A New LOVB for Volleyball Fans
Former Longhorns Reunite for a Championship
It was a very unlucky Friday the 13th in December for the Texas Volleyball team as they came up short on their attempt at a fabled “three-peat”. For Madisen Skinner, the 1 to 3 set loss to Creighton in the 2024 NCAA regionals would be the last time the three-time national champ (her first with Kentucky coming in 2020, before landing two more at Texas in 2022 and 2023) would don the burnt orange.
Madi’s three seasons with the Longhorns had become something of a legendary run following her transfer from Kentucky. She was selected as co-captain during that ‘22 run and made first-team All-Big 12 Conference, third-team All-American, before taking Big 12 Player of the Year and first-team All-American during the ‘23 run. There had been hope she could take the Horns to a third title all on her own. A year after the departure of Asjia O’Neal, who had developed a legend of her own (and had a student section-favorite chant anytime she served), the 6’2 outside hitter wasn’t able to overcome this Texas squad’s inability to close out sets and convert a dominate blocking game into points, especially late in matches.
In any year before 2024, Madi walking off the court after that loss to Creighton would probably be the last time most Texas fans would ever see her live in a uniform again. Like O’Neal or other Longhorn greats such as Logan Eggleston, Khat Bell, and Molly McCage, Madi would typically hang up her Texas uniform and seek out a pro league in Europe or elsewhere while vying to get called up to the national team for international play. Most Texas fans would have to settle with getting the rare opportunity to see her play again on national television here in the states during the Olympic Summer Games.
This would be true at almost any other time before now - volleyball is a fast growing youth sport in the U.S., and women’s sports on the whole are experiencing a surge in popularity. Jumping on this phenomenon, a new professional league was taking the court for the first time, League One Volleyball (LOVB, pronounced “Love” for those wondering about the wordplay in the title of this article). Starting shortly after the close of the NCAA volleyball season, LOVB provides a chance for athletes to continue to play beyond their college eligibility, make money while doing it, and play here in the US.
Madi would have her chance to play again very shortly after that December 13th loss, and to the jubilation of many Texas fans, she was only moving right across town…
LOVB ATX, aka Texas Longhorns 2.0 - and your 2025 LOVB Finals Champions
Six teams would compete during LOVB’s inaugural season, and in a well-calculated move, three were placed into historic or recent hotbeds for women’s volleyball on the collegiate level: Omaha, NE (short drive to Lincoln, the home of five-time champs, the University of Nebraska), Madison, WI (home of the 2021 national champion Wisconsin Badgers), and most-notably, Austin, of course the home of the best-ever team in this biased writer’s opinion: the four-time champion Texas Longhorns.
Austin was the final team announced for the “Seminal Six” (that’s my term, have your people call my people LOVB…or don’t). As the Longhorns made a postseason run that would result in a championship, LOVB Austin, the city’s second professional sports team, was announced. Multi-time Olympic medalist setter out of Cal Berkeley Carli Lloyd was named as the founding athlete for the last addition to the new league.
I enthusiastically ordered my season ticket during the fall as the final rosters for the upcoming season were still being finalized. Ultimately, Austin would name a total of nine former Longhorn greats to their squad (perhaps not so much by coincidence) with the final addition of Madi coming just six days after her NCAA tourney run ended. The announcement on December 19th of last year marked the finalizing of the roster and gave Longhorn fans the opportunity to see Madi’s legend continue just up the road at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park (with some matches down on Texas State’s campus in San Marcos).
The other Longhorns joining Skinner in ATX Purple included Khat Bell, Logan Eggleston, Asjia O’Neal, Molly McCage, Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres, Zoe Jarvis (née Fleck), Chiaka Ogbogu, and Juliann Faucette. The number of Horns on this Texas 2.0 squad was so high that during the broadcast of the LOVB Final between Austin and Omaha, ESPN2’s analyst, Kevin Wong, referred to the team as “Texas” a few times when talking about their ability to block, earning a chuckle with a quick correction every time as he recognized his error.
