Mojo Outlast Vibe in Five-Set Thriller for Historic Win at Viejas Arena
MLV San Diego Mojo

Mojo Outlast Vibe in Five-Set Thriller for Historic Win at Viejas Arena

Published on January 19, 2026 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
San Diego Mojo News Release


SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Mojo secured their first win of the 2026 season and the first for head coach Alisha Childress on Sunday night, outlasting the Atlanta Vibe in a five-set battle, 26-24, 26-28, 25-19, 19-25, 15-13, at Viejas Arena.

Grace Loberg turned in a career performance, with the outside hitter finishing with career highs of 26 points, 23 kills and 17 digs for her first double-double of the season while hitting .397. Setter Marlie Monserez recorded her third straight double-double with 55 assists and 19 digs, and libero Shara Venegas collected her second 20-dig performance of the year with 22 digs.

Outside hitter Maya Tabron added her first double-double of the season with 10 kills and 15 digs, while opposite hitter Jovana Brakoèević registered a season-high 21 points on 19 kills.

San Diego claimed the opening set after a back-and-forth battle that featured nine ties. Loberg opened the scoring with a kill and later gave the Mojo a 23-20 advantage with a soft touch into the middle of the defense. Atlanta rallied to even the score at 24-24, but after a Vibe service error, Tabron finished the frame with a kill down the middle to secure the 26-24 win.

The Vibe answered in the second set, jumping out to an early lead before Brakoèević sparked a 5-1 Mojo run to give San Diego its first advantage at 10-9. Atlanta regained control and built a four-point lead at the media timeout, 16-12. The Mojo fought off set point behind consecutive kills from Loberg and Brakoèević, with Loberg tying the score at 24-24. After trading the next four points, an illegal substitution proved costly for San Diego as Atlanta closed out the set, 28-26.

San Diego responded emphatically in the third set, opening with three straight points and holding the lead after a Brakoèević block to go up 5-2. After Atlanta briefly moved ahead, the Mojo reclaimed control and pushed the margin to 21-18 following back-to-back Brakoèević kills. Loberg later delivered an ace to bring up set point, and a Vibe hitting error sealed the 25-19 decision.

The fourth set featured another tightly contested start before Atlanta used a late run to take a four-point lead at the media timeout. Rookie outside hitter Hayden Kubik scored out of the break to help San Diego close the gap, but the Vibe pulled away late to take the set, 25-19, and force a decisive fifth.

The final set delivered a tense finish, with neither team leading by more than two early on. A Brakoèević ace and an Atlanta net violation gave the Mojo momentum, and a Loberg block, Tabron ace and Monserez block extended the lead to 11-6. Atlanta stormed back to tie the score at 12-12, but Loberg responded with a kill to regain the lead before a block by middle blocker McKenna Vicini put San Diego at match point. Loberg closed out the match two points later, sealing the 15-13 victory.

As a team, San Diego posted a season-best .366 hitting percentage and logged several single-game top-10 marks in franchise history, including 70 kills (fourth), five aces (tied for 10th), 63 assists (seventh) and 88 digs (fifth).

Individually, Loberg's 23 kills tied for the fifth-most in a match in Mojo history, while her 26 points ranked sixth. Monserez's 55 assists were the fifth-most in team history, and Venegas' 22 digs tied for sixth, giving her eight 20-dig matches with the Mojo, the most in franchise history.

The victory improved San Diego to 1-3 on the season and marked the Mojo's first win in nine all-time meetings with Atlanta. The Vibe, who were coming off a five-set road win at Omaha on Friday, fell to 2-2.

The Mojo return home Friday, Jan. 23, to host the Grand Rapids Rise at Viejas Arena. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT. Mojo fans can purchase tickets at LetsGoMojo.com. For more information, contact the team at tickets@letsgomojo.com or call 619-984-6656 (MOJO).

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Volleyball Stories from January 19, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central