ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Valkyries will square off against the Atlanta Vibe on Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m. The match will take place at Atlanta’s Gas South Arena and will be streamed on YouTube.
This will be the third meeting between Orlando (5-7) and Atlanta (8-3) this season. The first two matchups went to five sets with the Vibe winning both matches. Atlanta is on a four-game winning streak and ranks No. 1 in the Pro Volleyball Federation standings. Orlando is ranked No. 5 and looks to get back in the win column after suffering a 1-3 (23-25, 25-22, 22-25, 20-25) loss to the Omaha Supernovas.
Valkyries Players to Watch:
Shainah Joseph is coming off a season-best 16 points and 15 kills against the Supernovas. The opposite hitter has recorded season-highs in points and kills in back-to-back matches. Joseph 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, AVCA All-American Second Team, along with being a pivotal member of the NCAA runner-up team in 2017.
Adora Anae is averaging 20.4 points and 17.7 kills in 11 matches this season. The outside hitter is the first Orlando player to clinch the Pro Volleyball Federation's Player of the Week title, winning the honor in week 3 of the 2024 season. She is a sixth-year pro, with experiences from various countries, including South Korea, Turkey, Puerto Rico, Ukraine and Greece. 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 (501) 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.
Vibe Players to Watch:
Leah Edmond is averaging 19.2 points and 16.8 kills this season. She is one of the two Vibe players selected to the Preseason All-League Team. In week 2, Edmond was named Pro Volleyball Federation’s Player of the Week. She has three years of professional experience between Puerto Rico and the US. Edmond was a former teammate of Orlando’s Kaz Brown at the University of Kentucky. During her time at Kentucky, she was a four-time AVCA All-America and All-Region selection and earned SEC player of the year in her junior and senior seasons. Edmond finished her career as the school's all-time leader with 1,978 kills and 4,655 attack attempts. She also holds several Wildcats records, including the rally-scoring era record with 539 kills during her sophomore season and 40 service aces in 2017.
Magdalena Jehlářová recorded nine points (five kills and four blocks) in the Vibe’s last match against the Supernovas. She recently recorded seven blocks against the Vegas Thrill. Jehlářová was selected with the No. 2 overall pick by the San Diego Mojo in the 2023 Inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation Draft but was traded to Atlanta. In five seasons at Washington State, Jehlářová was a four-time AVCA All-America selection and a four-time All-Pac 12 honoree. She left WSU as the Cougars’ all-time blocks leader and as a member of the 1,000-kill club. From Přerov, Czech Republic, Jehlářová started competing for the Czech Republic national team in 2017, with highlights including a European Golden League Championship in 2019 and a second-place finish in 2022.
The Valkyries and the Vibe will face off one more time in 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. Tickets 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 OrlandoValkyries.com, visit the Addition Financial Arena box office, or go to the Ticketmaster website: Ticketmaster.com. Fans can follow the team on Facebook or via X, Instagram, and TikTok - @ORLValkyries or visit OrlandoValkyries.com.
* Orlando Valkyries, Pro Volleyball, DIG IT! *