LOVB Finals Field Locked After Pivotal Week 13 Performances
With the League One Volleyball regular season in the books, the six-team field is officially set for the inaugural LOVB Finals in Louisville, Kentucky. And while every team now has its eyes on the trophy, Salt Lake will enter the tournament riding a wave of momentum—thanks in large part to a late-season surge from opposite hitter Heidy Casanova.
While Atlanta entered the final week of regular-season play with the No. 1 seed already clinched, the race for the remaining positions came down to the final weekend. Houston’s dominant sweep over a red-hot Madison squad secured a quarterfinal bye, while Casanova’s hot streak in Salt Lake’s comeback victory over Austin earned her team a timely confidence boost heading into the postseason tournament.
Atlanta Ends Regular Season with Sweep over Omaha
Already locked into the top seed, Atlanta made a statement in its final regular-season outing with a 3-0 sweep over Omaha. Setter Madi Bugg led the way with 29 assists and 11 digs in a steady performance that kept the offense firing on all cylinders.
Despite the loss, Omaha middle Emily Thater notched six kills in her team’s effort, but the match belonged to Atlanta from the opening serve as the Georgia squad put the finishing touches on a 13-3 regular-season record.
Houston Snaps Madison’s Streak, Secures Semifinal Bye
In a potential semifinals preview, Houston ended Madison’s seven-match win streak with a commanding 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-21) win. LOVB Woman of the Year finalist Madi Kingdon Rishel chipped in eight kills and seven digs, supplementing a 17-kill performance from Jordan Thompson that helped Houston lock in the No. 2 seed and a direct path to the semifinals.
Salt Lake Outlasts Austin in Five-Set Thriller
Salt Lake wrapped up its regular season with a gritty five-set win over Austin, battling back from a 12-8 deficit in the final frame to seal the 3-2 victory. Casanova was the offensive anchor with a team-best 17 kills, adding nine digs, a block, and an ace. Claire Hoffman chipped in 12 kills and led the team in receptions (48) and passing efficiency (52.1%), capping off her night with the match-ending kill.
Newly minted LOVB Icons Second Team libero Manami Kojima contributed a team-leading 10 digs for Salt Lake, helping her squad head into the tournament on a high note.
Madison Tops Salt Lake in Thursday Match
Although Madison fell to Houston on Saturday, it opened Week 13 with a 3-1 Thursday win over Salt Lake.
The Utah squad saw a balanced effort from Casanova (12 kills, 1 block), Tori Dixon (7 kills, 5 blocks), Dani Drews (7 kills, 13 digs), and Kojima (10 digs), but Madison’s consistency across all phases of play overpowered Salt Lake.
Madison’s 1-1 weekend was enough to lock in the third seed ahead of the postseason.
Final Seeding for the 2025 LOVB Finals:
- Atlanta (13-3)
- Houston (10-6)
- Madison (8-8)
- Salt Lake (7-9)
- Austin (5-11)
- Omaha (5-11)
All six teams are now set for the postseason, with three days of tournament play set to determine who will claim the league’s first-ever championship. Action begins Thursday with the quarterfinals, and fans won’t have to wait long to see regular-season rivalries renewed under the spotlight in Louisville.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
