ORLANDO, Fla. – The San Diego Mojo (12-11) clinched the third seed in the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship playoffs with a five-set victory over the Orlando Valkyries (7-16), 23-25, 25-17, 20-25, 25-25, 15-6, at Additional Financial Arena on Thursday night. San Diego will square off with the Omaha Supernovas on in the PVF Championship semifinals on Wednesday, May 15 at approximately 6:30 p.m. PT at the CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha.
San Diego and Orlando played five set matches in all four of their meetings this season with San Diego earning the win in three. The Mojo, who started the season 1-5, have won 11 of their last 17 matches and moved above .500 for the first time this season.
Lindsey Vander Weide highlighted the Mojo effort on Thursday, setting franchise records with 30 kill and 32 points, scoring on 30 of 58 swings (.517) while also adding 14 digs, two assists, one block and one service ace. Temi Thomas-Ailara and Nootsara Tomkom also tallied double-doubles for the Mojo, with Thomas-Ailara recording 14 kills and 15 digs and Tomkom posting a match-high 50 assists with 10 digs.
Orlando moved ahead early in set one, utilizing a pair of three-point runs to jump to an 8-4 lead. San Diego slowly chipped away at the deficit, tying the score at 11-11 with a Vander Weide block and then scoring four of the next five points to take a three-point lead, 15-12. The Valkyries countered with a rally of their own to tie the set at 18-18 before regaining the lead, 20-19. San Diego leveled the score at 23-23, but the Valkyries collected the next two points to close out the frame, 25-23. It marked the first time this season that Orlando won the first set against San Diego.
The Valkyries once again took early command in set two to build a 3-1 lead, but the Mojo responded with a 3-1 run of their own to tie the set. The teams traded the lead over the next several points until San Diego began rolling midway through the frame. With the score tied 9-9, a Vander Weide kill kicked off a four-point run that gave San Diego the lead, which the Mojo would hold for the remainder of the set. The Mojo used another four-point run to extend the lead to 20-14, then closed out the set with a third four-point run to win the frame, 25-17.
In a tightly contested third set, neither side was able to move ahead by more than one point until Orlando built a 12-10 lead. The Mojo stayed within striking distance for much of the set but could not pull even with the Valkyries. Orlando found a rhythm in the latter portion of the frame, moving ahead 21-18 after a San Diego net violation, then winning four of the next six points to win, 25-20, and regain the lead in the match.
San Diego found themselves trailing once again in the early stages of set four. Down 4-3, a Vander Weide kill started a four-point run for the Mojo to take a lead that San Diego would not relinquish for the remainder of the set. The Mojo built a 13-9 advantage, which the Valkyries chipped away until the trialed by one, 17-16. It was all Mojo from there, as San Diego rattled off eight of the next 12 points to win the set, 25-20, and force a fifth and deciding set.
The Mojo continued to role in set five, winning in convincing fashion. With the score tied, 3-3, San Diego scored eight consecutive points to pull ahead 11-3, highlighted by four kills from Vander Wiede. Ronika Stone closed out the match with a thunderous swing to give San Diego the set, 15-7, a lock up the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.
The inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation Championship will be held on May 15 and 18 at the CHI Health Center in Omaha. San Diego is among four teams that will compete for the first-ever title in the nation’s top professional volleyball league and a player bonus of $1 million. The other teams include the top-seeded Atlanta Vibe, second-seed Omaha and fourth-seed Grand Rapids Rise. Fans can purchase tickets for the two semifinal sessions through this link. Tickets for the championship match can be purchased here.
The Mojo wrap up the regular-season schedule in Columbus on Saturday, May 11 with first serve set for 4 p.m. PT.
NOTES
- San Diego and Orlando have each played in a PVF-high 10 five-set matches this season.
- Overall, the Mojo are 6-4 in five-set matches and the Valkyries are 2-8.
- San Diego’s six five-set wins are the most in the league.
MATCH STATS | FULL MATCH VIDEO
ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION
Pro Volleyball Federation is the present and future of professional volleyball in North America. The League began play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players joined by elite standouts from around the world. Seven teams have taken the court in the first season, with 10 teams scheduled for the 2025 campaign. Our focus is on ensuring that the level and quality of play, treatment of players and the entire fan experience is world class and the best offered anywhere. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.
ABOUT 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.