Austin Battles Madison for First Place in the LOVB Standings
Published on January 21, 2026 under League One Volleyball (LOVB) News Release
LOVB Austin â- LOVB Madison
Tune in today, January 21 on USA at 8:00 PM (ET)
Week 3 kicks off in Wisconsin as LOVB Madison looks to defend its home turf against defending champions LOVB Austin. Madison comes into Week 3 ranking first in points per set and will rely on their balanced offense to take the W. Austin's keys to success will focus on a strong blocking performance - they out-blocked both teams to start the season 2-0. This will be a battle between the two teams at the top of the LOVB standings: LOVB Madison No. 1, LOVB Austin No. 2. Who will come out on top?
Players to watch:
Asjia O'Neal earned 14 points and hit .579 for LOVB Austin vs LOVB Atlanta in Week 2.
LOVB Madison's Callie Schwarzenbach was named Offensive Player of the Week after her monster performance vs LOVB Nebraska where she earned 17 points and hit .479 to lead Madison to victory.
LOVB Houston - LOVB Salt Lake
Tune in Thursday, January 22 on ESPN+ at 9:00 PM (ET)
In the second match of Week 3, LOVB Houston will travel to Salt Lake City for a rematch from Week 1 that saw LOVB Salt Lake sweep Houston. This will be a battle of offense as these two teams lead the league in kills per set (Houston ranks first, Salt Lake second). They also boast two of the biggest offensive weapons in the league: LOVB Houston's opposite hitter Jordan Thompson, LOVB Salt Lake's outside hitter Alexa Gray. Which offense will be stronger?
Players to watch:
LOVB Houston's star opposite Jordan Thompson currently ranks first in the league in kills per set with 4.88.
Newcomer Alexa Gray currently ranks first in points per set with 5.40 for LOVB Salt Lake.
LOVB Houston - LOVB Austin
Tune in Saturday, January 24 on Victory+ at 7:30 PM (ET)
The third match of the week will be a Texas showdown: LOVB Houston will face off against LOVB Austin in San Antonio. This will be the second match of the week for both teams. In the inaugural LOVB Pro season, LOVB Houston won the LOVB Classic while LOVB Austin claimed the league title at LOVB Finals. Which trophy winner will prove to claim No. 1 in the Lone Star State?
Players to watch:
Amber Igiede hit .500 and earned 14 points for LOVB Houston in Week 2's match against LOVB Nebraska.
Kotoe Inoue ranks second in the league in digs per set with 4.17.
LOVB Madison - LOVB Salt Lake
Tune in Saturday, January 24 on Victory+ at 9:00 PM (ET)
The fourth match of the week will consist of another Week 1 rematch: LOVB Salt Lake will look for revenge on their home court after being swept in Madison. These two teams are evenly matched and lead the league in both points per set and blocks per set (Madison topping both categories, Salt Lake second in both). Which team can outscore the other?
Players to watch:
LOVB Salt Lake's Manami Kojima currently leads all players in the league with 5.17 digs per set.
Gong Xiangyu became the first opposite hitter to earn Defensive Player of the Week honors after leading all players with 18 digs in LOVB Madison's win over LOVB Nebraska.
LOVB Nebraska - LOVB Atlanta
Tune in Sunday, January 25 on ESPN+ & ESPN2 at 6:00 PM (ET)
LOVB Nebraska and LOVB Atlanta face off for the second week in a row. Last Sunday, Nebraska got its first-ever win over Atlanta with a sweep at home. This week, Atlanta plays host. Nebraska won with a strong serving game, a category that Atlanta currently leads (aces per set), and serving could decide who wins in the final match of Week 3. Who takes round two?
Players to watch:
Kimberly Drewniok earned Player of the Match in LOVB Nebraska's sweep over LOVB Atlanta, earning 15 points and hitting .545 in the victory.
Tessa Grubbs led all players in the match with 26 points as she led LOVB Atlanta to a 3-1 win over LOVB Austin.
League One Volleyball Stories from January 21, 2026
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