ORLANDO, Fla. – The San Diego Mojo defeated the Orlando Valkyries in five sets, 25-23, 21-25, 25-19, 21-25, 18-16, inside Addition Financial Arena on Sunday afternoon to rise to fourth in the Pro Volleyball Federation standings. San Diego has won four of five matches to improve to 7-8 this season, while Orlando dropped to 7-10 on the year.
Kendra Dahlke led the match with 27 points and 23 kills, both career highs, to pace the offensive effort for the Mojo, while on defense Ali Bastianelli and Morgan Lewis had five blocks each. Nootsara Tomkom chipped in with 49 assists and 29 digs. As a team, the Mojo out-blocked the Valkyries, 16-8.
The match kicked off with a Dahlke back row attack as San Diego scored the first two points to take the lead. Orlando moved ahead for the first time at 5-4 and increased the advantage to 6-4. The score fluctuated over the next several points with the Mojo drawing even on several occasions only to have the Valkyries push the lead back to two points. A block by Lewis followed by a Dahlke scoring swing gave San Diego back the lead, 12-10. Neither squad was able to maintain momentum, with the Valkyries countering each Mojo run with a run of their own. With the set tied 23-23, the Mojo moved to set point with a huge Dahlke swing and closed out the frame with an Orlando hitting error to win it, 25-23. Dahlke guided the Mojo effort with eight points.
Orlando leveled the match in set two in comeback fashion, overcoming an early San Diego lead to take the second set. The Mojo jumped to a 9-5 lead, forcing a Valkyrie timeout, and added two more points after a Tomkom effort set up a Thomas-Ailara kill to give San Diego an 11-5 lead. Orlando slowly chipped away at the lead, tying the match at 17-17 after a service ace then taking their first lead of the set, 18-17. The sides traded the next four points until the Valkyries established themselves on the offensive side and winning the set, 25-21. Dahlke had five points, with three kills, one block and an ace, while Thomas-Ailara had four kills and Tomkom collected seven assists with 10 digs.
The Valkyries carried the momentum created in the previous set over to the third frame and built a 4-0 lead. The Mojo battled back with Lewis finding the open court for a kill and back-to-back Bastianelli aces cutting the deficit to 5-4. A Stone kill tied the match at 7-7 to start a Mojo run that put San Diego up 9-7. Further along in the set, Dahlke scored on a cross court kill and added a block to give San Diego a 15-12 lead and force an Orlando timeout. The Valkyries trimmed their deficit at one, 18-17. Stone scored on a slide and a Tomkom block gave the Mojo a 20-17, energizing the Mojo, who went on to win the set, 25-19.
Orlando was in control during much of the early part of the fourth set, taking an early two-point lead and stretching it to four points at 8-5. The Mojo turned the tide and leveled the set at 10 points each, but Orlando scored 10 of the next 14 points to go up 20-14 to build their largest lead of the match. San Diego countered with a run of their own, scoring on back-to-back blocks by Lewis and Dahlke, a Lindsey Vander Wiede ace and a Valkyries passing error to move within two points at 20-18. The Mojo would get no closer with Orlando winning the set, 25-21.
The Mojo were on came fire to start set five, jumping to an 8-4 lead with a trio of Dahlke kills and a service ace and blocks by Lewis and Stone. Orlando rallied to even the score at 13-13, when a Lewis kill put San Diego at match point, 14-13. Orlando won the next two points to take a 15-14 lead. Dahlke tallied a pair of kills to twice level the match, first at 15-15 and then 16-16. An Orlando attacking error gave San Diego a second match point and Thomas-Ailara ended a long rally with a kill to win the set and the match.
San Diego will close out its road swing on Saturday, April 20 in Omaha when they face the Supernovas inside Chi Health Center at 4 p.m. CT.
ABOUT THE 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 THE SAN DIEGO MOJO
The San Diego Mojo are a women’s professional volleyball team in San Diego, Calif. and is an inaugural member of Pro Volleyball Federation, the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. The Mojo play their home matches at Viejas Arena on the campus of San Diego State University. The ownership group includes 5-time Olympian Kerri Walsh Jennings. Ticket Plans are on sale now!