LOVB Austin defeats Omaha to clinch league’s inaugural championship

The GIST: Crown them: No. 5 seed Austin is your inaugural League One Volleyball (LOVB) champion after sweeping No. 6 Omaha in three sets during yesterday’s title match. But Austin’s dominant win only tells half the story — here’s how the underdogs rose to the top in a playoff weekend filled with twists.

Opposite hitter Madisen Skinner leads Austin to Tiffany & Co. trophy: Anything can happen in the postseason, including the two lowest-seeded LOVB squads advancing to the championship after Austin and Omaha both pulled off unprecedented reverse sweeps in Friday’s semis, knocking out top dog Atlanta and No. 2 seed Houston, respectively.

• Finals MVP and three-time NCAA champ Skinner powered Austin’s tremendous run, following up Friday’s season-high 25 kills with another 17 in the final. Pressure? What pressure?

Zooming out: As one of three active pro women’s volleyball leagues in the U.S., the amped-up crowd at LOVB’s championship is a testament to the growing popularity of the sport, anchored by stars like Skinner making a seamless jump from the NCAA to the pros.

• And there’s more top-tier action where that came from. The Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) championship is just 25 days away, coming on the heels of massive viewership numbers during February’s historic All-Star Match broadcast on CBS in the U.S.

• Pro women’s volleyball is a movement, not a moment — aces.