Jordan Thompson hammered 24 kills to lead Houston over Atlanta in four sets, 25-22, 26-28, 25-22, 25-23, at OTE Arena. The win broke the tie with Atlanta for the last spot in the standings.
Outside hitter Jess Mruzik broke a 19-19 tie in the first match to put Houston in the driver’s seat. A blocking error on Madi Rishel allowed Atlanta to draw even, 22-22. Houston scored the next three points to end the first match.
Atlanta charged out to a 3-0 lead to start the second match. Midway through the match, Atlanta’s lead grew to its largest at seven points on a blast by Tessa Grubbs. Houston climbed back into the match with a pair of 4-0 runs. The match was nip and tuck down the stretch. Grubbs drilled a kill, and Tia Jimerson found an opening in the Houston defense for a game-winning ace.
“We have to look for more consistency during the game, more good moments during the game,” said Atlanta head coach Paulo Coco.
Whatever energy Atlanta used to start the second set dissipated by the start of the third. Houston jumped all over their hosts to grab a 6-1 lead. Atlanta strung together a few mini-runs to cut the lead to one on a solid block by Adams. Raphaela Rolie’s kill gave Houston a two-point lead and enough breathing room to close out the match.
The fourth match went back and forth for nearly the entire match. Atlanta had a trio of three-point leads as late as 19-16, but couldn’t put their opponents away. Houston stayed in Atlanta’s hip pocket until Thompson’s kill ended a long rally and tied the match 21-21. The opposite hitter from the University of Cincinnati scored three of Houston’s next four points to close out Atlanta.
“We’ve been trying to work to find this consistency and sense of urgency,” said Thompson. “How do we come out each game and have a sense of urgency from the beginning? We know it’s not just a light switch you can turn on whenever you feel like it.”