Dallas Pulse Advance to 2026 MLV Championship Match in 3-1 Victory over San Diego Mojo
MLV Dallas Pulse

Dallas Pulse Advance to 2026 MLV Championship Match in 3-1 Victory over San Diego Mojo

Published on May 8, 2026 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
Dallas Pulse News Release


Dallas Pulse after their MLV Semifinal win
Dallas Pulse after their MLV Semifinal win
(Dallas Pulse)

FRISCO, Texas - In its inaugural season, the Dallas PULSE (1-0) advanced to the 2026 MLV Championship match with a four-set semifinal victory (28-30, 25-18, 25-17, 25-10) over the San Diego Mojo (0-1) on Thursday night at Comerica Center in the franchise's first-ever postseason appearance.

MLV's tough tandem of Dallas PULSE outside hitters Sofia Maldonado Diaz and Mimi Colyer once again powered the offense, combining for 48 points and 39 kills. Maldonado Diaz led all players with 25 points on 21 kills (.212) and four blocks, while adding 18 digs for a double-double. Colyer followed with 23 points on 18 kills (.306), three blocks, and two aces, while recording an assist and 12 digs for a double-double. Both Maldonado Diaz and Colyer tied the MLV Championship record for most points in a single set with 10 apiece, accomplished in the third and second sets, respectively. Pin hitter Kaylee Cox added 17 points on 15 kills (.591) and two blocks, while also posting three assists and 11 digs for a double-double. Middle blocker Tristin Savage totaled 12 points on four kills (.333) and a MLV Championship match-record eight blocks, while middle blocker Kaitlyn Hord added three kills (.375) and a block. Setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson orchestrated the offense with 50 assists and 14 digs for a double-double, while adding three kills (.750) and three blocks. Dallas finished with a .333 team hitting efficiency, alongside 87 points - a new MLV Championship match record - while also totaling 69 digs, 60 assists, and 21 blocks, setting another championship match record for team blocks.

For the Mojo, outside hitter Grace Loberg totaled 14 points on 13 kills (.211) and a block, while adding 10 digs for a double-double. Opposite Jovana Brakočević recorded 13 points on 11 kills and a block, while outside hitter and former SMU Mustang Maya Tabron chipped in 11 points on nine kills and a block to go along with 13 digs for a double-double. Middle blocker Taylor Sandbothe finished with seven kills and two blocks, middle blocker Marin Grote added four kills, two blocks, and an ace, and opposite Morgan Lewis posted a block. Setter Marlie Monserez tallied 32 assists and six digs while adding a kill. San Diego finished with a .108 hitting efficiency, 60 digs, 41 assists, and eight blocks.

Maldonado Diaz opened the scoring for the PULSE, helping spark an early 8-5 lead behind a kill from Savage, a Colyer block, and a Cox putaway off an overpass. San Diego answered midway through the set, using a Loberg kill and a Grote ace to take a 17-14 advantage. Dallas briefly reclaimed momentum with a 4-0 run, but the set remained tightly contested, with multiple ties and lead changes. Tabron and Loberg ultimately combined to close the frame and secure the 30-28 opening-set win for the Mojo.

The PULSE responded emphatically in the second, racing out to a 9-3 lead behind a dominant stretch from Valentin-Anderson, who contributed two kills and a block during the run. Dallas later extended the margin to 14-7 before the Mojo rallied within two at the technical timeout. Colyer halted San Diego's momentum with a three-kill surge, and a late 4-0 Dallas run sealed the 25-18 set victory to even the match.

The third set featured another back-and-forth battle early before Colyer ignited a decisive 7-0 PULSE run from the service line, delivering two aces while Maldonado Diaz added three kills and Savage added a block to push Dallas ahead 20-12. Maldonado Diaz later took over down the stretch with a four-point burst that included three kills and a block to secure the 25-17 win. She totaled nine kills in the set, tying for the second-most kills ever recorded in a single set in MLV Championship history.

Dallas dominated the fourth set from the opening serve, using an early 5-0 run and later a massive 14-point surge to overwhelm the Mojo. The PULSE held San Diego to just 10 points in the frame while recording six consecutive blocks during the stretch, finishing with nine total blocks in the set - a new MLV Championship single-set record. Dallas hit .308 in the final frame after posting efficiencies of .212, .424, and .455 in the previous three sets.

The No. 2 Dallas PULSE will face the No. 4 Omaha Supernovas in the MLV Championship "Match For A Million" on Saturday, May 9, at 2 p.m CT. Fans can watch the match live on ION.

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Dallas Pulse after their MLV Semifinal win
Dallas Pulse after their MLV Semifinal win
   



Major League Volleyball Stories from May 8, 2026


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