AUSTIN, Texas — April 2, 2026 — With the postseason within reach, LOVB Salt Lake entered Thursday night needing a key road result to guarantee its playoff position but fell short in a straight-set loss to LOVB Austin (25-18, 29-27, 25-21) at H-E-B Center.
With the loss, Salt Lake moves to 9-10 on the season, now tied with Austin in the standings as both teams battle for the final playoff spots. The loss also gave the head-to-head tiebreaker between the teams to Austin, meaning Salt Lake must finish ahead of Austin in the standings to earn a postseason berth.
Austin set the tone early and maintained control for much of the match, using an efficient offensive attack and strong net play to limit Salt Lake’s opportunities. The visitors showed resilience in the second set, pushing the frame to extra points but were unable to capitalize late as Austin secured the 29-27 win to take a commanding 2-0 lead. Salt Lake continued to compete in the third, staying within reach midway through the set, but Austin’s balanced attack created separation down the stretch to close out the match.
Serena Gray and Heidy Casanova led Salt Lake with 12 points apiece. Gray made 11 kills on an efficient .733 hitting percentage plus one ace while Casanova added 12 kills on a .550 clip. Alexa Gray contributed 10 kills and three aces, Tori Dixon chipped in five kills and two blocks, setter Jordyn Poulter paced the offense with 36assists, and libero Manami Kojima anchored the back row with 17 receptions and steady passing.
Austin was led by Logan Eggleston, who recorded a match-high 17 points, while Madisen Skinner added 15 kills. As a team, Austin hit .421 compared to .257 for Salt Lake, and held the advantage at the net with eight blocks.
Despite the loss, Salt Lake can clinch a postseason berth with a win on Saturday, April 4, against LOVB Madison. That match, Salt Lake’s home finale begins at 7 p.m. Mountain at Bruin Arena and will be streamed on Victory+.
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