Setter Carli Lloyd named player of the match with 45 assists
From staff reports
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – Former Texas Longhorn Madisen Skinner has never lost in a championship match.
That streak continued on Sunday as Skinner and LOVB Austin swept Omaha 25-19, 25-22, 25-23 to win the inaugural League One Volleyball championship.
LOVB Austin, the fifth seed, entered Sunday’s final after pulling a reverse sweep twice in the quarterfinals on Thursday and again Friday in the semifinals.
No miricles were needed on Sunday as LOVB Austin dominated from first serve and led nearly every statistical category. The champions out-blocked sixth-seeded Omaha 16-3 and hit 143 points higher (.360 – .217 attack efficiency). Austin setter Carli Lloyd earned player of the match honors with 45 assists, nine digs and six points.
“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Skinner said. “We came out here, closed it out and gave it everything we had. At the end of the day, I’m so proud of this group and I’m proud to be in Austin and in this league.”
Skinner scored 21 points – 17 kills, four blocks – and added five digs. She was named LOVB Finals most valuable player leading all players with 63 kills on a .277 attack percentage, six blocks and four aces. The rookie added 22 digs over three matches.
Founding Athlete and outside hitter Logan Eggleston played one of her best matches of the season, scoring a season-high 22 points on 17 kills (.469 attack efficiency) and five blocks.
Middle blockers Chiaka Ogbogu and Molly McCage added seven points apiece, and outside Anna Haak made three kills, one ace, one block and 10 digs.
The match ended League One Volleyball’s first professional season. Six teams played 48 regular season matches and seven at the LOVB Classic, a midseason tournament won by LOVB Houston.
LOVB Austin had a long list of former Longhorns on the roster that included Kat Bell, Asjia O’Neal, Saige Ka’ah’aina-Torres, Zoe Jarvis, Juliann Faucette, McCage, Eggleston, Ogbogu and Skinner.
