MADISON, Wis. - January 10, 2026 - LOVB Madison set the tone for the 2026 season Saturday with a strong three-set sweep of LOVB Salt Lake at the Alliant Energy Center. They defeated Salt Lake 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-18) with impact performances from a handful of fresh faces.
“We've been working really hard for two months,” said head coach Matt Fuerbringer. “But the part I'm most impressed with is we had nine new players. And to come out and just look that together on the court was just— Yeah, it was really fun as a coach to watch that.”
Madison was led by opposite hitter Gong Xiangyu who earned MVP in her LOVB debut. She put up 15 points, 12 kills, two aces and one block point to take charge in the sweep of Salt Lake. Temi Thomas-Ailara joined her teammate with double-digit kills, recording 10 on the day. The duo put up 22 of the team’s 36 kills on Saturday evening.
When Gong was asked about what it is she needs to improve on she responded, “Steady. More steady”.
Serena Gray led Salt Lake with seven kills and two block points. Roni Jones-Perry put up seven kills and one block point. Overall, Madison led Salt Lake 36-34 in attacks, 13-10 in blocks, and had the advantage in opponent errors.
This is the second second consecutive year that Madison hosted Salt Lake to begin their home schedule. In 2025, with a five-set thriller that went in favor of LOVB Madison.
“It was great all around us being able to secure a win at home,” said Founding Athlete Lauren Carlini. “The first one, we never know the first match where you put all this work in and you're playing each other for months on end, and you finally get to go compete against someone else. And it's like unleashing the beast.”
Looking ahead, LOVB Madison stays home for their next matchup. They host LOVB Nebraska on Friday, January 16 at 7:00 PM CT. Tickets for the match are available for purchase and fans can watch on Victory+.
