WEATHERFORD – SWOSU Volleyball bounced back from a five-set loss less than 24 hours earlier by sweeping Henderson State on Friday inside the Pioneer Event Center.
The Bulldogs won 25-12, 25-19, 25-19 to finish their busy three-match week with a 2-1 record. SWOSU improved to 12-7 overall and 5-2 in Great American Conference play.
SWOSU committed just eight attacking errors, tying its season low, and hit .303 as a team - its best hitting percentage in a GAC match this season. The Bulldogs totaled 51 kills across the three sets while holding Henderson State to 35 kills and a .140 hitting percentage.
The opening set turned quickly after a 2-2 start. Willow Deckinger served during a seven-point SWOSU run that built a 10-2 lead, and the Bulldogs remained in control from there. Henderson State committed nine attacking errors and hit -.023 in the frame as SWOSU rolled to a 25-12 win.
The Bulldogs broke away from a 5-5 tie with five straight points in the second set and never trailed again. SWOSU piled up 22 kills with only two errors, hitting .364 on its way to a 25-19 victory.
Henderson State pulled even at 11-11 in the third before SWOSU responded with an 8-1 run. Katja Blanchat had three kills during the stretch, which gave the Bulldogs a 19-12 advantage and enough separation to finish the sweep.
Jenna Houk led SWOSU with 15 kills on a .310 hitting percentage and added 11 digs for a double-double. Blanchat finished with 10 kills, two blocks and a match-best .474 hitting percentage. Layla Collins and Sydnee Winfrey each added nine kills, with Winfrey hitting .364.
Mackenzie Sims directed the offense with 42 assists, her highest career total in a three-set match, while adding nine digs. Deckinger totaled 13 digs and three service aces.
Jada Permenter anchored the defense with 30 digs, finishing one shy of SWOSU's single-match record for a three-set match. It marked her second 30-dig performance in a three-set match after reaching the same total against East Central in the opening round of the 2025 GAC Tournament.
The Bulldogs travel to Arkansas next week to face Arkansas Tech on Thursday and Harding on Friday.
