From staff reports
LOVB Austin went into Wednesday night with a chance to make a statement.
It left the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin with one.
Behind a match-high 27 points from Madisen Skinner and a steady all-around effort from Logan Eggleston, Austin outlasted LOVB Madison in five sets, handing the home team its first loss of the season with a 25-22, 21-25, 23-25, 25-12, 15-9 victory. It was Austin’s third five-set match of the young League One Volleyball season.
Austin (3-1) set the tone early by winning the opening set 25-22, but Madison (2-1) answered with its best stretch of the match in the middle frames. The hosts took the second set 25-21 and edged out a 25-23 win in the third after jumping out to an 8-2 lead.
With its back against the wall, Austin flipped the match in emphatic fashion.
“We know it’s do or die and we are trying to get to the point where we don’t have to have that pressure in order to play great volleyball,” Skinner said. “But until that comes, just making sure we’re staying in our systems and encouraging one another and having each other’s backs and all those amazing things that we try to do on a daily basis.”
The visitors raced to an 8-2 advantage in the fourth set and never let Madison settle in, rolling to a 25-12 win to force a decisive fifth.
Austin carried that momentum into the final set, breaking open a tight start with a strong run to take a 10-7 lead, then closing the door with crisp execution to finish off the 15-9 win.
“We’re not so concerned about peaking right now and playing our best volleyball,” said Austin head coach Erik Sullivan. “And the fact that we have moments of [strong play] and see it in us makes me very optimistic about our future.”
Skinner powered Austin’s offense with 24 kills while hitting .436 and added two aces. Eggleston finished with 20 points, including 15 kills and four aces, while also providing a strong defensive presence with 22 receptions.
Austin also got timely production from its middles. Asjia O’Neal totaled 13 points with six kills and five blocks, and Madi Banks added 13 kills and two blocks.
For Madison, Temi Thomas-Ailara led the way with 20 kills, while former LOVB Austin teammate Anna Haak and Callie Schwarzenbach added 10 kills apiece. Rookie Rebekah Allick had nine kills and a match-high five blocks.
Austin returns to action Saturday for a Texas showdown against LOVB Houston at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. First serve is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The match can be streamed on Victory+ for free.