LOVB Announces 2026 Season Awards

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – April 10, 2026 – League One Volleyball (LOVB) today announced its 2026 season award winners, highlighting positional honors for six athletes and one coach whose exceptional on-court contributions stood out among their peers in LOVB’s second pro season.

adidas is the sponsor of both the 2026 LOVB Season MVP award and the 2026 LOVB Finals MVP, which will be announced following the LOVB Finals in Los Angeles. “The positional awards are presented by Everest Group, Ltd. (“Everest”), and the Coach of the Year award is presented by BSN SPORTS Club Direct.

Below is the full list of 2026 LOVB season award winners:

• 2026 Most Valuable Player, presented by adidas: 
  • Jordan Thompson, LOVB Houston
• 2026 Positional Awards, presented by Everest: 
  • 2026 Middle Blocker of the Year: Amber Igiede, LOVB Houston
  • 2026 Libero of the Year: Manami Kojima, LOVB Salt Lake
  • 2026 Opposite Hitter of the Year: Jordan Thompson, LOVB Houston
  • 2026 Outside Hitter of the Year: Jordan Larson, LOVB Nebraska
  • 2026 Setter of the Year: Kaisa Alanko, LOVB Houston
• 2026 Coach of the Year, presented by BSN SPORTS Club Direct: 
  • Sanja Tomašević, LOVB Houston

Houston opposite Jordan Thompson had the most dominant season by any player in League One Volleyball's two-year history, shattering last year's records with 455 points (6.15 per set) and 423 kills (5.72 per set). She finished at least 120 clear of anyone else in both categories, doing so on a .362 attack efficiency, the highest mark among LOVB pin hitters. The two-time Olympic medalist scored at least 30 points in four separate matches, including a then-record 32 on March 11 before equaling that mark on April 4. Fierce from the service line as well, Thompson held opponents to a .392 in-system passing mark, fifth-best in the league, and tallied 13 aces.

Amber Igiede was a consistent force in the middle all season for LOVB Houston. Strong in every facet of the game, she finished sixth in the league with 38 blocks while adding 203 total points, 153 kills on a .461 attack efficiency, and 12 aces. The second-year pro turned in one of the most efficient matches in league history on January 24, scoring on 9 of 11 swings (.818 attack efficiency) against LOVB Austin, one of 12 matches this season in which she reached double digits in points.

Libero Manami Kojima successfully defended her Libero of the Year title, cementing herself as the standard for the position in LOVB. She became the first athlete in league history to reach 250 digs in a season, finishing with 256 (3.46 per set), and ranked second with a .631 good pass percentage and 2.73 pass efficiency while anchoring Salt Lake's serve receive. The Miyagi, Japan, native earned Defensive Player of the Week honors twice this season.

Jordan Larson is adding to her overflowing trophy cabinet after a remarkable final season. The Hooper, Nebraska, product finished fifth with 234 kills and sixth with 267 points while also recording 15 aces, fourth-best in LOVB. Larson elevated her game as the season progressed, setting personal LOVB highs in points four times after February 22. A key contributor in LOVB Nebraska's passing game, she tallied 183 digs and a .485 good pass percentage on 359 receptions.

Kaisa Alanko went from reserve to remarkable in 2026, directing the league's most potent offense. She led LOVB with a .337 setting efficiency while finishing second with 10.6 assists per set (765 total). Just as impactful on defense, Alanko led the league with a .544 good touch percentage and ranked first among all setters with 2.64 digs per set. Largely a reserve in 2025, she stepped into the starting role before the season began after presumed starter Micha Hancock went down to injury and never looked back, leading Houston to a regular season title.

In her first year at the helm of LOVB Houston, Sanja Tomašević transformed a talented roster into a regular season champion. She guided the squad to a 13-7 record despite losing Hancock in the preseason and navigating the year with two rookie liberos. Under Tomašević, Houston equaled the league's single-match scoring record with 94 points on January 11 and set team records in kills, attack efficiency, and dig percentage.

The LOVB Playoffs take place April 10-12 in Louisville, Ky., with the LOVB Championship set for April 16 and 18 at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif., where the league's top two teams will compete for the LOVB Championship Trophy presented by Tiffany & Co. Matches will be carried on USA Network and ESPN+. The 2026 LOVB Finals MVP, presented by adidas, will be announced after the championship concludes, extending adidas's partnership and commitment to elevating player performance on and off the court. Please visit lovb.com/schedule for match and air times.

For more information about League One Volleyball, please visit www.lovb.com.