Friday I'm in LOVB #3
Austin defends the crown in Madison
It’s another Friday, which means another edition of Friday I’m in LOVB. Most of us are probably getting our last preparations done for what is expected to be a wild weekend of winter weather (killer alliteration!). Perfect weather for staying in and catching some pro volleyball action under a blanket on the couch.
We’ll cover what exciting matches to watch this upcoming week, but first it is time to recap what was a relatively light week for LOVB Austin, with just one match on the road against Madison. The squad in Austin purple needed the break, as they are the leaders in sets played by a large margin so far in this young season. Madison came into the week as the top ranked team in the standings after Austin dropped their match in Atlanta the previous Wednesday, and was ready to fight in what became a battle for first place.
Match Four: Austin 3 - 2 Madison (Wednesday, January 21st)
Another match of the week on the road for Austin, and another five-setter that took a strong effort to overcome a two set to one deficit. For those keeping track at home, Austin is currently 3-0 in five set matches, and 0-1 in four set matches, making Austin the only squad that still hasn’t played (in a winning or losing effort) in a three set match.
Perhaps most importantly, Austin ground out their first road win against the league’s remaining unbeaten team.
After a strong first set 25-22 win that gave Austin the early lead in Madison, the team quickly fell into a slump. While Eggleston and Skinner both capably drove a solid offensive performance, Asjia O’Neal’s defense proved to be the decisive factor for Austin early. As the match entered the second set however, Austin found itself playing catch up due to errors at the service line. Austin couldn’t overcome these early serve errors in the set, and Madison kept a steady drum of offensive pressure that left Austin playing out-of-system often.
Madison grabbed a 21-25 set two win, developing momentum that they successfully carried into the third set. Austin quickly had to burn a timeout as Madison swung out to an 8-2 lead. The timeout worked, giving Austin new life by way of a continued outstanding defensive effort by O’Neal coupled with key plays by Magdalena Jurczyk off the bench. Austin narrowed the deficit to 21-22, with Madisen Skinner really getting into a rhythm offensively late. While that early hole Austin fell into in the third would prove to be too much to overcome in that set, Austin had found their blueprint for how to efficiently defend and score against Madison.
Austin wouldn’t leave any room for doubts going forward.
Not one to be outdone, Austin ran up their own big lead early in the fourth set, running off to an 11-2 lead. With Carli Lloyd directing much of the offense now, Austin was able to keep themselves in system, feeding much of their attack through Skinner’s capable hands at the right pin. Combined with a service performance that had found its groove, Austin sprinted towards a deciding fifth set, taking the fourth by a resounding score of 25-12. Skinner managed to record six kills in the penultimate set.
While Madison managed to trade some points early in the fifth, Austin had found its magic formula. O’Neal maintained a clean blocking effort from the middle of the net, while the offense continued to attack through Skinner’s hot hand. Eggleston managed to get some key serves in, including an ace that translated into the final sprint to the finish for Austin.
Madison’s efforts to stay undefeated would end in a whimper when they were able to successfully defend Austin’s first match point before serving the ball into the net, ending the competition on a service error.
Skinner, Eggleston, and O’Neal served as the Texas Exes core of Austin’s five-set comeback, with Skinner earning player of the match honors on a whopping 24 kills on .327 hitting. Eggleston added 15 kills of her own from the left pin, as well as four aces from the service line. O’Neal’s five blocks and six kills brought flashbacks of her time in Burnt Orange and a gentle reminder as to why Texas has the nickname of “Middle Blocker U.”
Next Up for Austin
Austin faces LOVB Houston at 1:00p Central on Saturday, January 24th. The match will be streamed on Victory+. The match serves as a special home-game for Austin, played at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio (apt setting for Central Texas’ annual winter weekend). The match was moved earlier in the day in anticipation for winter weather conditions late on Saturday.
Austin will then hit the road again and travel to Salt Lake for their first Thursday match of the season, on January 29th at 8:00p Central. The match will be streamable on ESPN+ from the SLCC Bruin Arena in Salt Lake, Utah.
Other Results
Prior to hosting Austin, Madison had grabbed their second win of the season in a three set-to-one victory over Nebraska on Friday, January 16th. Madison would easily win the first set before dropping a tightly contested second. Nebraska would manage to keep fighting but could not manage to grab any more sets on the road as Madison took sets three and four, ultimately winning the match. Former Austin player Anna Haak led Madison’s effort with 12 kills and three blocks, earning her player of the match honors.
After their Wednesday win against Austin, Atlanta travelled up north on Sunday, January 18th to Nebraska. It would not be a fruitful trip for Atlanta. Despite late leads in sets one, two, and three, Atlanta managed to get swept via runs to close out all three sets by the home squad. Nebraska managed to put together runs of 6-1, 7-2, and 6-2 to win all three sets by scores of 25-27, 21-25, and 20-25.
The woes for Houston continued on Thursday, January 23rd as they suffered their third sweep to Salt Lake, this one coming in Utah. Salt Lake hit an all-time league best .570 to cruise to the three set win over the visiting Houston squad, 12-25, 20-25, 20-25. Setter Jordyn Poulter anchored an outstanding offensive performance by Salt Lake, accounting for 41 assists and a kill of her own while expertly feeding her teammates for 50 kills in total by the home squad.
Standings (as of Thursday, January 22nd)
Austin - Record: 3-1, Sets: 10-9, Points: 410-384.
Madison - Record: 2-1, Sets: 8-4, Points: 265-249.
Salt Lake - Record: 2-1, Sets: 6-3, Points: 208-191.
Nebraska - Record: 2-2, Sets: 9-8, Points: 383-386.
Atlanta - Record: 1-2, Sets: 5-7, Points: 256-269.
Houston - Record: 0-3, Sets: 2-9, Points: 230-272.
Other League Upcoming Matches
Saturday, January 24th: LOVB Madison at LOVB Salt Lake - SLCC Bruin Arena, Salt Lake - 8:00p Central (Stream on Victory+)
Sunday, January 25th: LOVB Nebraska at LOVB Atlanta - Gateway Center Arena, Atlanta - 5:00p Central (Broadcast on ESPN2, Stream on ESPN+)
Wednesday, January 28th: LOVB Houston at LOVB Atlanta - OTE Arena, Atlanta - 7:00p Central (LOVB Match of the Week, Broadcast on USA Network)
LOVB Austin Song of the Week
Here’s what I’m listening to in anticipation of the upcoming week!
With winter weather hitting Texas for Austin’s home match in San Antonio, followed by a road trip to Salt Lake with some beautiful views of snow-capped mountains, we are jamming to some Snow on the Bluff by Evening Elephants. Check it out here:
and stay tuned as we build the 2026 LOVB Austin Playlist!