Mojo Outlast Dallas in Five-Set Thriller at Viejas Arena

SAN DIEGO, California, April 5, 2026.-  San Diego earned a statement win Sunday night at Viejas Arena, outlasting the Dallas Pulse in five sets, 25-19, 26-24, 23-25, 25-27, 15-11, in the first meeting in San Diego between the two teams.

The Mojo have now won three straight matches to improve to 10-10 and move into fourth place in the league standings and into playoff position. Dallas, which entered on an eight-match winning streak, fell to 16-6. The win also marked San Diego’s seventh at home this season, tying a single-season franchise record.

San Diego matched a team record with 101 digs and recorded its fourth five-set victory of the season, the second-most in the league.

Shara Venegas anchored the defense with 29 digs, an MLV career high and the second-most in a match in franchise history. The performance came on Venegas’ bobblehead night at Viejas Arena. Marlie Monserez dished out 60 assists, tying her career high, while adding 13 digs for her 15th double-double of the season.

Maya Tabron led the offense with 20 points and 17 kills, adding three blocks and 20 digs for her sixth double-double. Morgan Lewis added 13 kills and 12 digs for her second double-double, while Grace Loberg recorded 10 kills and 13 digs for her fifth. Loberg also notched an ace to bring her season total to 14, setting a new single-season franchise record.

Marin Grote continued her strong play with 11 kills on .480 hitting, along with two blocks and an ace, while Taylor Sandbothe contributed 10 points, including three aces, tied for the second-most in a match in team history.

San Diego controlled the opening set behind early production from Loberg and Grote, building a 9-5 lead and extending it to 16-11 behind a Tabron block. After Dallas pulled within one, the Mojo responded with key kills from Tabron and Sandbothe, while a late ace and block sealed the 25-19 win and extended the team’s set-winning streak to seven.

The second set followed a similar script early, as San Diego jumped out to a 5-1 lead and maintained control through the media timeout. Dallas battled back to take a late 14-13 advantage, but the teams traded points down the stretch. With the set tied at 20, San Diego leaned on kills from Sandbothe, Lewis and Tabron before Grote delivered a service ace to clinch the 26-24 win and push the Mojo ahead two sets.

Dallas answered in the third, despite San Diego building a 13-7 lead behind strong play from Lewis and Tabron. The Pulse rallied to tie the set at 20-20 and eventually took control late, closing on a 5-3 run to secure the 25-23 win.

In the fourth, San Diego again started quickly, opening on a 4-0 run behind consecutive Loberg kills. Dallas responded and eventually took the lead at the technical timeout. The teams traded points throughout a back-and-forth finish, with San Diego briefly regaining the lead late before Dallas closed out a 27-25 win to force a deciding fifth set.

In the final frame, Dallas grabbed an early 3-0 lead, but San Diego responded behind a balanced attack. Lewis helped spark a mid-set run with consecutive kills to give the Mojo a 9-8 advantage, and Tabron followed with key swings to extend the lead to 12-9. San Diego maintained control from there, closing the match on a 6-2 run to secure the 15-11 victory.

The Mojo also set a single-match franchise record with 209 total attacks.

San Diego continues its homestand Thursday, April 9, when it hosts first-place Indy at Viejas Arena. First serve is set for 7 p.m. Dallas will look to get back in the win column as they continue their road stretch in Omaha on Sunday, April 12, at CHI Health Center. First serve is set for 4 PM CT.