teams in the nation in total blocks, the teams combined for 21, with 11 going the Dawgs' way. When the ball got through the block, the back-row defenses were also stellar; SWOSU finished with 107 digs compared to Henderson State's 118.
Jada Permenter led all Bulldogs with 29 digs, her second straight match reaching that mark.
Jenna Houk powered the offensive attack with 20 kills, shattering her previous career high of 13, while also recording another career best with 23 digs. That performance gave her the first 20-20 game for SWOSU since
Lacy Mott's 24-kill, 25-dig outing in four sets last season against Southeastern.
Four other Bulldogs reached double-digit kills:
Hailey Smith (13),
Morgan Ritchie (10), Sydney Winfrey (10), and
Paris Patterson, who tallied 12 kills along with 18 digs — a new SWOSU best for her. This marked the first time five Dawgs reached double-digit kills in a match since October 5, 2018, against Harding.
The game opened with a 9-3 lead for the home team in the first set before the Dawgs found their groove to stay close. Henderson State maintained the advantage until SWOSU broke through just in time, taking their first lead at 23-22 and pulling out the 25-23 win despite never leading by more than two.
To start the second set, the Dawgs jumped out to a 5-1 lead — their largest of the match — but the Reddies quickly responded to tie it at 6-6. From there, the set never saw a separation of more than three points, featuring 14 ties and six lead changes. SWOSU came through when it mattered most, as a Patterson serve clipped the top of the net and dropped for an ace to seal a 27-25 win after extra points, giving the Dawgs a 2-0 lead.
After dropping both the third and fourth sets, the Bulldogs regrouped and battled in the decisive fifth. Henderson State started strong and never trailed until SWOSU took their first lead at 14-13, earning match point. The Reddies tied it on the next play, but a Winfrey kill set up another match point. That's when
Kaylyn Christy delivered a perfectly executed short serve for an ace, clinching the victory.
With the win, SWOSU has still not dropped both games of an Arkansas road trip since 2017. The match saw 45 ties and 20 lead changes
The Bulldogs will now turn their attention to one final non-conference matchup, traveling to Wichita Falls to face Midwestern State on Monday. They will then return to the PEC for two fall break contests, hosting Arkansas Tech on Thursday and Harding on Friday.
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