Madi Kingdon Rishel Continues Dominant Defensive Streak in LOVB Week Five
The Week 5 League One Volleyball honors are here, and with them comes proof that Madi Kingdon Rishel’s dominant defensive performance in Week 4 was more than just a flash in the pan.
Following a formidable showing that cemented Rishel as the first non-libero in LOVB history to earn a Defensive Player of the Week nod, the veteran outside hitter surpassed her previously set benchmark with two blocks and a match-high 21 digs in Houston’s 3-1 victory over Austin on Thursday night, making an impact worthy of a second straight Defensive Player of the Week award.
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The Lone Star State showdown yielded the longest set in LOVB history, a 33-31 first-frame win for Houston that lasted 40 minutes. In addition to her defensive prowess in the marathon match, Rishel notched two kills for Houston, hit .316, and tallied 15 kills.
The now two-time Defensive Player of the Week is currently ranked second in the league for digs with 90 total. She sits just below fellow Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball athlete Manami Kojima (91) in the LOVB digs category and also stands as one of the top opportunity creators in the league — 84.4% of Rishel’s digs result in an attack opportunity for her team, which ranks fifth in the league for that category.
However, Rishel wasn’t the only AU Pro Volleyball player making waves in LOVB Week 5.
Atlanta’s Gia Day was a key contributor in a two-match week for the top-ranked team. The outside hitter reached double digits in kills (13) and digs (10) in Friday’s 3-0 win over Salt Lake City and was named Player of the Game for her performance versus Omaha.
Day recorded 9 kills and 11 digs in the Saturday meeting between the league’s top two squads and helped her team hold on to a key advantage going into a less conventional Week 6.
Up Next in LOVB
Regular-season competition will pause this week for the inaugural LOVB Classic, set to take place in Kansas City, Missouri. All six squads will make their way to the neutral site for the in-season tournament, for which both Atlanta and Omaha have earned first-round byes.
The first-round matchups between Maddison and Houston, and Austin and Salt Lake are slated for Friday, Feb. 14, and tournament play will continue into Sunday.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
