HEAD COACH ÁNGEL PÉREZ
Opening Statement …
“Hats off to this group. It’s not a secret in the position that we are in regarding the table of wins and losses at the moment and I thought the way that we went out and competed and fought for what we believe was amazing. Not every group fights like that from adversity and I think that’s what we’ve been speaking about and today was a testament to that. We still believe that the season is not over for us and we're going to keep trying to get better and independently that if that time comes at, we're out of the playoffs, we're gonna try to continue to build and continue to progress and continue to get better and help these young players. Keep developing a sense of belonging and a culture not just for this year but for years to come and again, hats off to the way we showed up today and played against a team that came in on a four game win streak, and is at the top half of the table. We're not afraid to play anybody and we showed it again today. You know, we've lost two heartbreakers with them, 15-13, 16-14 and we have that in the back of our heads. And uh, today, I just, I'm really proud about our group and the way we showed up and we got seven more games to go and hopefully, we can fight like this. It's not a promise that we're going to get any wins, but I can promise that we're gonna fight and we're gonna stay with it, and we're gonna do everything that's in our hands, to, to try to, to get this team as high as possible in the standings from now until the end of the season.”
On the strategy tonight …
“Yeah, you know, I think, our game plan was trying to serve, aggressive, especially the three rotations. Where nootsie's [Nootsara Tomkom] is in the front row, we've been preaching about trying to serve short, more, and more, and more and more every day in practice every day. We push them to try it. Because what we’re seeing is that every team including our team has big problems getting used to receiving short serves and then going to play offensive. So, for some time, you know, we gotta vary the serve a little bit between short and deep but our main goal was trying to get them in trouble. And mainly our strategy today was trying to get their middles out of their equation, the last two times we've played them and we've lost, their middle has been highly, highly, highly efficient, especially Number 22, [Lydia] Martin. And today our goal was to not allow her to be part of the game. And I thought we did a phenomenal job between our middles and our left sides, which had some responsibility in some rotations of being there, being present and making her work hard. You know, I thought she was really 50 percent I think in efficiency, a big drop from 68 percent efficiency which the last time we played them 10 days ago. So again, credit to our middles, credit to the game plan that we propose and for them, executing the things that we wanted to do. As far as our tips, we've been talking about trying to get every team in trouble when there's transition. So, if the ball is not a hittable ball where you can go for the point, make sure you're taking somebody out of their equation so we can put our block defense in transition into work and I thought we did a good job today of all those tips, all those second touches, all those middle balls that we couldn't put getting their opposite out of system and then putting a good double block on four and trying to create some transition opportunities for us. So again, hats off to this group for the way they work for the way they train, for the way they come every day to practice and just try to get better independently if results follow us or not.”
On the strategy with Nootsara Tomkom …
“You know I think setting is a position you get better as you get older. It’s different from other positions and I think her knowledge of the game is impressive and also technically she has no flaws, you know, she's always in the right spot, always getting the ball in the right position to show the balls to the players. So, the players kind of adjust to the tempo of that they want to play. Still we’re far from the things she can do for our team. I think she's still being hesitant on how fast she can push our players, but I think we're making progress. As we go, we had a good three days this week to practice and get some rhythm here. Hopefully next week. Again, we only have one game at the end of the week. So, we can have a couple of good days of practice to keep getting better in the rhythm. I still believe we're one and a half steps behind of the speed that she wants to play the game. She's trying to adjust to us. What makes her good? I mean, everything makes her good. You know, I think decision making is great. I think precision, it's second to none and then with the speed that she plays, the game gives us options to be more efficient in attack and to that, you add all the Asian culture and mentality of how to play the game with combination with moving players around, it gives another perspective to our team, so we're excited for her arrival. I know the young girls are learning a lot as we go. Me myself, I'm also learning a lot as I go as a young coach and, you know, it doesn't hurt to have a player like that in a position, which is such an important role because they're the game manager. So, you know, it's a headache that you can take out of my head and put it somewhere else and you know. I'm happy that that she's here and hopefully we can convince her that this is the right place, just not to finish the season but to stay next year from the start and help us build this Fury organization.”
KAYLEE COX, #8, OH
On her backcourt defense …
“I think defense is all a mindset. You can train defense all you want but having the right mindset to go out there and just dig a ball is something that I've been learning more and more is like this season has gone on and just becoming a pro has been such different from college and so the defense you really have to step it up and read the game a lot more. So, I think I did that pretty well and also our block was setting up great tonight and so that really helps me able to read behind them.”
On receiving sets from Nootsara Tomkom …
“Yeah. Fun is a great word. She has so much experience, I mean she's been playing since I was barely alive. Probably, but it's awesome. She's putting me in great situations where I can find seams in the block and go around different blockers. And she's also setting our middle so much because we are in a system that it's when Abby is up in transition, it's pulling my blockers. And so, half the time I only have one which is really nice to swing at.”
On Megan Lush having the final kill …
“At that point, honestly, joy. It feels good to get another win and to have one of our older players and franchise player out there just getting kills for us and seeing her put that ball down at the very end was awesome to see. And I know she's been working hard to keep herself on the court and so it's awesome to see her hard work pay off.”
ABBY WALKER, #24, MB
On her blocking …
“Yeah I think my blocking has been something I've been working on and focusing on for a while. So, I really had the mindset going in tonight, that that was going to be the thing I was going to be the best at and I have great teammates, great girls in my position group that every time I come off, they give me feedback. And so just having that support there was a lot of help.”
On receiving sets from Nootsara Tomkom …
“I think it's awesome. It's fun. Yeah, it's very fun. She has so much experience behind her too, so especially in the middle, I know that I could be set at any moment, so it makes me better as a player, as middle to receive and I know she's going to put me in a good position each time. So yeah, it's very fun.”
On Megan Lush having the final kill …
“Yeah, I'd say the same. I mean, so happy. I had so much trust. I knew Megan was going to get that kill and honestly just fired me up. So, it was a great way to end the game.”
For media inquiries and interviews, contact Kyle Jackson at kjackson@columbusfury.com.
ABOUT THE COLUMBUS FURY
The Columbus Fury is a professional volleyball team in Columbus, Ohio and a founding member of Pro Volleyball Federation, the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. The Fury are one of eight teams in the league, joining the Atlanta Vibe, Grand Rapids Rise, Indy Ignite, Omaha Supernovas, Orlando Valkyries, San Diego Mojo and Vegas Thrill for the 2025 season. The Fury play their home matches at Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus. Tickets for all Columbus Fury matches can be purchased by visiting ColumbusFury.com or by calling the ticket office at (614) 380-FURY. The Fury will begin play at Nationwide Arena on January 11, 2025. For more information about the Fury and season tickets, visit www.columbusfury.com and @columbusfury on social media.
ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION
Pro Volleyball Federation is the leading professional volleyball league in the United States. PVF sets the standard for the sport, offering the largest number of franchises, unmatched attendance, extensive broadcast coverage and substantial championship prize money. It combines top-tier talent, including NCAA stars and international athletes, with cutting-edge production and technology to provide fans with an unmatched viewing experience. As a vital link between collegiate volleyball and the professional stage, PVF is dedicated to shaping the future of the sport and increasing visibility for its athletes. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.
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For more information contact: Kyle Jackson (kjackson@columbusfury.com)