From staff reports
LOVB Houston once again owned the Texas Showdown rivalry.
Houston (4-3) rallied from a two-sets-to-one deficit to outlast Austin in a five-set thriller Saturday night, pulling away late for a 25-20, 22-25, 18-25, 25-19, 15-10 victory at the Berry Center in Houston.
Houston owns the all-time series 5-1.
Houston set the tone early in the opening frame after Austin (5-4) jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead. A five-point run flipped momentum, and Houston built a 13-8 cushion midway through the set behind production from Jordan Thompson, Karin Palgutova and Rafaela Folie. Austin trimmed the deficit late behind Madisen Skinner, but Folie closed the set with a block to give Houston a 25-20 edge.
Austin answered in set two with a sharper offensive rhythm. Setter Brie O’Reilly consistently found Molly McCage in the middle, and Austin led wire-to-wire before closing the frame 25-22 to even the match.
Momentum swung decisively in Austin’s favor in the third.
The visitors opened on a 6-0 run, tightened defensively at the net and slowed Houston’s right-side attack with disciplined blocking. Big swings from Skinner and Madi Banks helped Austin pull away for a 25-18 win and a 2-1 match lead.
Facing elimination, Houston steadied itself in front of a loud home crowd in the fourth set. After trading points early, Jess Mruzik ignited the offense with a three-kill run, and Thompson added a key finish to push Houston in front. Austin stayed within striking distance behind strong net play from Asjia O’Neal, but Houston closed the set 25-19 to force a decisive fifth.
Set five opened evenly before Houston created separation with a run that pushed the lead to 10-7. Austin responded with a Logan Eggleston kill and a clutch ace from rookie Bailey Miller to cut the deficit to one, but Houston answered with timely sideouts and a late ace to close the match 15-10.
Thompson tied her season high with 24 points to lead Houston. Madi Rishel added 16 points, Folie posted a season-high 13 points with six blocks, and Mruzik finished with 10 points. Setter Kaisa Alanko dished out 48 assists while guiding Houston to a .287 hitting percentage.
“What a fun night,” said Houston head coach Sanja Tomašević. “It was a high-quality match on both sides of the net, with some really good rallies. Austin did a great job tonight — they came in ready after the last time we played them. Our group was ready to protect the home court, and I’m really proud of them.”
Skinner led Austin with 20 points, while Eggleston added 17. O’Neal finished with 18 points and five blocks, and McCage chipped in seven points from the middle.
“I am happier with how we competed in that match,” said Austin head coach Erik Sullivan. “I think Houston is really good. They put a lot of pressure on you with their serve and defense.”
Houston returns to action Wednesday, hosting LOVB Nebraska at the Fort Bend County Epicenter. Austin heads to Kansas City for the LOVB Classic and will face LOVB Salt Lake on Friday.