ATLANTA, Georgia — January 28, 2026 — LOVB Atlanta returned to the friendly confines of OTE Arena Wednesday night for a four-set battle against LOVB Houston, falling short 3-1 (25-22, 26-28, 25-22, 25-23).
Atlanta dropped the opening set to Houston despite a late surge. After trailing early, Atlanta built momentum down the stretch, knotting the score at 19-19, 21-21, and again at 22-22. However, Houston held firm in the closing points and secured the set, 25-22.
The hosts came out strong in the second, opening with a 3–0 run that Houston couldn’t immediately answer. Houston caught fire late, trimming the deficit to two points before closing within one at 23–22. The set turned into a tense set-point battle, but opposite hitter Tessa Grubbs landed a kill and middle blocker Tia Jimerson followed with an ace to secure Atlanta set victory, 28–26.
Houston opened the fourth set with a 4–0 run and maintained the advantage at the halfway point. Atlanta pulled back within striking distance at 20–19, but came no closer as Houston closed out the set 25–22.
Atlanta took early control of a contentious fourth set 10-6, but Houston pulled back into a tie at 14-all. Outside hitter Ivonee Montaño landed back-to-back kills to put Atlanta back up by two, and a later kill from the Colombian gave the home team a 19-16 advantage, but Houston couldn’t be held off and secured the fourth and final set, 25–23.
Libero Piyanut Pannoy anchored the defense, leading the team with 16 digs, while Rachel Fairbanks and Adams McKenzie followed with 13 digs each. Grubbs commanded the offensive court, pacing Atlanta with 24 points – 20 kills, two aces and two blocks – and outside hitter McKenzie Adams added 16 total points. As a team, Atlanta also recorded 10 service aces, tying a franchise-best first set last season.
“We have to look for more consistency during the game, more good moments during the game,” said head coach Paulo Coco. “The details are so important. A little more consistency during the game, taking care of the simple things all the time makes a difference, and a clearer mind to make better decisions.”
LOVB Atlanta returns to the court Saturday, January 28, to face LOVB Salt Lake at Bruin Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. First serve is set for 9 p.m. Eastern, and fans can stream the match live on Victory+.
