Khat Bell Sets Season Highs in LOVB Austin’s Gritty Week 11 Victory
There may be just two weeks left in the League One Volleyball regular season, but there’s still plenty of time for the standings to shift ahead of the LOVB Finals in Louisville, Kentucky.
LOVB Austin was the team to improve its position following Week 11, thanks in part to a season-high offensive performance from 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball standout Khat Bell.
Austin went on the road for a Weekend with LOVB at Omaha, where the Texas squad was the first to take on the home team.
Omaha claimed the win in a back-and-forth first set that set the tone for the match, but Austin responded with two straight-set victories. Still, Omaha applied pressure in the fourth—thanks in part to a team-leading 14-kill performance from Emily Thater—to force a decisive fifth set in front of its home crowd.
Thater hit .522 in the contest with only two errors on 23 total attempts.
The two teams battled late into the fifth, but Austin emerged with an 18-16 set win to claim a crucial 3-2 (24-26, 25-20, 25-15, 23-25, 18-16) match victory.
Bell finished with a team-high 17 kills and added seven digs while reaching another season high with two blocks. With 12 total kills entering the Friday night match, Bell’s explosive offensive showing more than doubled her overall kills tally for the season.
Austin sprung back into action on Saturday against the league-leading Atlanta, but the Georgia squad dashed any of Austin’s hopes for an undefeated weekend.
Setter Madi Bugg maintained her recently accelerated pace with 26 assists in the 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-15) victory, which marked Atlanta’s third sweep of the season.
Despite the loss, middle blocker Molly McCage posted a seven-block performance for Austin to round out a weekend good enough to propel the team from fifth in the standings, into fourth.
Austin surpassed Salt Lake for the fourth-place position after the Utah squad fell to a red-hot Madison team Thursday, finishing the week 0-1.
Houston Stays Hot
Houston clinched its fourth straight victory, closing the weekend in Omaha with a win over the home squad. The visitors were the quickest off the blocks and set the tone for an eventual 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23) win.
Madi Kingdon Rishel was in top form in the Saturday matchup, securing 11 kills to mark her eighth double-digit kill performance of the season while adding 12 digs. She has now recorded 10 or more digs in 11 of her 14 appearances this year.
LOVB League Standings After Week 11:
Atlanta (11-3)
Houston (9-5)
Madison (6-7)
Austin (5-8)
Salt Lake (5-8)
Omaha (4-9)
The Road to the Finals
The LOVB Finals may be three weeks away, but the tournament seeding for the championship tournament is yet to be determined. Each of the league’s six teams still has the chance to cement or improve upon their spot in the league standings and earn preferred spots in the tournament-style bracket.
For Week 12, Austin will have the chance to boost its position as it hosts Omaha, Salt Lake, and Madison. Meanwhile, Atlanta will go on the road to face its top league rival, Houston, on Thursday.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
