We’re coming into the final weeks of League One Volleyball’s 2026 regular season, and the excitement is peaking. All six teams are still in postseason contention, four can still win the regular season title, and athletes across the league are making incredible efforts all over the court.
One of those hitting her stride is living legend Jordan Larson. The LOVB Nebraska outside hitter is hanging up her kneepads at the end of the season and playing with a ferocity that few can match.
“I’m really just trying to take each opportunity,” she said after a stellar 20-kill, .645-efficiency match against LOVB Austin last week. “I’ve always felt that going out and playing, but we’re coming down to crunch time and how can I leave it all out there with no regrets. I’m going down swinging.”
Lately, when she’s been swinging, the ball’s been finding the floor. Larson has set LOVB personal bests in kills, points and attack efficiency – or all three – during four of her last seven matches. Last week, she led all players with 30 kills and 37 points in two matches, including that Player-of-the-Match-winning tally of 20 kills, four blocks and an ace to lead Nebraska past Austin.
Larson’s rise coincides with a turnaround in Nebraska’s postseason hopes. Currently 7-9, the team is 4-3 since Larson caught fire on February 22, and two of those losses came in five sets. With last week’s win, Nebraska took over fourth place in the league standings from Austin. Only the top four teams make the LOVB Playoffs this season.
Larson, who joined LOVB Nebraska’s ownership group last summer, isn’t the only reason for the turnaround. Setter Laura Dijkema has paced the offense to a .300 efficiency mark in five of the last six matches, and Nebraska’s the only team with three athletes at 30 or more blocks on the year.
Still, Larson’s leadership and experience has been critical for Nebraska down the stretch. Thanks to her, to Dijkema, the middles and everyone else on the roster, Nebraska has “great potential to go really far,” according to head coach Suzie Fritz.
As for how the 39-year-old is doing the things she’s doing, Larson stays modest.
“I’m very lucky that I’ve had phenomenal coaches along the way,” she said during a press conference after the Austin match, ”I can really see blocks in front of me and what’s happening and I can fit around them and adjust. I’m grateful that I’ve learned the ability to see and respond appropriately with what’s given situationally. And obviously years of experience.
“But I was lucky tonight.”
“Noooooo. No way,” Nebraska opposite Kimberly Drewniok quickly interjected.
“I feel like you’re just saying that,” agreed Fritz. “The tools at her disposal are remarkable.”
Remarkable: a great word to describe Larson’s skill, her presence, her career. Which, if she has anything to say about it, will last a week or two longer than previously announced.
Playoff Updates
LOVB Houston | 11-5
- LOVB Houston clinched a postseason berth last week.
- One and a half matches ahead of second-place LOVB Atlanta, Houston can clinch the regular season title by winning out (three matches remaining) or keeping within one of Atlanta’s win total for the rest of the season.
- Houston currently leads the tiebreaker between Atlanta and will clinch it by winning at least one set in their match April 4 or by keeping the point differential at 20 or smaller in a 3-0 Atlanta sweep.
LOVB Atlanta | 9-7
- LOVB Atlanta moved into second place last week and can clinch a postseason berth by beating LOVB Nebraska Wednesday, March 25.
- Should they lose Wednesday, Atlanta can still clinch with a win Saturday, March 28 and a loss for both Austin and Madison during the week.
- Atlanta will remain in contention for a league title with at least one win or a Houston loss.
- Atlanta owns the tiebreaker against both LOVB Salt Lake and LOVB Austin. They can also clinch the tiebreaker against LOVB Nebraska by winning at least one set Wednesday.
LOVB Salt Lake | 9-7
- Despite falling to third place last week, LOVB Salt Lake is just two wins away from clinching a LOVB Playoff berth. Alternatively, they would also clinch with one win and if two of Austin/Madison/Nebraska reach 11 losses.
- Salt Lake also remains in contention for the regular season title but must get a combination of five Salt Lake wins and Houston losses while finishing ahead of Atlanta in the standings.
- With last week’s loss, Salt Lake ceded the head-to-head tiebreaker to LOVB Atlanta but has clinched the tiebreak with Houston. Tiebreaks with Nebraska, Austin and Madison are currently in flux.
LOVB Nebraska | 7-9
- LOVB Nebraska is still in control of their own destiny and can clinch a postseason berth by winning each of its remaining four matches
- Alternatively, Nebraska will advance with a combination of four Nebraska wins and Austin losses provided Nebraska finishes tied with or ahead of LOVB Madison in the standings.
- Nebraska is technically still in the running for the league title but would need to win out, Houston to lose out, and both Atlanta and Salt Lake could win no more than two matches.
- The team only holds one head-to-head tiebreaker – against Madison due to set win percentage – but can still win tiebreakers against each of the other four teams.
LOVB Austin | 7-10
- The clearest path for Austin to remain postseason-eligible includes two Austin wins, two Nebraska losses, and claiming the tiebreaker against Nebraska with a win or narrow five-set loss on April 4.
- Austin can also hold the tiebreaker over Madison with a win on March 26, but they have lost or currently trail in tiebreaking scenarios to Atlanta and Salt Lake.
- Nebraska cannot pass Houston and is out of the running for the regular season title.
LOVB Madison | 6-10
- Even after last week’s upset of LOVB Houston, LOVB Madison still has their work cut out in order to clinch a playoff berth. Madison could advance through a three-team tiebreaker at 8-12 among Nebraska, Austin and Madison (Madison winning twice, Nebraska and Austin each only once), but the path is significantly wider with three or four wins for Madison.
- Nebraska has clinched the tiebreaker over Madison via set win percentage, but Madison can still claim the advantage over both Austin and Atlanta. The winner of March 26’s match between Austin and Madison will also claim that head-to-head breaker, and Madison and Atlanta are 1-1 with two matches remaining in the season series.
- Should further chaos ensue, Madison has clinched the tiebreaker over Salt Lake.
This Week’s LOVB Schedule
Wednesday, March 25
LOVB Atlanta at LOVB Nebraska | 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central | Watch on USA Network
LOVB Salt Lake at LOVB Houston | 7:30 p.m. Central/6:30 p.m. Mountain | Stream on ESPN+
Thursday, March 26
LOVB Madison at LOVB Austin | 7 p.m. Central | Stream Free on Victory+
Saturday, March 28
LOVB Madison at LOVB Atlanta | 5 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Central | Steam on ESPN+
LOVB Salt Lake at LOVB Nebraska | 4:30 p.m. Central/3:30 p.m. Mountain | Stream on ESPN+