Despite the combination of several players from different eras, this Austin team resembled the 2024 Longhorns in another way: they struggled to close out sets and matches and often gave up big leads. In their first-ever match, Austin gave up a two-set lead against in-state rivals Houston (is it too early to call them rivals?... naaaaah). After sweeping their next match against Madison, Austin would drop their first-ever match at home to Atlanta after giving up an early one-set lead and having the opportunity to close out some sets that they let slip away late. Austin would go on to sweep Omaha, let a match slip away in the fifth set to Salt Lake, and follow with an embarrassing performance at home against Houston.
A three-match weekend for the LOVB Classic mid-season tournament on the 14th through 16th of February was up and down for Austin, with a win against Salt Lake before getting run off the court by Atlanta, and finally another win against Omaha. The LOVB Classic featured all six teams in a winner-take-all format in Kansas City, and took place in conjunction with the premier youth volleyball tournament in the country, the Triple Crown NIT.
Just three days later, Austin announced the departure of their head coach Marco Bonitta, citing “personal reasons” (surely a two and four start and inconsistent play in the Classic played very heavily into those reasons). Former AVCA Coach of the Year Chris McGown was named interim coach, while Austin announced it would undergo a thorough coaching search for a replacement for Bonitta in 2026.
Austin took their next two matches against Houston and Salt Lake, respectively, and climbed back up to four and four, earning a .500 record. This seemed to indicate that the team was now on the right footing with the new skipper. But March began with three subsequent losses, including a devastating sweep by Madison that demonstrated that many of the short-comings facing this squad during the first half of the season were still present.
Austin would only win one more match for the regular season against bottom-dweller Omaha to end the season five and eleven. I commented to Point Texas’s Josh Pitel (go check out his return article if you haven’t yet - it’ll get you hyped for the return of Point Texas and helps bridge the gap from last offseason) after the close of the regular season that I had supposed I’d be writing this season recap article sooner than I had originally expected. Due to LOVB only having six teams, the Finals tournament included every team regardless of record, but Austin had been going the wrong direction for the final month of the season and seemed dead on arrival.
The Quarterfinals, Austin 3 - 2 Salt Lake
Omaha ended with the same record as Austin, but Austin had the head-to-head record for the season, allowing the hometown squad a slightly better draw for the quarterfinals as the fifth seed versus sixth. This left Austin a hot date with fourth seed Salt Lake, while Omaha had to take on third seeded Madison. I might say it didn’t matter much where Austin got seeded, but this is LOVB. Despite what records may show, any team could technically show up and win any match. Austin had already traded a few matches with Salt Lake this year, for example. Perhaps I would give this Austin squad a chance for a run and try to have some faith.
Down two sets early to Salt Lake in the quarterfinals, it appeared I was too quick with my faith. Austin lost both sets 24 to 26, coming close but never being able to close (set 2 had five lead changes all the way up into the 20s), as it had been all season. The writing seemed to be on the wall for this squad: their stay in Louisville would be short-lived.
And then Molly McCage flipped a switch. The middle blocker ended the match with 6 of the team’s 22 blocks and 13 of Austin’s 64 kills. The wall she created began to swing momentum over to Austin’s side and helped open up their passing game. Austin also heavily improved its dig-to-convert percentage (the ability of the team to convert a defensive save into an offensive kill), dominating in that stat with 23.3% to Salt Lake’s 17.8%. Austin began to see some life, battling for a 27 to 25 third set win (after giving up a 7-2 lead), following with strong play and a McCage block to seal the fourth set.
Tied 16-16 in the fifth, Eggleston unloaded a massive shot right into a Salt Lake player’s face to take the lead in what Kevin Wong said “may have been the hit of the year,” followed by a great serve by Skinner that put Salt Lake on their back heel and allowed Eggleston to fire off another unblockable hit for the win. Perhaps this reverse sweep was the sleeping giant awakening? The Austin celebration seemed to indicate it might be.
