Austin Repeats as LOVB Champion in Golden Set Win Over Salt Lake
LOVB Austin closed the 2026 season on top once again.
The Austin squad repeated as champions, taking down LOVB Salt Lake in a five-set battle before dominating the deciding golden set to secure the 2026 League One Volleyball title Saturday night in Long Beach.
After Salt Lake captured the first win of the series on Thursday, Austin won match two, 3-2 (25-20, 21-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-11), to even the championship series, then controlled the winner-take-all golden set 15-8 to clinch its second straight title.
The match followed the same pattern as much of the series. Both teams traded points early, with Salt Lake grabbing momentum in the second and third sets to move within one set of the championship. Austin answered in the fourth after trailing mid-set, and closed it late to force a fifth set.
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In the deciding set, the teams stayed within a point for most of the frame before Austin created separation late and finished it off to force the third golden set of the playoff race.
Salt Lake snatched an early advantage in the decisive set, but Austin responded with a run to take control with a 7-3 lead and never gave it back. From there, the defending champions maintained their lead and closed out the match to seal the title.
Madisen Skinner led the way for Austin, earning Championship MVP honors for the second straight year. She totaled 21 points in the five-set win, hit .342, and added nine digs before contributing two key points in the golden set.
Logan Eggleston followed with 15 kills, 14 digs, and three blocks, while Molly McCage, Asjia O’Neal, and Madi Banks all reached double figures in scoring.
Salt Lake’s push for the title came from a balanced attack. Alexa Gray delivered 24 kills in the match and added five more in the golden set. Serena Gray finished with 16 points, and Heydi Casanova, Tori Dixon, and Claire Hoffman also posted double-digit outputs.
Jordyn Poulter anchored the offense with 55 assists and added 23 digs, while Manami Kojima contributed 20 digs in the loss to the now two-time LOVB Champions of Austin.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
