LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — April 10, 2026 — LOVB Salt Lake pushed top-ranked LOVB Houston to the brink Friday night, but Houston secured the 25-22, 21-25, 22-25, 25-20, 15-7 victory to take the opening match of the LOVB Playoff series at Freedom Hall in Louisville.
After a highly competitive first four sets where each team won twice, Houston’s block came alive in the fifth to stymie Salt Lake’s offense and close out the win. Despite the result, the match was a big step in the right direction for Salt Lake, who looked more like the team that started the season 8-1.
“That was some of the cleanest volleyball we’ve played in a while. We saw a lot of what we talked about in our game plan come to life, and I’m really proud of how the group competed,” Salt Lake head coach Tama Miyashiro said. “This group is grinding. It’s the end of the season, they’re fighting for a spot, and they’re showing up as pros every day, even when it’s hard.”
Alexa Gray led the way for Salt Lake with 20 points, including 18 kills and two aces, while Serena Gray delivered an efficient performance with 17 points on 15 kills and two blocks, hitting .522. Heidy Casanova added 16 kills, and Claire Hoffman contributed 15 points with13 kills and two blocks. Setter Jordyn Poulter orchestrated the offense with 59 assists while libero Manami Kojima anchored the defense with a match-high 25 digs.
As a team, Salt Lake finished with 64 kills and 68 digs, but Houston’s presence at the net proved decisive. Houston recorded 14 blocks compared to Salt Lake’s four and hit .321 as a team, while Salt Lake posted a .253 clip.
The two teams will meet again Sunday with a trip to the LOVB Finals in Los Angeles on the line. A Salt Lake win would force a decisive golden set to 15, with the winner advancing to next weekend’s championship round. Houston can advance directly with just a match victory.
