LOVB Salt Lake City Clinch Playoff Berth with Season Final Home game Win
April 5, 2026
Manami Kojima notches another dig during the LOVB Salt Lake City LOVB Madison Match
There are nights in sports when the game feels bigger, more meaningful and the stakes the biggest they have been all season.
For LOVB Salt Lake City, their final home game of the season was one of these matches. Facing a win and you’re in, lose and your season is over situation, Salt Lake City rose to the occasion, defeating LOVB Madison in four sets 20-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-20 at the SLCC Bruin Arena to punch their ticket to the LOVB Playoffs.
After dropping the opening set 20-25 Salt Lake City dug in and fought back, led by Player of the Match Serena Gray who finished with 16 points on 12 kills, Heidy Casanova with 16 points on 16 kills while sett Jordy Poulter paced the offense leading them to a .311 attack efficiency with 52 assists and Manami Kojima anchored the back row displaying her defensive tenacity with 23 digs.
“This group has been through it, and they show up today and just battle. They just kept at it and props to them,” said head coach Tama Miyashiro. “This was our main goal; to make the playoffs so we could get in a position to win the championship. Our first goal is done.”
Serena Gray and Heidy Casanova defend against LOVB Madison
When asked what they had learned about themselves during the second half of the season facing adversities and being on the road Serena Gray said “we’ve had a couple of team meetings about buy ins and saying despite all of this we’re not going to give up on the season and just work on our goals. That’s the biggest thing we learned is just how heavy the season can get.”
With the win Salt Lake finishes the season with a record of 10-10 securing the 4th seed in the playoffs. After starting out the first half of the season on fire the team battled through the back half of the season never giving up, all the way until the season closer.
LOVB Salt Lake opens playoff action Friday, April 10 at 4:30 p.m. Mountain in Louisville, Kentucky. The two-set series against top-seeded LOVB Houston will conclude Sunday, April 12 at Noon Mountain with the winner facing the winner of LOVB Atlanta and LOVB Austin in the league championship.