Pro Volleyball Spotlight: Thompson's Record-Matching Performance Leads Houston to Top of Standings
Week 9 of professional volleyball action featured record-tying performances and standout efforts that shifted league standings in both League One Volleyball and Major League Volleyball. LOVB Houston’s Jordan Thompson matched the league’s single-match kills record while helping her team climb to the top of the standings, and MLV’s Natalia Valentin-Anderson posted her 12th double-double of the season in a crucial sweep.
Here’s a look at the performances that defined the week.
Jordan Thompson Matches LOVB Single-Match Record with 28 Kills
Jordan Thompson continued her dominant season for LOVB Houston with a pair of Player of the Match performances that helped the team overtake Salt Lake for the top spot in the league standings.
The U.S. National Team member tallied 45 kills across two Houston victories in Week 9, averaging 6.86 kills per set on .481% attack efficiency. She opened the week Wednesday with 17 kills in a sweep of LOVB Madison (25-14, 25-23, 25-21), then matched the league’s single-match record Friday with 28 kills in a 3-1 win over LOVB Austin (25-22, 25-14, 22-25, 25-22).
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Thompson has now tallied at least 26 kills in four of her last five matches, with each of those performances landing in the league’s all-time top five outings. She leads the league with 320 kills on the year–95 ahead of second-place Madisen Skinner’s 225–and averages a league-best 6.15 points per set.
Thompson has been named Player of the Match in seven of Houston’s matches this season and has now earned LOVB Offensive Player of the Week honors three times.
Houston’s 2-0 Week 9 performance, combined with Salt Lake’s 0-2 showing, allowed the team to overtake the top spot in the league standings. Houston now holds a 9-5 record, one game ahead of Salt Lake’s 8-6 mark.
Natalia Valentin-Anderson Records 12th Double-Double in Dallas Sweep
Natalia Valentin-Anderson posted her 12th double-double of the season with 42 assists and 10 digs as the Dallas Pulse swept the Orlando Valkyries 3-0 (25-23, 28-26, 25-19) on Sunday. The performance marked another chapter in a consistent season for the setter, who has been instrumental in Dallas’ climb up the MLV standings.
The 42 assists marked the third-most Valentin-Anderson has recorded in a three-set match, and one of the Pulse’s most efficient offensive performances this season, as the team hit .317 overall in the victory.
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The win improved the Pulse’s record to 10-5 on the season, moving the team into second place in the league standings behind the leading Indy Ignite (13-2) and ahead of the Valkyries, who dropped to 8-8 with the loss. The victory also gave Dallas a 2-1 edge in the season series versus Orlando, marking an important advantage as both teams continue to jockey for playoff positioning.
Valentin-Anderson’s 12 double-doubles rank among the league leaders in the category, and the veteran setter currently ranks highest in the league in the assists category with 11.89 per set.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
