San Diego Mojo Falls in Home Opener to Defending Champion Orlando
MLV San Diego Mojo

San Diego Mojo Falls in Home Opener to Defending Champion Orlando

Published on January 12, 2026 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
San Diego Mojo News Release


SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Mojo battled through four tightly contested sets in its home opener on Sunday afternoon but ultimately fell to the defending league champion Orlando Valkyries, 3-1 (26-24, 25-16, 23-25, 25-21), at Viejas Arena.

San Diego showed early energy in front of the home crowd, answering Orlando's opening point with a four-point run to seize early control of the first set. Middle blocker Marin Grote sparked the surge with a quick swing off the block to make it 9-6, but the Valkyries responded to tie the score at 10-10 and eventually moved ahead 13-11.

The Mojo stayed within striking distance, as a kill by outside hitter Grace Loberg ended an Orlando run and kept the deficit to one at the technical timeout, 16-15. Out of the break, Grote delivered a massive swing to level the score, and opposite Jovana Brakočević followed with a kill to put San Diego back in front, 17-16.

After trading points, San Diego captured two straight points on back-to-back kills by outside hitter Maya Tabron to force an Orlando timeout. Tabron continued the run with a third consecutive kill to push the lead to 20-17, and the Mojo maintained the advantage at 21-18. Orlando rallied late, however, reclaiming the lead at 23-22. The teams traded points down the stretch before the visitors closed out the set, 26-24.

Momentum carried into the second set for Orlando. After an early tie at 4-4, the Valkyries went on a dominant run to build a 17-10 lead. San Diego was unable to slow the surge as Orlando extended the margin to 23-14 and cruised to a 25-16 win.

The Mojo responded in set three with renewed intensity. Orlando jumped out to a 4-2 lead, but a kill by rookie outside hitter Hayden Kubik and a block from Grote tied the score at 4-4, setting the tone for a back-and-forth battle. An ace by Grote and a Loberg kill gave San Diego its first lead of the set, 9-8.

San Diego pushed the advantage to 14-11 following a kill by middle blocker McKenna Vicini and a Brakočević block, and Kubik's kill made it 16-13 at the technical timeout. A quick strike from setter Marlie Monserez extended the lead to 17-14, but Orlando came roaring back to tie the score at 19-19.

The set turned into a grind, with neither side able to capture momentum. San Diego reached set point at 24-23 after a powerful Grote attack, and Kubik sealed the set with a decisive swing down the middle to give the Mojo a 25-23 win.

Set four remained tight throughout. Orlando built an early 8-5 lead, but San Diego chipped away and tied the score at 12-12 on a Brakočević ace. The Valkyries answered by taking three of the next four points to lead 16-13 at the break.

A Vicini roof block cut the deficit to 19-16, and after Orlando moved ahead 22-18, the Mojo mounted one final push, scoring three straight points to pull within one. Orlando steadied down the stretch and closed out the match with a 25-21 win.

Monserez recorded the first Mojo double-double with 38 assists and 13 digs, while libero Shara Venegas posted a co-game-high 17 digs. Kubik added a career-high 11 kills to lead the team in just two sets. Brakočević and Grote each finished with 14 points; Brakočević had 10 kills, two aces and two blocks, while Grote added eight kills, three blocks, and tied the Mojo single-game record with three aces. Loberg contributed 10 points on nine kills and an ace and added 16 digs.

San Diego fell to 0-2 on the season. Orlando improved to 2-0 as the defending league champions.

The Mojo will next travel to Texas to face the Dallas Pride on Thursday, Jan. 15, at Comerica Arena. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. CT, with the match streaming live on YouTube.

San Diego will then return home Sunday, Jan. 18, to host the Atlanta Vibe at Viejas Arena. First serve is set for 4 p.m. PT. Fans can purchase tickets now at LetsGoMojo.com. For more information, contact the team at [email protected] or call 619-984-6656 (MOJO).

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Major League Volleyball Stories from January 12, 2026


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