COLUMBUS, Ohio – The third season of professional volleyball is on its way in Columbus as the Fury were busy during the Major League Volleyball draft on Monday, selecting three key front row players.
“We had a plan going into the draft to add point scorers to our team, and I think we did a great job of that,” head coach Angel Perez said. “With Flormarie, I think we drafted a game-changing player with probably the heaviest arm in the draft class. We believe she can be an instant impact player for us. Maya is an under-the-radar prospect, who we think can come in and help us in the middle this season and in the future. Avry has also had a great collegiate career and has been a big part of Indiana’s recent success. She provides a threat on the other pin and is a strong blocker.”
The organization started the day busy, trading the 9th overall pick to the Dallas Pulse for the 10th pick and next year’s second-round pick.
With the 10th pick in the 2025 MVL Draft, the Columbus Fury selected outside hitter Flormarie Heredia Colon from the University of Miami (FL).
Heredia Colon, a 6-foot outside hitter from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, spent all four college seasons at the University of Miami (FL) and is having a standout senior year in which she is averaging 6.23 kills per set on a .295 hitting percentage and 53 service aces.
She recently posted career highs against top-10 ranked Louisville on Nov. 16, finishing with 43 kills and 47.5 points in a five-set loss.
Continuing her impressive season, Heredia Colon was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week six times, leading the nation in kills and points, and helping Miami reach No. 14 in the AVCA poll.
She holds the top 4 spots in Miami’s single-match points record, the top three marks for kills in a five-set match, and the No. 1 spot for kills in a three-set match. Heredia Colon also became the Hurricanes’ single-season leader in kills and points.
Last season, she was named to the All-ACC First Team and the 2024 AVCA All-America Third Team. She ranked second in the ACC with 525 kills and 599.5 points while averaging 5.0 points and 4.38 kills per set on a .244 hitting percentage.
The Fury’s next pick was in the third round at No. 20 overall, where the team selected middle blocker Maya Winterhoff from Appalachian State.
Winterhoff, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker from Charlottesville, Virginia, spent all four college seasons at Appalachian State. She led the Sun Belt conference for the third time in hitting percentage of .398 this season, ranked sixth in the conference in blocks with 130, and totaled 312 kills on the year, averaging 2.76 kills per set. Her .398 hitting percentage is second in the team history behind Donna Joye’s .402. Winterhoff holds the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th-best hitting percentages throughout her career. She finished the season with 412.5 total points, which helped her be named First Team All-SBC.
She hit a career milestone on Oct. 10, reaching 1,000 career kills in Appalachian State’s five-set victory against Old Dominion. She was the only member of the Sun Belt conference to be drafted this year.
Winterhoff tied her career high in kills with 20 against Georgia Southern on Oct. 17 and set a new career high in points with 26 against the College of Charleston on Aug. 30.
Last season, Winterhoff was named to the AVCA East Coast Regional Honorable Mention and First Team All-SBC and Preseason All-SBC honoree. She hit double-figure kills in 19 of 28 matches, including achieving double figures in four consecutive matches from Aug. 30 to Sept. 6 and Nov. 11 to Nov 22, while also helping the Mountaineers reach their first appearance in the NIVC tournament since 2018.
The team used its final pick in the 2025 MLV Draft to select opposite hitter Avry Tatum from Indiana with the 27th overall selection, completing its strategic draft selections for the season.
Tatum, a 6-foot-2 opposite hitter from Solana Beach, California, began her college volleyball career at the University of Cincinnati before spending the last three seasons at the University of Indiana, where she served as a team captain this season. She averaged 3.19 kills per set on a career-high in hitting percentage of .326 and 56 total blocks this season.
Tatum amassed 1,000 career kills in the 100th match of her college career during a game against Ohio State on Oct. 19, recording 10 kills and 12.5 points, with nearly 900 of the kills coming during her time at Indiana. She posted a season-high 20 points and 19 kills against Bradley on Sept. 20.
Last season, Tatum had the best individual hitting game of her career with 25 kills on 39 attempts in a five-set win over Ball State. She became the first Indiana player since 2010 to record at least 25 kills and a .430 or better hitting percentage in the same match. She was named to the Indiana Invitational All-Tournament team.
Tatum has the best hitting percentage on the team in away games this season and also had the last 20+ kill match against a ranked opponent on Sept. 28, 2024, against No. 11 Oregon.
The Fury open the season on the road on Thursday, January 8 at the Atlanta Vibe before returning to Nationwide Arena for the home opener on Saturday, January 10 against the Omaha Supernovas at 7 p.m.
Single match tickets are on sale now as well as season tickets and partial ticket packages. Click here or email columbusfury@columbusfury.com for details. Fans can also call the ticket office at 614-380-FURY (3879).
About Major League Volleyball
Major League Volleyball, entering its third season, is the longest-running formal professional volleyball league for women in the United States. Designed to elevate the sport through world class competition, commercial innovation, and cultural relevance, MLV brings together elite athletes, visionary leadership and global ambition. With alignment to USA Volleyball and a commitment to Olympic development, MLV serves as the premier pathway from professional play to the world stage. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.