The 2026 version of the San Diego Mojo is built on a blend of toughness and aggressiveness that shines through with a relentless defense that extends rallies and attempts to frustrate the offense on the other side of the net.
But to win at any level of volleyball, you must also simply put the ball away.
Through two games — including Sunday’s home opener against the defending league champion Orlando Valkyries at Viejas Arena — the Mojo have struggled offensively. They hit .156 as a team Sunday in a 26-24, 25-16, 23-25, 25-21 loss at Viejas Arena to fall to 0-2 on the season.
“Talking about the serve-pass game, it’s making sure we’re in system as much as possible, and then I think we’re finding the connection with the setter in the beginning of the season,” Mojo coach Alisha Glass Childress said. “A lot of new players on the roster playing with each other, and I think it’s also about trusting yourself to go for it in really big moments.”
The Mojo hit .179 in Thursday’s three-set loss at Omaha. Take out an inspiring third set Sunday in which they hit at a .279 clip, the offensive numbers were ugly against Orlando — .128, .028 and .167 in the other three sets.
Opposite hitter Jovana Brakočević led the Mojo with 10 kills with six digs and a pair of aces.
“We lack a little bit of confidence, so when we get that (confidence), the attacks are there,” said Brakočević, who hit .200. “We have a lot of variety of angles that we show in practices, but you know practices are much different than games. When we get comfortable with each other, we must carry that pressure easier and also the different attacks are going to come so much easier. We have so much potential.”
SAN DIEGO, CA – January 11, 2026: Mojo’s Grace Loberg, right, and Kayla Caffey try to block a hit by Valkyries’ Naya Shime during the second set at the Viejas Arena in San Diego on Sunday, January 11, 2026. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The first set was a perfect indicator of that lack of hitting efficiency that has the Mojo teetering on the edge of winning and losing each set. They hit .128 as a team. Up 22-21, they committed four hitting errors down the stretch to lose, 26-24.
Childress tried a couple of different combinations in the second set, but the result was much of the same. Shannon Scully replaced Maya Tabron at outside but had zero kills in four attempts.
La Costa Canyon grad Morgan Lewis came in with setter Carly Graham for the double sub, but took only one swing, although she did have a block. The Mojo hit .028 in the set.
McKenna Vicini started at middle the third set, as did rookie outside Hayden Kubik. The move breathed some life into the dormant Mojo offense. Kubik had seven kills on 17 swings, including a pipe in transition on set point for the 25-23 win.
Brakočević had four kills and Loberg added three as the Mojo hit .279 in the set.
“Alicia instills a lot of confidence in me, even (when) at times I don’t’ feel it,” said Kubik, who finished with a team-high 11 kills with five digs. “It’s great that the team can trust me to come in and kind of to create some points.”
SAN DIEGO, CA – January 11, 2026: Mojo players celebrate a point against the Valkyries during the first set at the Viejas Arena in San Diego on Sunday, January 11, 2026. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
That combination remained in the fourth set, and the impact was felt. Vicini finished the match with four kills on seven attempts with no errors (.429), while Kubik added a steady presence in serve receive.
Vicini’s stuff block made it 19-16, but the Valkyries pulled away and won it on Brittany Abercrombie’s kill from the right side.
“We know we have people in our gym that absolutely can come out and make an impact, and there’s more,” Childress said. “You’re going to see more as the season goes on. I expect it to evolve over time.”
Coming home
The Valkyries feature two former San Diego High School stars. Abercrombie, a La Costa Canyon High School grad, finished with 10 kills. Colby Neal, a Poway High School grad and the daughter of former San Diego wrestling great and New England Patriots three-time Super Bowl champion Stephen Neal, did not play.