ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Valkyries [2-4] drop their third loss in a row to the Grand Rapids Rise [3-3] 3-2, by set scores of 26-24, 15-25, 25-17, 18-25, 12-15.
Natalie Foster led the Valkyries with 18 total points, including 12 kills, five blocks, four digs, and one service ace in the contest. Full statistics for the game can be found here.
| SCORE BY SET | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final |
| Valkyries | 26 | 15 | 25 | 18 | 12 | 2 |
| Rise | 24 | 25 | 17 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
Set 1
After coming off her most impressive match against Vegas, Natalie Foster got things started for Orlando, while the reigning Player of the Week Carli Snyder got the home crowd fired up, with a big swing of her own, and we were off and running in the first set. Both squads came out the gate on fire offensively, trading blows back-and-forth, as each team sported a .310 hitting percentage as Orlando took a 16-14 lead. In such a tight affair with Orlando up 19-18, Courtney Schwan served a pin point accurate ball for an ace, in what would be the momentum push the Valkyries needed, as Brittany Abercrombie dealt the final blow as Orlando takes set one 26-24. Brittany Abercrombie finished with 11 kills
Set 2
Undefeated in all five first sets this season, the Valkyries mission was to continue riding their momentum heading into the second set, getting off to a quick 3-1 start thanks to two kills by Abercrombie and Foster, as well as an ace by Anae. Just like set one, Grand Rapids would match Orlando’s energy and would eventually grab their biggest lead of the match 15-10, taking advantage of the Valkyries miscues. After Orlando called a timeout, Grand Rapids cruised all the way to a 25-15 win. Naya Shime, August Raskie, Erika Pritchard, and Carli Snyder all led with three kills.
Set 3
Set three started off similarly to set two, with Orlando up 5-2, followed by a short run from Grand Rapids, that saw them tie the set at 9-9 off a kill by Naya Shime. Natalie Foster, who ranks second in the league in service aces, delivered yet another beautiful jump serve that resulted in a service ace, giving the Valkyries a three-point cushion at 13-10. Riding the hot streak, Orlando would get up to 18-11 and go on to win 25-17. Courtney Schwan led the Valkyries with six kills.
Set 4
Grand Rapids, looking to find a way to force a fifth set at home, got off to an unreal start, with a .400 hitting percentage, as the Rise led 11-10. Carli Snyder, with back-to-back service aces, got the home crowd back into the match, as the Rise fed off their energy, getting up to as much as a 19-11 lead. After a double substitution that saw Hannah Pukis and Lydia Grote come in, Orlando would score four straight from kills by Kaz Brown, Shannon Scully, and Lydia Grote. Even after the short run, the Valkyries were not able to come back from their early deficit, falling 25-18. Erika Pritchard topped the kills leaderboard in set four with five kills.
Set 5
With a race to 15 in set five and both teams tied at 2-2, the Rise went on a 5-1 run, fueled by two kills as well as a block by Erika Pritchard, who had a stellar night with 19 kills on a .348 hitting percentage. Marin Grote also joined in on the fun, with three straight Rise points coming off blocks. Grand Rapids finishes the match with a 15-12 fifth set win, taking the match 3-2.
The Valkyries are back in action on Sunday, February 2, against the Omaha Supernovas at 3 p.m. at Addition Financial Arena. For more information on how to get tickets for all matches, contact the Orlando Valkyries sales department at Tickets@OrlandoValkyries.com, or click on OrlandoValkyries.com. Fans can also visit the Addition Financial Arena box office.
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 began 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 focus is on ensuring that the level and quality of play, treatment of players, quality of event presentations, and 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 are a proud member team in the Pro Volleyball Federation — the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. The Valkyries, which began play in January 2024, enter their second season in the league and will once again play out of Addition Financial Arena, located in the heart of the University of Central Florida campus. Season Tickets are on sale now. For more information on how to get all tickets, 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! *