The third week of League One Volleyball features four matches and two final First Serves in Salt Lake and Omaha.
LOVB Salt Lake plays its first home match Wednesday, January 22, when LOVB Houston visits in a rematch of a battle they had just this past Saturday night. Houston won that one in four sets.
Then, all focus turns to the volleyball-crazed state of Nebraska Friday, January 24, when LOVB Omaha plays host to LOVB Madison. They, too, played last Saturday, and Omaha came away with a four-set victory.
The third week wraps up with two more matches Saturday, January 25, when LOVB Atlanta heads to Omaha to play LOVB Madison and LOVB Austin faces LOVB Omaha.
After two weeks, here's how the teams stand:
- LOVB Omaha (2-0)
- LOVB Houston (2-1)
- LOVB Atlanta (1-1)
- LOVB Austin (1-2)
- LOVB Madison (1-2)
- LOVB Salt Lake (1-2)
LOVB Houston at LOVB Salt Lake
LOVB Salt Lake’s home schedule begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Bruin Arena. Fans can watch the matchup of two U.S. Olympic setters on LOVB.com through LOVB Live.
Micha Hancock, who has unleashed her left-handed top-spin serve on LOVB, was a backup on the U.S. team that won the Tokyo Olympics and an alternate this past summer in Paris before entering the tournament as an injury replacement. Micha leads LOVB in aces with nine, five ahead of the next closest, Madison's Taylor Sandbothe.
Jordyn Poulter, the U.S. starting setter in both Tokyo and Paris, leads LOVB with 136 assists, five ahead of Madison's Lauren Carlini.
The match marks a homecoming for former Utah star Dani Drews – who is from Sanday, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City – and former BYU greats Roni Jones-Perry and Mary Lake. Roni also hails from nearby West Jordan, and Mary has lived in the area since graduating.
"It's been a few years since I've gotten to play in front of friends and family," Dani said. "I'm hoping we can really show out as a community in Salt Lake and build that connection so they know they're rooting on their home team."
Coach Tama Miyashiro is not from Salt Lake, but the former U.S. Olympic assistant has put down roots.
"It's a pretty special thing for me as coach because for the last seven or eight years, I've only gotten to coach at home a handful of times," Tama said. "Having our local fans and an opportunity to really grow the volleyball scene in Salt Lake is great. People are really excited.
"And our group suits Salt Lake really well. I'm grateful and looking forward to playing in front of our fans."
The players might be excited, but how about 9-year-old Nash, one of Morgan Miller's six kids? He gets to be an honorary LOVB Crew member and serve as a ball shagger for the match. His mom, 37, played at Cal and is making a comeback after having a baby in 2021. A 6-3 opposite, Morgan last played pro indoors in 2012 in Puerto Rico. She also played pro beach, last in 2014.
Houston's Jess Mruzik, fresh off her NCAA title with Penn State, leads the league in points with 53.
LOVB Madison at LOVB Omaha
Friday’s 7 p.m. Central match in Liberty First Credit Union Arena can be seen on ESPN+. This is the one that Nebraska fans have been waiting for because they get to see so many of their former Huskers, not the least of which is the legendary Jordan Larson. "The Governor," one LOVB Omaha’s Founding Athletes, led nearby Nebraska to the 2006 NCAA title and is a four-time U.S. Olympian with one of each: a bronze medal from Rio, gold from Tokyo and silvers from Paris and London. She is, simply, an icon in the state.
Two of her teammates won NCAA titles with Nebraska, two-time Olympic libero and the team’s other Founding Athlete, Justine Wong-Orantes in 2015, and Lauren Stivrins in 2017. Madi Kubik-Banks also was a Husker.
"Nebraska fans just love good volleyball," Lauren Stivrins said. "They bring a lot of excitement and energy to women's volleyball and the sport as a whole. I think it's going to be high energy and really fun to show everyone what we're building and what we're about."
The LOVB Omaha roster includes pro rookie Lexi Rodriguez, one of the best liberos the college game has seen, and former Penn State setter Gabby Blossom, who staged her share of battles against Lauren and Lexi.
LOVB Madison is led by a couple players who know all too well what it's like to having the fans root against them, including former Wisconsin stars Lauren Carlini – second to Jordyn Poulter in assists – and pro rookie Sarah Franklin – the league kills leader with 45. They have former Big Ten teammates who are well-versed in the art of playing Nebraska, including Minnesota's Daly Santana, Purdue's Annie Schumacher, Ohio State's Taylor Sandbothe and Wisconsin's Temi Thomas-Ailara.
While Omaha is hitting .361 this season, including .411 against Madison a few days ago, Madison is hitting just .205.
"We have a lot to do, but I want to give credit to the opponent. Omaha caused a lot of the things that happened to us," Madison coach Matt Fuerbringer said. "We lost control and stopped playing our game the way we can, but Omaha had a lot to do with that.
"We're excited to play again in Omaha and hopefully we can get a little payback there."
LOVB Atlanta vs. LOVB Madison
The 4:30 p.m. Central start can be seen on LOVB Live and marks a Nebraska homecoming for outside hitter Kelsey Cook. She started her college career at Tennessee but transferred to Nebraska, where she became the 2013 Big Ten player of the year. The three-time Olympian – like Larson, she has “the set” of all three colors of medals – remains one of the steadiest defensive players in the game and ranks fourth in LOVB in pass efficiency and good pass percentage behind three liberos.
Atlanta, which opened with a loss to Salt Lake, is coming off a four-set win over Austin.
LOVB Austin at LOVB Omaha
The 7 p.m. Central start can also be seen on LOVB Live. Austin has had an up-and-down start, falling victim to Houston in a reverse sweep before sweeping Madison, and then last week lost in four to Atlanta.
NCAA Nebraska vs. Texas battles the past few years have been epic, and this match renews some of those rivalries since LOVB Austin has nine former Texas players on the roster. That includes the stars of the 2023 NCAA title team, opposite Madi Skinner and middle Asjia O'Neal, who defeated Lexi and Nebraska in the championship match.
