As the League One Volleyball (LOVB) championship approaches, the athletes from the Austin and Salt Lake City teams are revealing the mental strategies that keep them focused under pressure. With the two teams set to face off in a decisive series on April 16 and 18, the quest for the league's second-season title is as much about mindset as it is about athletic skill.
For Austin's Logan Eggleston, maintaining a consistent, relaxed atmosphere is key to her team's success. "We've done a really good job of keeping it pretty consistent the whole year," she explained in an exclusive interview. "We don't want to make this weekend bigger than it is. I feel like once you talk about how big the moment is, it kind of brings the nerves. So, I feel like our locker room is very chill right now."
"We're just trying to maintain the great volleyball that we've been playing and the good vibes."
Salt Lake City's Serena Gray shares a similar philosophy, emphasizing the importance of savoring the experience. "There's a little bit of just enjoying the moment," she said. "Having no expectations and just wanting to have the best time and cherish this little time we have left with this group we've had for two years."
Despite Austin's victory in the inaugural season last year, team member Madisen Skinner is not taking anything for granted. "I really haven't had a chance to actually sit with that idea," she admitted regarding the possibility of back-to-back championships. "We still have a lot of volleyball ahead of us. If that's what happens—amazing, and I think we're going to be super stoked. But we have a great Salt Lake team ahead of us, so making sure we're locked in on the volleyball side of it and not getting too far ahead of ourselves is key."
The historic significance of competing in LOVB's early years is not lost on the players. Austin's Zoe Jarvis, who joined the league in its first season, reflected on her motivation: "For me, joining this league in year one, I wanted to be on the ground floor of something that I think is going to last for a long time, and to be able to tell my kids about this cool thing that I was part of." Winning the first championship, she noted, was "so cool. Literally written in the history books." As for the potential of a repeat victory, she added, "I want to tell my children about doing that. That's what I'm here for."
Teammate Leah Hardeman sees this championship as an opportunity to solidify Austin's legacy. "We won the first one," she said, "and it kind of was a 'fluke' for a lot of people, so I feel like we are definitely running it back. Just to be here is amazing, but to do it two times would be the cherry on top."
The championship series will be broadcast on USA Network, with tickets available for in-person attendance through LOVB's official website.