LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — April 10, 2026 — Top-seeded LOVB Houston battled past LOVB Salt Lake in five sets to open the LOVB Playoffs Friday night, earning a hard-fought 25-22, 21-25, 22-25, 25-20, 15-7 victory at Freedom Hall.
“I’m super proud of the whole team, especially players from the bench - Jaz, Karin - they came in and just made a difference. They do it everyday in practice and I’m not surprised but it’s just really cool to see it happen during this big moment” said head coach Sanja Tomašević.
Houston opened the match with a composed first-set victory, using efficient attacking and disciplined defense to claim the set 25-22. Salt Lake responded in the second and third sets to take a 2-1 lead and put the top seed on the brink.
Houston elevated its play in the fourth set, tightening its defense and regaining momentum with a 25-20 win to force a decisive fifth. There, Houston delivered their most commanding stretch of the night, surging to an early lead and closing out the match, 15-7. Houston’s defensive presence at the net proved pivotal as they outblocked Salt Lake 14-4, including four blocks in the fifth set that prevented Salt Lake from gaining momentum.
“We won today with our block and defense. In the fourth, we passed 21% and won the fourth set, and it’s because Amber came in on a serving run. We’re not going to reinvent ourselves, we just need to get better in passing and serving. We’re going to rest, watch video from today, make small adjustments, and go and try to do it again,” head coach Sanja Tomašević
said.
Middle blocker Amber Igiede earned Player of the Match honors after scoring 19 points: 13 kills, three aces and three blocks. League MVP Jordan Thompson led all scorers with 25 points, Madi Rishel added 11, and Jazmine White and Karin Palgutova added 10 points each.
With the victory, LOVB Houston is one win away from a berth to the LOVB Championship, held April 16 and 18 in Long Beach, California. That win can come Sunday, April 12 in Louisville, Should Salt Lake win that match, Salt Lake and Houston will square off in a golden set to 15 points to decide the championship berth.
