LOVB Salt Lake makes strong opening statement for Utah volleyball with win in home debut

TAYLORSVILLE — For Dani Drews, there was nothing like making her professional volleyball debut on home soil.

The former University of Utah four-time All-American totaled 13 kills, four blocks, three aces and seven digs for a match-high 20 points as LOVB Salt Lake rallied for a 3-1 win over LOVB Houston, 22-25, 25-15, 26-24, 25-19, in front of a sold-out crowd of 3,006 fans Wednesday night in the first-ever League One Volleyball match at Salt Lake Community College.

With a ceremonial first serve from BYU coach Heather Olmstead and the Cougars' women's volleyball roster on hand to sign autographs and throw T-shirts into the crowd before the third set, it was Drews — along with former BYU All-American Roni Jones-Perry, who had 14 kills and five digs — who stole the show.

And why not? LOVB (pronounced "love") Salt Lake had started its inaugural season 1-2 on the road, including a five-set setback to LOVB Madison and a 3-1 loss to the same LOVB Houston (2-2) team a week ago.

But Wednesday's match was different as the final team to serve in its home market for the first time in the six-team league.

So as Drews and Jones-Perry finished off kills from U.S. Olympic setter Jordyn Poulter, who distributed 42 assists, the Sandy and West Jordan natives teamed with opposite Skylar Fields (17 kills) to lead the team's offense and put on a show for the home crowd.

"I got goosebumps at one time," said Drews, who has played professionally in Poland, Italy, China and the U.S.-based Athletes Unlimited since graduating from Utah in 2021. "It feels so full circle to feel the support and the love from the community. I had my family here; I saw my niece and nephew when we were hitting lines, and I knew this was really happening.

"I just feel so grateful."

Fields added that she was "pleasantly surprised" by the homecoming reception. The former three-time All-American at USC and Texas had heard about Utah's volleyball community from Drews, Jones-Perry and former BYU libero Mary Lake Bennett, among others.

But truthfully, she wasn't quite sure what to expect when Salt Lake's time for first serve arrived Wednesday.

"I love Salt Lake," said Fields, the former top-rated recruit in the country by PrepVolleyball.com who grew up in Missouri City, Texas, and played previously in Italy and with Orlando in ProVB. "I wasn't quite sure how I was going to feel about it, but I think having great teammates, a great staff and the community have been really helpful for me.

"It's my new home away from home, and I'm really enjoying it. And honestly, this is my second year playing professionally, so having that experience going overseas and then coming back to play high-level volleyball in the United States is a great experience. I'm glad to be a part of it."

LOVB Salt Lake (2-2) has plenty of talent, including 17 total NCAA All-American nods; a pair of Olympians in Poulter and middle blocker Haleigh Washington; and Japanese national team libero Manami Kojima, who had 15 digs Wednesday night.

There were massive cheers for players like Jones-Perry and Drews, who went to the service line with calls of "DREEEEEEWWWWWWWSSSS!" and a crowd that surpassed the overflow bleachers pulled out atop the regular gym at Salt Lake Community College.

After dropping the first set 25-22, Drews came alive in the second. The Brighton High graduate totaled a match-high 12 points in the first two sets, putting down six kills to go with three digs and three aces — two of which helped Salt Lake pull away for a 25-15 win in the second set.

"We were able to put pressure on the team and serve ourselves time to set up a good block," said Salt Lake coach Tama Miyashiro, a Hawaii native and former U.S. international libero who helped the Americans win a silver medal in London 2012. "It's just becoming more apparent how important it is to serve tough in this league.

"We'll take this one, but we still have to keep working. Different teams are going to try and attack us in different ways."

Drews threw down a block in the third set to give Salt Lake a 24-23 edge, and Jones-Perry laid down back-to-back kills to lift the hosts to a 26-24 win and a 2-1 advantage before a front line that accumulated 17 blocks put the match away 25-19 in the third in front of a partial crowd that included several club teams, like League One Volleyball partners Club 801 and Club V — the club where both Drews and Jones-Perry grew up playing.

Most of them waved bright yellow rally towels on set points, stood for each block yelling, "Roof!!" and arrived in costumes like the pair of chicken-suited fans on the front row.

"I'm so excited, so grateful. And I think so far, the games have showed that there's great talent in the league," Drews said. "I'm excited as our league continues to develop and grow to see some really great volleyball coming to the U.S."

LOVB Salt Lake is back on the road Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in Atlanta before hosting a doubleheader Feb. 7-8 at the Maverik Center.

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