ATLANTA, Georgia — January 28, 2026 — Continuing its upward swing, LOVB Houston earned its second straight win Wednesday night, taking down LOVB Atlanta in four sets, 25-22, 26-28, 25-22, 25-23, at OTE Arena.
Houston entered the match looking to build on momentum from last weekend’s sweep of LOVB Austin. Opposite hitter Jordan Thompson, with heavy support from outside hitters Madi Rishel and Jess Mruzik, scored eight kills and set the tone in a tightly contested first set. Rookie setter Maddie Waak made her professional debut for Houston, connecting with former Texas A&M teammate Logan Lednicky on a key kill to reach set point, which Rishel earned with a block as Houston closed the opener 25-22.
Atlanta responded in the second set, applying sustained offensive pressure and controlling the early points behind strong passing. Houston surged to force extra points, but Atlanta held steady, edging out Houston 28-26.
“I’m really proud of how we fought in the second set. I think we did a great job recovering quickly. Making eye contact, tight huddles, and executing the game plan” said middle blocker Amber Igiede.
Houston regained control in the third, using a 9-3 start to dictate tempo. Atlanta clawed back to tie the set at 20-20, but Houston answered down the stretch with timely plays from Thompson and Igiede, who added three kills and a block in the set to help secure the 25-22 win.
The fourth set followed a similar script until a contentious challenge gave Atlanta a 15-14 lead, ratcheting up emotions and evening earning Houston head coach Sanja Tomašević a yellow card. Atlanta took a 19-16 lead late in the frame, but Thompson took over, making plays at the net and in transition and scoring four of Houston’s final five points to close out the frame 25-23 and complete the road win.
“We’ve been trying to work to find this consistency and sense of urgency. How do we come out each game and have a sense of urgency from the beginning? We know it’s not just a light switch you can turn on whenever you feel like it.” Thompson said. “Every team in this league is so strong, and of course Atlanta really challenged us. They pushed us a lot and I think that’s good for us to have teams continue to test us.”
Thompson led all players with 26 points on 24 kills and two blocks, adding five digs and an assist. The two-time Olympic medalist hit .404, her highest attack efficiency of the season. Igiede finished with 10 kills, four blocks and seven digs, while Rishel contributed seven kills, four blocks, and eight digs. Setter Kaisa Alanko orchestrated the offense with 50 assists, two aces and 10 digs.
LOVB Houston returns home to the Berry Center Sunday, February 1, to face LOVB Madison for the first time this season. First serve is set for 5:30 p.m. CT, with the match airing live on ESPN2.
