Pro Volleyball Spotlight: Kotoe Inoue Sets LOVB Record
Audrey Pak Leads Columbus Fury Sweep
Week 12 of professional volleyball action featured record-setting defense in League One Volleyball and a standout performance from a rising setter in Major League Volleyball. With the postseason picture tightening, both efforts carried significant weight in the standings.
Here’s a look at the performances that defined the week.
Kotoe Inoue Sets LOVB Single-Match Digs Record in Austin Win
Kotoe Inoue delivered a historic defensive performance to lead LOVB Austin to a 3-1 win over Madison on March 26 (25-23, 25-19, 15-25, 25-20).
Austin played just one match during Week 12, but made it count. The team took the opening two sets, dropped the third, and closed it out in four to keep its postseason push alive.
Inoue anchored the effort with a league-record 34 digs, finishing with an .895 dig percentage while controlling the backcourt throughout the match. She also contributed to serve receive with a 50% in-system rate. The 34 digs set a new League One Volleyball single-match record and marked one of the top defensive performances of the season.
The Japanese national team libero continues to be one of the league’s most reliable defensive presences. She ranks second in LOVB with 194 total digs and third in both pass efficiency and good pass percentage.
The win moved Austin to 8-10 on the season, creating separation from last-place Madison while keeping the team within reach of Salt Lake and Nebraska for the final playoff spots behind Houston and Atlanta, who have already clinched.
Audrey Pak Leads Columbus to Sweep, Earns First Weekly Honor
Audrey Pak powered the Columbus Fury to a 3-0 sweep over the defending champion Orlando Valkyries (25-22, 25-15, 25-22), delivering one of the team’s most efficient setting performances of the season.
Pak finished with 28 assists, tying her second-highest total of the season and marking her top output in a three-set match this year. She guided Columbus to a .363 team hitting percentage, which was one of the strongest single-match marks in franchise history.
In addition to her playmaking, Pak added six digs, two kills, and one block in the win, helping the Fury snap a losing streak and regain momentum late in the season.
The performance earned Pak her first weekly honor of the season, making her the first Columbus player to receive Player of the Week recognition this year. She has now recorded double-digit assists in seven straight matches, including 26 or more in five of her last six outings.
Pak ranks 10th in the league with 203 total assists despite appearing in just 35 sets, continuing to climb the leaderboard as Columbus looks to build on the result.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