The Semifinals, Austin 3 - Atlanta 2
Remember when I said that anything can go in LOVB and seeding might not matter much? Well, that seemed to hold true in the quarterfinals with Austin’s reverse sweep and last-seeded Omaha taking a win over Madison, but it was hard to imagine that happening when Austin looked across the court at the pink uniforms of first-seeded Atlanta.
Atlanta’s defense had been superb all season; even the best hitters seemed to have trouble finding any space on the court to score on. Outside Hitter Kelsey Cook had been fantastic leading an already stacked squad with 218 digs on the season, and Atlanta had finished number two in both digs overall at 986 (and number one in dig % at 82.50) and overall blocks at 179.
Combine that with a keen ability to get kills (again number two in the league at 902), it was just easy to see why this team ended the regular season with thirteen wins and only three losses. Moreover, in three matches in the season head-to-head series, Atlanta had dominated Austin, only losing three sets total. This was potentially the worst matchup imaginable for Austin. After hanging around until late in the first set and getting outright dominated 15 to 25 in the second, the squad in purple was once again on their heels and looking at a quick exit from the KFC Yum! Center (oh boy, do I hate this modern era of corporate naming rights to stadiums).
Indeed, things were looking pretty bleak. Al Michaels once asked a nation if they “...believe in miracles?” If my refusal to believe my portfolio has done anything but go up the last few weeks is any indication, the answer for me at least is a resounding ‘yes,’ so I tried to hold out hope as the third set started. Ultimately, this was the point in which Madi Skinner told the LOVB world “if you haven’t seen me yet, you best start paying attention.” (Writer’s note: she said no such thing, although I like to believe she thought it).
The first point of the set went to Madi as she bodied the other Madi on the court, Setter Madi Bugg of Atlanta, with a devastating kill. Atlanta was able to score four straight before Austin rallied behind their bigs of Skinner and Eggleston. Austin took an 11-6 lead after an impressive sprint of scoring including a sneaky kill by Carli Lloyd, putting her veteran skills on display. Atlanta would then go blow-for-blow with Austin, slowly closing the gap and making the score even late in the set. Two aces gave Atlanta a 19-18 lead. It looked like the match may be slipping away for Austin in the last third of a set once again this season, but Ogbogu was able to get a crucial kill and Austin managed to claw back the lead and eventually the set.
From there, Austin gave Atlanta a spoonful of their own medicine, with Skinner and friends racking up a flurry of points en route to a 25-10 fourth set win that saw the Austin roster fired up. Teammates gave Asjia credit for an impassioned plea in the third set to fight back, and whatever kind of fire she lit under the squad seemed to have Atlanta reeling, often looking confused about rotations and coverages.
This carried into the fifth set where Madi Skinner continued to dominate the net, both in blocking and kills. Atlanta kept it close, making Austin fight through two match points, but on the second Madi was able to secure the victory with a massive return on a kill attempt by Atlanta’s founding athlete, #23 Kelsey Cook.
Skinner racked up 25 kills and a block, earning herself player of the match honors as the number one squad in the league went down as victims of another Austin reverse sweep. Just hours later, Omaha would stun the LOVB world with their own reverse sweep comeback against Houston. Somehow, the league’s two worst performing teams through the regular season would have an improbable Finals matchup.
The Finals, Omaha 0 - Austin 3
From the opening set, this Austin squad looked mentally different than the team that often looked confused and overwhelmed late in matches this season, jumping out to a commanding 19 to 25 first set win. Omaha would play it closer in the following sets, but a beautiful set by Lloyd followed by a massive spike by Eggleston in the second had Omaha desperately trying to fill gaps, with any attempts to get kills met by a massive wall of tall women in purple. Austin had blocked well all year, but their passing and offensive efficiency saw a massive improvement in this match, perhaps due to the momentum of their back-to-back comebacks.
