SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – January 29, 2026 – LOVB Salt Lake extended their home winning streak at the Bruin Arena Thursday night, coming back from a two-set deficit to defeat LOVB Austin in a five-set marathon (20-25, 23-25, 25-19, 25-20, 15-10).
“A deep team win,” Salt Lake head coach Tama Miyashiro said after the match. “Even in some of the low parts, we were in it and chipping away and trying to figure out some things.”
Outside hitter Alexa Gray earned Player of the Match honors after a dominant offensive performance, leading all scorers with 26 points – 24 kills, two blocks – and nine digs. While Salt Lake dropped the first two sets, the momentum shifted in the third with the entry of opposite Skylar Fields. Acting as the team’s spark, Fields ignited the comeback over the final three sets, tallying 13 points, 10 kills on 20 swings (.400 hitting efficiency), three blocks and nine digs.
“Tama always tells us to be ready. Tonight, I was waiting for my number to be called,” Fields said. “I went out there and had a lot of trust in my teammates. It tasted good, it felt good, I had a blast out there.”
Setter Jordyn Poulter, the league's reigning Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, steered the Salt Lake offense to success. Poulter recorded a personal LOVB-best 58 assists and added four points, including three aces. In the middle, Sophie Fischer led the team with six blocks while outside hitter Roni Jones-Perry continued to put the pressure on with 18 points, 17 from the attack. Defensively, libero Manami Kojima was a wall in the backcourt, racking up 19 digs to keep the Bruin Arena crowd on its feet.
Austin’s Asjia O’Neal led her team with 20 points and six blocks, with Logan Eggleston and Molly McCage adding double-digit kills of their own (11 and 10 respectively).
LOVB Salt Lake (4-1) looks to stay on top of the league as they conclude a four-match homestand this Saturday, January 31, against LOVB Atlanta at 7 p.m. Mountain. That match can be streamed for free on Victory+.
