In their fourth match in the inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball Federation, the Orlando Valkyries are slated to face off against the Colombus Fury on Friday, February 16 at 7 p.m. The match will take place at Addition Financial Arena and will be streamed on YouTube. Tickets for the game are still available and fans can visit the Orlando Valkyries website for additional information.
The Valkyries come into this match off the back of a historic first franchise win against the Vegas Thrill and a closely contested loss against the Atlanta Vibe. Against the Vibe, it was a back-and-forth battle, with Orlando taking the match’s second and fourth sets, and Atlanta winning sets one, two, and five.
This match serves as the second appearance in the 2024 season for the Fury, following a loss in their debut against the Grand Rapids Rise (17-25,23-25,19-25).
Valkyries Players to Watch:
Adora Anae is the first Orlando player to clinch the Pro Volleyball Federation's Player of the Week title, winning the honors in week 3 of the 2024 season. In week 3 against the Vegas Thrill, she recorded 18 points (13 kills, two blocks, three aces) leading Orlando to its first victory of the season. Anae brings six years of professional volleyball experience from various countries including South Korea, Turkey, Puerto Rico, Ukraine, and Greece to the team. Prior to her professional career, Anae excelled at the University of Utah, where she earned recognition as the first-ever player named to the 1st-Team Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. She holds the record for the school's all-time single-season kills leader with 501 kills and was the first player in program history to achieve consecutive AVCA All-American honors, as well as being named to the All-AVCA First Team.
Shainah Joseph recorded nine kills, one block, and an ace in the Valkyries' last match. She brings over seven years of experience to Orlando, playing professionally with teams in France, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Bulgaria, and currently represents the Canadian National Team. Noteworthy achievements from her collegiate career at the University of Florida include being named to the SEC All-Conference, and AVCA All-American Second Team, along with being a pivotal member of the NCAA runner-up team in 2017.
Fury Players to Watch:
Reagan Cooper was drafted to the Fury in the first-ever Pro Volleyball Federation College Player Draft. Her achievements include being named a third-team All-American in 2023 during her time with the Jayhawks. Prior to joining Kansas, she spent three seasons at Texas Tech after a one-year stint at Washington State. At Texas Tech, she totaled 702 kills and 118 blocks while ranking among the team's leaders in kills. During her lone season at Kansas, Cooper finished second on the team in kills with 363 and led in kills per set with an average of 3.86 on a .346 hitting percentage.
Kaitlyn Hord holds an impressive track record in collegiate volleyball and brings one year of professional experience to the Fury. She has been recognized three times as an AVCA All-American, earning first-team honors in 2019, second-team in 2021, and third-team in 2020. Additionally, Hord has received five selections to the AVCA All-Region team. During her senior season at Nebraska, she led the nation in blocks with an average of 1.61 per set. Hord's career statistics include 1,175 kills and 697 blocks.
The two teams will face off three more times during the 2024 season.
ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION
Pro Volleyball Federation is REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation will begin play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world-class and the very best offered in North America. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.
ABOUT ORLANDO VALKYRIES
The Orlando Valkyries, proud member team in the Pro Volleyball Federation – the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. The Valkyries will play out of Addition Financial Arena, located in the heart of the University of Central Florida campus, and will begin play in January 2024. Home opener and season tickets for the inaugural season are on sale now. For more information on how to get tickets, contact the Orlando Valkyries sales department at (321)-244-4600 Ext. 113, email Tickets@OrlandoValkyries.com, click on www.OrlandoValkyries.com visit the Addition Financial Arena box office, or go to the Ticketmaster website: https://www.ticketmaster.com Fans can follow the team on Facebook or via Twitter Instagram, and TikTok - @ORLValkyries or visit OrlandoValkyries.com.
* Orlando Valkyries, Pro Volleyball, DIG IT! *