Omaha would cut into a strong Austin lead in the second set, but it never truly felt like the outcome was in doubt. Austin took the second set 22 to 25 before switching sides of the court and trading blows in the third. Austin’s offense was too much for Omaha, even after forcing some continuation in play with some late set points from the team in green. Eggleston proved particularly clutch with two excellent, unreturnable attacks including the championship-winning point, with Austin clinching with a 23 to 25 third set win. Skinner was named the Finals MVP.
17 kills, four blocks, five digs, and a sweep was how Skinner racked up her fourth championship between college and LOVB; Lloyd reminded the volleyball universe why she was an Olympian and one of six founding athletes in the league with an impressive 45 assists and nine digs; and Eggleston decided to relive 2022 with her own 17 kills from the outside position to match Madisen. These performances (along with a sense of determination that was palpable as the squad marched onto the court) were how Austin overcame their rocky season and swept Omaha in three straight sets en route to the first ever LOVB Finals title. That made six straight set wins going back to the match against Atlanta on Friday.
As the Austin bench flooded the court, there seemed to be a particular joy felt by several of the Longhorn greats on the roster. Perhaps it was the weight of carrying this great city through a championship tourney once again, or perhaps there was more of a pact made by those who used to wear burnt orange than just a pep talk when Asjia reportedly told the team they were not “...going to go out this way,” in the third set of the semifinals.
The past, present, and future of Texas Volleyball collided on one court, this time under a new banner. Seeing greats such as Skinner, O’Neal, Jarvis, McCage and others, representing around a decade of Texas greatness and three NCAA championships, celebrating together in a flurry of purple confetti was a moment of joy for any Texas fan. It became clear that LOVB and Austin was a marriage made in heaven and that playing for the Texas Longhorns always meant more, it meant representing this great city, and building a legacy.
Other Notes and Looking Ahead
Ogbogu took the LOVB league-wide Middle Blocker of the Year award for her performance in the regular season.
Austin is tied with junior clubs Austin Junior Volleyball and Roots, providing development pipelines for the next generation of players. One of LOVB’s strengths may end up being the great club system they have developed. I’ll follow up with an article on LOVB’s structure as offseason moves start to take shape and we get to see if any further partnerships are made.
Personally, l’d love to see two more pro clubs added in the near term, and to have the bottom two seeds eliminated from playoff contention, keeping the Finals tournament at 6 teams. Yes, I know that this year that would have meant both Omaha and Austin would have been eliminated, but the regular season needs some form of consequence for the postseason.
It will be interesting to see how the financials of this season shake out for the league and monitor if they will have to raise another round of capital for expansion or other needs. For those that follow such things, the league closed a $35M oversubscribed Series B round in 2023 with major investments from Left Lane Capital and athlete greats such as Lindsey Vonn, Candace Parker, and Jayson Tatum. Adidas is a founding sponsor to the league.
It is worth noting that the PVF (Pro Volleyball Federation) began play in early 2024 and Asjia O’Neal was the number one overall draft pick for the Columbus Fury, and had a great start to the season with them before being called up for the national team. She made the switch to LOVB last July for the chance to play in Austin. PVF’s 2025 season is underway currently and is worth a look at for those seeking additional volleyball action.
Late addition: just yesterday (April 24th), Austin announced their new head coach, and Erik Sullivan is making a return to Austin. The former Texas associate head coach (a role he held for 14 years) is also a two-time Olympian as a player and the head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team. Does this officially make the team Longhorns 2.1?
Brittany Marshall is a writer, content creator, and proud graduate of the Texas McCombs MBA Class of 2025. Based in Austin, she’s a founding season ticket-holder for LOVB ATX, a longtime moderator of the 40k-strong LonghornNation subreddit, and a die-hard fan of all things Texas Longhorns—from football to volleyball to softball. This is her first piece for Point Texas, and she’s just getting started.