ATLANTA, Ga. - March 1, 2026 - LOVB Salt Lake (8-4) faced a challenging afternoon at the Gateway Center Arena, falling to LOVB Atlanta in four sets (20-25, 19-25, 19-25, 22-25). Despite the result, Salt Lake’s third in a row, the team maintains its position atop the League One Volleyball standings.
Salt Lake opened the match with a strong 25-20 victory in the first set, but Atlanta found their rhythm behind Player of the Match Ivonee Montaño. Montaño recorded 16 points, 13 kills, to lead the comeback. Atlanta's offense was orchestrated by setter Rachel Fairbanks with 46 assists, while libero Piyanut Pannoy anchored the back row with 15 digs to keep Salt Lake’s hitters at bay.
“We tried to stay focused on ourselves and execute our plan, but Atlanta just executed really well and put a lot of pressure on us,” Salt Lake head coach Tama Miyashiro said. “We fought to the end, and it wasn’t enough. We’ll get back to Salt Lake, try to get some rest and stay the course because it’s a quick turnaround for us.”
Roni Jones-Perry led the Salt Lake attack with 14 points, all coming from kills. Claire Hoffman delivered 12 kills, an ace and nine digs, while Skylar Fields and Serena Gray each added 10 points. Setter Madi Bugg put together a massive individual effort, not only tallying 44 assists, but also leading the team’s defensive effort with 14 digs and two blocks.
Salt Lake won’t have to wait long for a chance at redemption. They return home to BYU’s Smith Fieldhouse this Thursday March 5, at 7 p.m. Mountain, to face Atlanta once again in a high-stakes rematch.
