SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — LOVB Austin and LOVB Salt Lake met for the first time in the 2026 season Thursday night at SLCC Bruin Arena. It was Salt Lake that had the final word, pulling off a five-set reverse sweep to hand Austin a rare five-set loss (20-25, 23-25, 25-19, 25-19, 15-10).
The matchup marked a reversal of fortunes from the 2025 LOVB Finals quarterfinals when Austin stunned Salt Lake with a reverse sweep of its own. Entering the night, Austin had won its last five five-set matches. The last time the team fell in a deciding set? April 5, 2025, also in Salt Lake.
Austin controlled the opening set behind efficient offense and strong play at the net. The visitors found early success running the slide with middle blockers Asjia O’Neal and Molly McCage repeatedly challenging Salt Lake’s block. A service ace from Brie O’Reilly sealed the set as Austin took a 1–0 lead.
Austin continued to apply pressure from the service line to open the second set. O’Neal delivered back-to-back aces down the line to zone one, giving Austin a 7-6 edge. Austin’s depth came into play as Khat Bell saw her first action of the 2026 season, ripping a right-side kill to make it 12-11. Both teams’ Japanese National Team liberos put on a defensive showcase, making points hard to come by, but it was Logan Eggleston’s smart shot selection that kept Austin in control late, and Bell ended the set with a powerful swing as Austin took a commanding two-set lead.
Salt Lake flipped the script early in the third. Two consecutive blocks by Fischer sparked a momentum shift, and Skylar Field came off the bench to provide an immediate energy boost for the home side. Roni Jones-Perry remained a steady force on the outside, while Austin battled with gritty defensive plays down the stretch. An unforced tip error sealed the set in Salt Lake’s favor making it 2-1.
O’Neal opened the fourth with a statement block – Austin out-blocked Salt Lake 18-14 Thursday night while McCage and Bell continued to control the net, but Salt Lake gradually regained momentum. Austin showed its depth on the roster with kills coming from Leah Hardeman. However, Salt Lake closed the set 25-19, forcing a deciding fifth set.
Salt Lake opened the fifth set on a 4-1 run, but Austin kept within striking distance, pulling back within one at 11-10. A costly service error followed by a Salt Lake ace proved decisive, and the home team closed the match 15-10, completing the reverse sweep.
“I thought we left a lot of opportunities on the court. We were playing some good volleyball out there for a while… kudos to them (Salt Lake), they made some changes and put some pressure on us and we didn’t react very well.” said LOVB Austin Head Coach Erik Sullivan
Austin will look to regroup as they head to Nebraska for a match on Sunday, February 1 at 3p.m. Central.
