Houston Falls in Four-set Battle at Home

HOUSTON, Texas — Feb. 19, 2026 — In a gritty, back-and-forth battle at the Fort Bend County Epicenter, LOVB Houston fell to LOVB Atlanta in four sets (29-27, 16-25, 25-22, 25-21), snapping the team’s six-match win streak.

Match Stats

The opening set delivered instant drama, with both teams trading points early before Houston found its rhythm and built a 21-15 lead. Fueled by a balanced offense and several Atlanta errors, Houston appeared in control, but Atlanta surged late. The set extended into extra points, where Atlanta edged Houston 29-27.

Houston answered decisively in the second, jumping out early behind a strong offensive push from outside hitter Jess Mruzik and opposite hitter Jordan Thompson and high-effort defensive plays from libero Lauren Briseño and setter Kaisa Alanko. Houston maintained control from start to finish, closing the set 25-16 to even the match.

The third set followed a similar script as the first with Houston holding the lead for much of the frame. Again, Atlanta flipped the set with a late run to claim the set 25-22.

Both teams went point for point through the early stages of the fourth set. Defensive grit highlighted the effort, including a foot save from middle blocker Amber Igiede, but Atlanta created separation late, closing the set 25-21 and clinching the match.

Despite the result, Jordan Thompson delivered a standout performance, posting a season-high 30 points, the second-best single match points total  in league history.

Houston (6-4) will now  head to Salt Lake City for a match at league-leading LOVB Salt Lake (8-1)  on Saturday, February 21 at 7 p.m. Central.  “We just have to learn from this match. We'll figure out what we need to do better. It's on to the next really quickly, and this will be a different game plan. We'll be better,” Mruzik said.

Fans can tune into Saturday’s contest between LOVB’s top two squads on Victory+.