Streaks End as Nebraska Falls in Five to Salt Lake
Published on March 14, 2026 under League One Volleyball (LOVB) News Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - A pair of LOVB Nebraska Volleyball streaks ended Saturday night in Salt Lake City as Nebraska fell to LOVB Salt Lake in five sets, 18-25, 25-21, 25-17, 26-28, 15-11.
Match Stats
"If you came to this match, you were treated with some high-level volleyball on both sides," said Nebraska head coach Suzie Fritz. "I don't know if that's [Salt Lake's] best, but it's the first time in a while they got their personnel together. I thought they played exceptionally well, but I thought we were pretty good, too. A couple points here or there, and maybe the outcome's different."
The loss snaps Nebraska's (6-8) three-match win streak and moves them out of a virtual tie for fourth place in the league standings with LOVB Austin. The top four teams advance to the League One Volleyball postseason this year.
Nebraska also saw its league-record set win streak fall, but not before getting expanded to 10 sets via a win in the opening frame. The visitors began the match Saturday night with an 8-0 run on the service of outside hitter Jordan Larson and cruised to a 25-18 first set win.
Salt Lake returned the favor, taking a quick three-point lead in the second and never relinquishing it. The home team pulled ahead in the middle of the third set to take the lead, but opposite Kimberley Drewniok landed 10 kills and Nebraska staved off three match points to force the deciding fifth set.
In the fifth, the teams traded points, seeing eight tie scores and four lead changes before Salt Lake outside hitter Claire Hoffman scored four points in a row, turning an 11-10 Nebraska lead into a 14-11 Salt Lake advantage and giving match point. Opposite Heidy Casanova finished it off for the home team with a kill.
Hoffman, named Player of the Match, made 23 kills on a .524 attack percentage while adding 11 digs. Fellow Salt Lake outside Alexa Gray led all players with 26 points. Casanova added 17.
As a team, Salt Lake hit .353 and made 12 blocks, compared to .306 and six, respectively, for Nebraska. The home team also outpassed the visitors .609-.510.
Larson set a season high with 22 points - 21 kills, one ace - while Drewniok also reached 22 - 20 kills on a .405 efficiency, two blocks - to lead Nebraska's offense. Outside Anne Buijs scored 15 points, and middle Emily Thater added 11. Setter Laura Dijkema made 57 assists for another season best.
"I'm very blessed with a lot of good attackers on this team," Dijkema said about her set distribution tonight. "It's a power of this team, that we have a very balanced attack, so I try to mix it up. We started the game with a lot of confidence, but this league is tough. Every opponent is strong, so we just try to play our best every game. We're going for it."
Next up for Nebraska is a home match against LOVB Atlanta (7-7), who sits just one game ahead in the standings. That contest begins at 7 p.m. Central on Wednesday March 18 and will be broadcast nationwide on USA Network as LOVB's Match of the Week.
League One Volleyball Stories from March 14, 2026
- Salt Lake Outlasts Nebraska in Five-Set Home Thriller - LOVB
- Salt Lake Outlasts Nebraska in Five-Set Home Thriller - LOVB
- Streaks End as Nebraska Falls in Five to Salt Lake - LOVB
- LOVB Atlanta Falls to Red-Hot LOVB Houston - LOVB Atlanta
- Houston Stays Hot with Sweep of Atlanta - LOVB Houston
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