From 5–11 to Champs: Austin Wins Inaugural LOVB Championship
The inaugural League One Volleyball (LOVB) championship featured—on paper—the most unlikely matchup: No. 5 Austin vs. No. 6 Omaha. Both teams finished the regular season 5-11, but found momentum in the postseason to reach Sunday’s title match.
The postseason delivered at every turn—three reverse sweeps in four matches, two five-set thrillers in the semifinals, and a final loaded with breakout performances and redemption arcs. At the center of the action were two dominant AU Pro Volleyball middles, Austin’s Molly McCage and Omaha’s Emily Thater, who helped lead their teams on improbable runs to the title match.
Austin’s path to the Final
After a reverse sweep of Salt Lake in the quarterfinals, Austin pulled off another remarkable comeback in the semifinals—this time against No. 1 Atlanta. Austin dropped the first two sets 25-21 and 25-15, but flipped the match with 25-22, 25-10, and 16-14 set wins.
Madisen Skinner led the way with 25 kills, while McCage continued her dominant postseason streak with 10 blocks, two kills, and two digs.
Atlanta’s Madi Bugg finished with 43 assists and 10 digs in the loss.
Omaha’s path the the Final
Omaha also faced a tough semifinal draw, going up against No. 2 Houston. After dropping the first two sets 25-15 and 26-24, Omaha responded with back-to-back 25-23 wins and closed the match 15-12 to advance.
Thater posted seven kills, a team-best five blocks, and two digs.
In her final match of the year for Houston, Madi Kingdon Rishel finished with 17 kills and a team-leading 16 digs.
Championship match
The title match highlighted a final showdown between two of the postseason’s most impactful middles—Thater and McCage—as their underdog squads faced off for the trophy.
After two straight five-set battles, Austin got the jump early with a 25-19 opening set win and never looked back, finishing the sweep with 25-22 and 25-23 victories.
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McCage added four kills and two blocks in the win, while Thater helped lead Omaha with six kills, one block, and three digs.
The win capped a true Cinderella story run for Austin. Less than two months after a midseason coaching change, and despite sitting second-to-last in the standings heading into the playoffs, Austin finished the season on a three-match win streak—rising to the occasion, and cementing the team’s place in the LOVB history books.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
