HOUSTON, Texas – January 8, 2026 – LOVB Salt Lake opened the 2026 season with a statement win on the road Thursday night, overcoming a slow start to sweep LOVB Houston 27-25, 25-19, 25-20 at the Berry Center.
While the opening set saw both teams shaking off early-season rust, Salt Lake quickly found its rhythm and never looked back. Once the squad settled in, the offense became unstoppable, finishing with a .383 team attack efficiency and 51 total kills.
Middle blocker Serena Gray was the story of the night, delivering a masterclass in efficiency. Gray recorded 14 kills on just 17 swings with no errors, finishing the match with a new LOVB-best .824 hitting percentage (minimum 15 attacks), one ace, and a team-high four blocks. Outside hitter Alexa Gray made a powerful debut, leading all scorers with 21 points, 18 kills, and three aces.
“When you hit that standard of passing [that we had], Jordyn had a lot she could do setting,” Serena said. “When you have a lot of perfect passes and a lot of hitters on, it opens things up for everyone. It makes the blockers really stressed. That was key.”
Setter Jordyn Poulter orchestrated the attack with 42 assists. Claire Hoffman joined the double-digit kill club with 10, while libero Manami Kojima anchored the floor defense with 16 digs.
“I’m just proud of my group for staying the course,” Tama Miyashiro, LOVB Salt Lake head coach, said. They have been training really hard and we have been throwing some things at them to work on, and we were able to see some of that tonight. As a coach, that’s the stuff that makes you the happiest.”
Salt Lake (1-0) looks to carry this momentum into the weekend as they continue their road trip, heading to Madison, Wisconsin, to face LOVB Madison on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 3 p.m MT.
