Madison, Wis. - April 2, 2026 - It was oh-so-close for LOVB Madison in their 2026 home finale Thursday as LOVB Atlanta prevailed in five back-and-forth sets (23-25, 25–14, 25–18, 21-25, 15-11) at Alliant Energy Center.
“I'm really proud of the girls' fight tonight. It was incredible. I mean, nothing hit the ground,” said head coach Matt Fuerbringer, “It was a really fun match to coach and be a part of. Atlanta's a good team and we just had a couple ball control plays at the end, but I'm really proud of them and just really thankful for our fans.”
Thursday night may not have carried major postseason implications, but LOVB Madison still had plenty to play for: giving their home crowd one final show of the 2026 season. The opening set was tightly contested, with Madison edging Atlanta 25–23. Set two followed a similar early pattern, but Atlanta surged out of the media timeout and pulled away decisively, taking it 25–14. The third set featured multiple lead changes before Atlanta used a late seven-point run to secure it 25–18.
Madison responded in the fourth, fueled by the home crowd. A strong push, highlighted by a great block from Rebekah Allick, evened the set at 15–15 and brought energy back into the building. With momentum shifting, Madison pushed ahead late, and a closing block from Anna Hall and Lauren Carlini sealed the set 25–21. In the deciding fifth set, Madison stayed within reach early, but Atlanta created separation late to take the set 15–11 and close out the match.
Temi Thomas-Ailara and Gong Xiangyu led the team offensively with 14 kills apiece. While not leading the stat sheet, Sun Prairie native and outside hitter Claire Chaussee made a key impact late in the match, finishing with eight kills, eight digs, and an ace. At setter, Lauren Carlini directed the offense with a strong all-around performance, recording 50 assists, eight digs, a block, and an ace.
On his last home match in Madison, head coach Matt Fuerbringer closed, “It's bittersweet. It’s hard because my emotions are from being sad because I'm leaving to being grateful. The biggest experience I take away is the people in Madison. I’m super grateful to this city and the people that took me in. I’m happy to have a second home.”
Next up, LOVB Madison finishes up their season by visiting LOVB Salt Lake at Bruin Arena on Saturday, April 4 at 8 p.m. Central. Tickets are on sale now, and fans can catch the action on Victory+ and Madison CW.
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