Photo courtesy League One Volleyball
With their backs against the wall, trailing two sets to one, LOVB Austin showed its championship mettle on Saturday night in front of a packed house at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.
The defending League One Volleyball Champions had to win the fourth and fifth sets against LOVB Salt Lake in order to force a decisive golden set–a race to 15 points to determine the 2026 LOVB champions.
Despite trailing 15-11 in that fourth set, Austin found its rhythm and never looked back, blazing their way to a thrilling 25-20, 21-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-11 win, before a dominant 15-8 victory in the winner-take-all golden set to defend their title.
“First of all, congratulations to Salt Lake on a great season. They made it extremely difficult,” said first-year LOVB Austin head coach Erik Sullivan. “They put a lot of stress on you in different ways. But in saying that, I’m really proud of our group, staff, players, ancillary staff, people that are associated with the program … It’s been a really cool journey. I’ve really appreciated my time here with this group, and I’m super happy that we were able to figure it out at the end there.”
Madisen Skinner repeated as LOVB Finals MVP for Austin, leading the way with 20 kills on .342 hitting in the five-set victory. She was followed by Logan Eggleston who had a double-double with 15 kills and 14 digs. Plus, for the second year in a row, she put down the championship-clinching kill for Austin.
“We’re creating a legacy,” Eggleston said. “We’re really showing what Austin volleyball is, and it’s really cool in a new league that is this competitive, to come out on top like that. We’re solidifying something really, really special, and setting the tone for years and years to come.”
Skinner said she was happy to win and defend Austin’s title, but that her goals, as well as those of her teammates, go beyond just wins and losses.
“I think a lot of us right now are chasing more than championships. I think we’re chasing that connection and that personal growth,” Skinner said. “Yes, we want to win. But I feel like with this group, that wasn’t the end goal. How much can we grow as individuals, and how much can we push one another to be the best version of ourselves, which is super special.”
Austin started well behind an impressive block. They racked up four roofs within their first 10 points to jump out to an early advantage, going up by as many as 14-7 in set one before winning it, 25-20.
Salt Lake responded with wins in set two and three, riding the hot hand of Alexa Gray, who had a match-high 24 kills through the first five sets, before adding five more in the golden set, accounting for five of her team’s eight points in that final game. Setter Jordyn Poulter also had a career-high 23 digs for Salt Lake. Heidy Casanova added a dozen kills and libero Manami Kojima had 20 digs of her own.
Salt Lake outside hitter Claire Hoffman was disappointed in the loss, but spoke about the environment inside the Pyramid, with a sold-out crowd bringing energy through six sets of volleyball from start to finish.
“I think it was incredible. Like, what a privilege to be in this situation,” Hoffman said. “Number one, to have battled through playoffs and through all of the season the way we did, and to have the opportunity to be here in front of a sold-out crowd–it was awesome. I think the Pyramid is a super special, historic place for volleyball, and I’m pretty honored to be able to play here and play in front of that crowd we just did.”
Part of that legacy of volleyball in the Pyramid is LOVB Austin assistant coach Tayyiba Haneef-Park, who returned to her alma mater and won a pro championship in her home arena. Haneef-Park was an All-American at the Beach, part of LBSU’s glory days from 1998-2001. The two-time Olympic silver medalist was inducted into the Long Beach State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.
When Salt Lake was just 10 points from the title, leading 15-11 in the fourth game, Austin was able to right the ship and go on a crucial 6-0 run to take the lead. It’s an advantage they would never relinquish, and the momentum stayed on their side the rest of the night.
Consecutive kills from Madi Banks (13 kills) and Skinner closed out a fairly even fifth set, before Austin flexed their muscle in a one-sided golden set for the title.
Now that year two of League One Volleyball is officially in the books, Eggleston reflected on the progress the league has made and what example it can set for young volleyball players across the country–many of whom were in the Pyramid on Saturday night.
“It’s so cool to look in the crowd and see so many young athletes that now have the ability to see what their future could look like,” Eggleston said. “If you put in the work, you could be here one day. And I don’t think we got to see that growing up. It was like, obviously college is there, but what’s after college? And so now I’m getting to showcase what’s next–it’s huge. And I wish I had this growing up. So it just makes me so excited for the next generation and what they’re going to accomplish.”
League One Volleyball plans to expand its membership from six pro teams to nine for the 2027 season, with new teams in Los Angeles, Minnesota, and San Francisco.
