Trending up: LOVB Salt Lake clinches playoff berth with 4-set win in home finale

TAYLORSVILLE — Perhaps far too late for some with a team that started 8-1 in its second season, Salt Lake's League One Volleyball franchise still had a chance to clinch a playoff berth in Saturday night's regular-season finale at Salt Lake Community College.

Win, and you're in — and they are.

Serena Gray had 12 kills and three blocks, and Alexa Gray added 13 kills and 11 digs as LOVB Salt Lake clinched the final berth in the six-team league's postseason with a 20-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-20 win over LOVB Madison at SLCC's Bruin Arena.

U.S. Olympian Jordyn Poulter dished out 52 assists with 15 digs for Salt Lake (10-10), and Japanese international Manami Kojima had 23 digs to power a .291 hitting performance that included a 41.1% kill percentage in Salt Lake's first win since March 14.

Of course, that was also LOVB Salt Lake's last home match as the second-year franchise navigated a four-match road trip — and losing skid — without winning a single set.

After starting 8-1 with a home-friendly early slate, LOVB Salt Lake went 1-8 before Saturday's regular-season finale.

Travel and injuries piled up, including a lengthy spell without Poulter, the two-time Olympic medalist and LOVB founding athlete, to go with injuries to former Penn State star Haleigh Washington. Former Utah All-American Dani Drews also missed most of the season due to pregnancy, as adversity compounded with fatigue and frustrations.

"It's really easy when things are going your way to be positive," said Alexa Gray, the former BYU All-American who joined the club this season after playing professionally in Korea, Italy and Turkiye. "But I think this season really challenged us when we were going through that losing streak to connect with each other, with the coaches, and finding things that would help us find it again.

"No one wants to lose, to be 8-1 and then go 1-8," she added. "There was a lot of learning this season, for me especially. And I think we need to figure out a way to grit it out a little bit more."

That led to Saturday's match, which became something of a microcosm of Salt Lake's season. This time, when adversity struck, LOVB Salt Lake struck back.

After dropping the first set to Madison 25-20, Salt Lake fought back in the second to try to tie it up.

Poulter went up for a joust at the net to push the hosts in front 23-21. LOVB Madison threatened a comeback, but Claire Hoffman put the set away 25-23 with her fifth kill to tie the match at one set apiece.

Gray wasn't ready to be done, reaching to put down a well-placed set from Poulter to jump out to a 14-10 lead in the third, and Serena Gray scored three times during a 6-1 run that stretched Salt Lake's lead as high as 20-11.

Serena Gray's eighth attack of the set helped push Salt Lake in front, 2-1 with a 25-18 third-set win.

Salt Lake had all the momentum — and never let up.

Alexa Gray roofed an attempt, leapfrogging the hosts to a 17-12 lead in the fourth set with her second block of the night.

Salt Lake out-hit Madison with 62 kills to 54, including 16 from Heidy Casanova and double-digit kills from Serena Gray (12), Alexa Gray (13) and Hoffman (12).

"I think if we show up like we did in the last three sets, we can give Houston a run for their money," Alexa Gray said. "We proved that in the first half of the season that we can be a dominant team."

LOVB Salt Lake will open the four-team playoffs Friday, April 10 against top-seeded LOVB Houston (13-7). The winner will face the winner of LOVB Atlanta and LOVB Austin in the league championship match a week later in Long Beach, California.

The championship match will be broadcast on USA Network.

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