FORT BEND, Texas – The hottest team in League One Volleyball was without its hottest player and LOVB Salt Lake pounced on the opportunity for a victory.
Salt Lake swept shorthanded LOVB Houston 25-17, 25-21, 25-21 on Thursday as Roni Jones-Perry had 12 kills – five in the third set – and hit .407 in the Fort Bend County Epicenter.
Match stats | LOVB Salt Lake roster | LOVB Houston roster
"I'm really proud of our team's fight and the way we stayed the course," Roni said. She had just one error in 27 attacks, an ace, a block and eight digs.
Heidy Casanova had 11 kills, two aces and 11 digs and Claire Hoffman, getting the start at outside hitter, had nine kills with one error in 32 swings, eight digs and an assist.
"Everybody was doing their job with conviction," Claire said.
Salt Lake, which was coming off a defeat and had lost three of four, improved to 4-6 in the regular season as it hit .274 and held a 12-4 advantage in blocks and had six aces.
Haleigh Washington had seven kills, hit .357, and had an ace, two blocks and an assist.
Fellow middle Tori Dixon had two kills, three digs and five blocks.
Setter Jordyn Poulter had 36 assists, an ace, four blocks and five digs, and libero Manami Kojima, spectacular as always, had 13 digs.
Salt Lake coach Tama Miyashiro praised her team's steady play and blocking.
"This was a fun match for us," Tama said. "We just have to keep building."
Houston (5-4) playing without opposites Jordan Thompson – the hottest offensive player in the league of late – and Grace Frohling or middle Raphaela Folie, hit .096.
Middle Amber Igiede led LOVB Houston with nine kills, hit .313, and added an ace, three blocks, three digs and an assist.
"We could have been more consistent," Amber said
Jess Mruzik, who got her first kill early in the second set, finished with seven, four digs and an assist. Julia Brown had four kills in 11 errorless swings and Karin Palgutova, filling the opposite role, had four kills and seven digs.
Micha Hancock, who had a kill, two aces and seven digs, had just 12 assists. Kaisa Alanko had 11 assists and two digs and libero Anna Pogany had 13 digs and three assists.
It was the second loss in three matches for Houston, both coming with Jordan on the sidelines.
"I think today they gave us a good lesson," Houston coach Massimo Barbolini said. "They played better than us."
Salt Lake, now 2-1 against Houston, dominated the first set.
It trailed 12-9 in the second before going on a 6-2 run. The set was tied at 21 when Houston won a challenge, but Salt Lake closed it out with four straight points on a kill by Dixon, a kill by Casanova, a kill by Hoffman after Mary Lake made an incredible diving save, and a Houston hitting error.
Houston had its own rally in the third after trailing 18-13.
Houston went ahead 21-19 on an ace by Hancock, but that was all it had. Salt Lake closed on a 6-0 run that started and ended with kills by Jones-Perry. Dixon had two of her blocks in that stretch.
Salt Lake never called time in the third set.
"I know my group values the ability to reset and sometimes breaking that rhythm is often more hurtful," Myashiro said. " It just shows a lot of trust in the group and they really like that."
Friday, LOVB Madison entertains LOVB Omaha and the 7 p.m. Central start can be seen on LOVB Live, the Women's Sports Network via Samsung TV Plus, and YouTube.
Saturday's doubleheader is in Madison when league-leading LOVB Atlanta plays Omaha at 4:30 p.m. Central, followed by LOVB Austin vs. Madison. Both matches can also be seen on LOVB Live, WSN via Samsung TV Plus and YouTube.
