Nebraska Drops Midweek Tilt to Red-Hot Houston

ROSENBERG, Texas – February 11, 2026 – In the final LOVB Pro match prior to the 2026 LOVB Classic, LOVB Houston extended its winning streak to five after sweeping LOVB Nebraska (25-21, 25-17, 25-14) at the Fort Bend County Epicenter on Wednesday evening.

Nebraska (3-5) was led by opposite hitter Kimberly Drewniok. The German veteran reached the 15-point mark in a match for the fifth time this season, recording 14 kills and an ace on the night. She has become the sixth athlete in the league to surpass the 100-kill mark on the season.

“I thought [Houston] played exceptionally well,” said Nebraska head coach Suzie Fritz. “We tried a lot of things, threw a lot of things at it, and nothing stuck. Probably not our best performance, but I really thought they were exceptionally good.”

Houston (5-3) rarely seemed to miss on the attack tonight, having three athletes swinging .480 or higher on 10+ attempts while the team hit at a .455 clip, good for second all-time in a single-match in league history. Opposite hitter Jordan Thompson led all athletes with 18 points and 18 kills. Outside hitter Jess Mruzik added on a 17-point, 14-kill performance to complement the league leader in points and kills.

“I think [the team] did a great job executing the game plan, especially offensively, “ said Houston head coach Sanja Tomašević. “Our setter ran a great offense and I think our passing was good at times for her to do what she does best. We’re happy to walk away with a 3-0 victory so we can get some rest tomorrow before we head to Kansas City.”

All six LOVB Pro teams will descend upon Kansas City, Missouri, this weekend for the 2026 LOVB Classic. LOVB Nebraska will feature in the second match of the event, taking on LOVB Atlanta on Saturday, February 14. The match is set to start at 4:30 p.m. Central and will be broadcast on ESPN+.