SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Mojo dropped their second straight match to open the 2026 season, falling 3–1 (26-24, 25-16, 25-23, 25-21) to the Orlando Valkyries on Sunday evening at SDSU’s Viejas Arena. Despite the loss, the night marked a milestone for the franchise and first-year head coach Alisha Glass Childress, as the Mojo earned their first-ever set win under her leadership.
Marlie Monserez with the set. Ryan Young / San Diego Mojo
San Diego showed early fight in a tightly contested opening set, erasing deficits and tying the score at both 23–23 and 24–24 before Orlando closed it out 26–24. Their first set against the Supernovas on Sunday unfolded similarly, where the team fought off three set points to get to 24-23 but ultimately lost the set 25-23.
Maya Tabron with the attack. Ryan Young / San Diego Mojo
Veteran libero Shara Venegas is back for the third year. Credit: San Diego Mojo
“We’re absolutely going to fight back,” Glass Childress said. “It’s got to be a goal every time we come out to get every set that we can and to be competitive in this league. … It is showing that we’re not going to go anywhere, that we’re going to be greedy.”
That mindset showed up most clearly in the third set, when San Diego turned momentum into history by securing the program’s first set win of the season. With the teams tied at 23-23, middle blocker Marin Grote recorded one of her eight kills on the night, and on the following point outside hitter Hayden Kubik finished off the set for the Mojo with one of her team-high 11 kills. The victory energized the home crowd and underscored the progress of a roster still learning how to play together.
The team cheers its success in winning the third set.
Veteran opposite Jovana Brakočević, who finished with 10 kills, six digs, and two blocks, emphasized confidence as the next step. “We lack a little bit of confidence,” she said. “When we get comfortable with each other, we will carry that pressure more easily. We have so much potential. This is a really talented team.
Off the bench, Kubik helped spark the Mojo with timely contributions, embracing her role as an energy provider. “Alicia instills a lot of confidence in me even when, at times, I don’t feel it,” Kubik said. “It’s great that the team can trust me to come in and try to make a difference.”
While Orlando’s serving runs proved decisive, Childress pointed to the bigger picture. “We absolutely learned a lot,” she said. “Not the result that we wanted, but we’re excited about the rest of the season.”
For a young team in a new era, Sunday was less about the final score and more about establishing belief, and proving that the Mojo are just getting started.
We absolutely learned a lot. Not the result that we wanted, but we’re excited about the rest of the season.
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