MADISON, Wisc. – March 15, 2026 – LOVB Austin dropped a four-set match to LOVB Madison Sunday afternoon at the Alliant Energy Center, falling 25-23, 25-12, 16-25, 25-18.
“I thought that there were phases of our game that were the best we have done all season, we passed and set really well. Madison did a nice job for some significant stretches of time and put a lot of pressure on us … I thought they put us in situations that were hard to get out of” said LOVB Austin Head Coach Erik Sullivan.
The teams battled point-for-point through much of the first set, remaining close late as Madisen Skinner delivered a clutch ace to tie the score 23–23. Madison ultimately secured the final two points, giving the home side the 25–23 set win.
Madison carried that momentum into the second set, jumping out to an early 7–2 lead and quickly extending the advantage. Looking for a spark, Sullivan subbed in Juliann Faucette on the right side, but Madison’s scrappy defense made it difficult for Austin to find rhythm offensively. The hosts closed set two 25–12 to take a two-set lead.
Austin regrouped in the third and found its rhythm behind strong attacking. Logan Eggleston delivered back-to-back kills to push Austin ahead 10–7, while McCage added a momentum-building stuff block moments later as part of a 7-2 run that changed the outlook of the match. Faucette provided a steady offensive option on the right side and Asjia O'Neal made her presence felt in the middle as Austin built a commanding lead and closed the set 25–16.
Madison responded in the fourth set behind the leadership of setter Lauren Carlini, who mixed in setter dumps and distributed the offense effectively. Austin attempted to close the gap with several key swings from Eggleston, but Madison continued to convert points by tooling or finding their way around the Austin block. Madison won the set 25–18 to clinch the match victory.
Eggleston led Austin with 15 points – 13 kills, two blocks – while Molly McCage and Madi Banks also scored in the double digits. Faucette posted season highs with eight kills and nine total points in her first meaningful time since February. Setter Brie O’Reilly tallied 45 assists while libero Kotoe Inoue led the team with 21 digs.
Madison was led by Player of the Match Gong Xiangyu, who finished with 18 points on 14 kills while hitting .481, adding three blocks and 22 digs in an all-around performance.
The loss keeps Austin (7-9) in a virtual tie for fourth place in the League One Volleyball standings with LOVB Nebraska (6-8). The top four teams at the end of the season will advance to the postseason.
Austin returns to action Thursday, March 20 at 7 p.m. Central when they host LOVB Nebraska at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park for Women’s Sports Night.
