HOUSTON, Texas — March 14, 2026 — LOVB Houston delivered a commanding performance Saturday night at the Berry Center, sweeping LOVB Atlanta 25-20, 25-19, 25-21 in the teams’ third meeting of the season.
Houston set the tone early with balanced offense and steady defensive pressure, improving its season record against Atlanta to 2–1 while continuing its strong run atop the LOVB Pro standings.
“I'm really proud of the team. Atlanta is a good team, a dangerous team. They can play really disciplined, good volleyball. We wanted to come out disciplined, we wanted to come out on edge,. ” said head coach Sanja Tomašević.
The home side controlled the opening set behind contributions across the lineup, led by outside hitter Jess Mruzik, who recorded six points in the frame. A notable moment came when setter Micha Hancock returned to action for the first time since January 22 and delivered an ace on her first serve, energizing the Berry Center crowd as Houston closed the set 25-20.
Houston carried that momentum into the second set, where the offense spread the scoring load even further. Opposite hitter Jordan Thompson, middle blocker Amber Igiede, and outside hitter Madi Rishel each played key roles during a mid-set surge that gave Houston control. Igiede added an ace during the run while Raphaela Folie contributed a block, helping Houston stretch the lead and eventually secure the set 25-19.
Atlanta pushed back in the third set, finding more rhythm offensively and building a late 19-17 advantage. Thompson sparked the rally with a kill and a service ace to tie the score, and Igiede delivered several crucial plays down the stretch. The middle blocker closed out the match with a kill to seal the 25-21 win and complete the sweep.
Igiede earned Player of the Match honors after posting 14 points on 10 kills, one ace, and three blocks. Thompson added 18 points with 17 kills and an ace, while Mruzik contributed eight kills, one block, and six digs in a well-rounded performance.
“I feel like there are things we have a standard for, and sometimes we're not on that standard every night but we find a way to win. That’s a huge strength of this team. We chip away at what we can get better at and it keeps us sharpening our sword,” said setter Micha Hancock.
LOVB Houston returns to the road next Saturday, March 21, to face LOVB Madison at the Alliant Energy Center. First serve is set for 6 p.m. Central and will be streamed live on Victory+.
