Columbus Fury VS Orlando Valkyries | HIGHLIGHTS | PVF 2025. The Columbus Fury (8-18) lost a four-set match to the Orlando Valkyries (16-10) (25-22, 27-29, 22-25, 18-25) at Addition Financial Arena on Sunday night. Orlando dominated the match offensively, attacking at a .315 efficiency with 69 kills. The Fury played well defensively, out-digging the Valkyries 74-68, but Brittany Abercrombie and Lindsey Vander Weide were hard to stop as they each recorded 20 or more kills. The Valkyries also totaled two more blocks than the Fury (8-6).
SET ONE
The Fury and Valkyries were tied 9-9 as the Valkyries had three service errors before they reached 10 points. Back-to-back kills from Morgan Lewis and an ace from Megan Lush took the Fury ahead 12-9. The Fury continued to lead by several points with a couple more kills from Beta Dumancic. Columbus led 19-15. Fury made a few attacking errors, allowing the Valkyries to get back into it, trailing 22-21. Fury won the set 25-22.
SET TWO
Paula Cerame came alive defensively early in the set, digging multiple Valkyries' attacks each rally. The Fury took a three-point lead at 8-5. An ace serve from Nootsara Tomkom gave the Fury a 12-7 lead. Orlando fired back with a three-point run, behind 12-10. The Valkyries tied it up at 14-14. Both Tomkom and Wilma Rivera spread the offense well, getting attackers in every position involved. Columbus gapped out to a two-point lead and led through the next several points, but the Valkyries tied it up again at 23-23. A block by Kaylee Cox took the Fury up 24-23. Orlando challenged a block touch at 26-24, winning the challenge and tying it up at 25-25. Izabella Rapacz tallied her seventh kill of the night to lead 26-25, but Brittany Abercrombie fired back for Orlando to tie it again. Both teams battled defensively to extend rallies. Another Rapacz kill tied it 27-27. Orlando won the set 29-27.
SET THREE
Orlando got out to an early 7-2 lead, dominating offensively from the pins. Abercrombie recorded her 15th kill to continue their five-point lead at 13-8. Jill Gillen came in set three for the Fury and was a game-changer, tallying her fourth kill at 11-14. Orlando kept their lead at 18-13 until the Fury went on a four-point run to trail by one. Abercrombie continued to be a factor for the Valkyries as they led 22-19. The Valkyries won the set 25-22.
SET FOUR
Starting the set tied 5-5, the Valkyries took the lead after a four-point run. Abercrombie tallied her 20th kill, and Orlando led 12-7. Another four-point run for the Valkyries, and the team from Orlando was up 18-10. Another Abercrombie kill brought the Valkyries to 20 points, and the Fury trailed by seven. Janice Leao recorded her sixth kill, and an ace by Morgan Lewis brought the Fury to 15-20. Orlando won the match, finishing the fourth set 25-18.
The receiving team usually scores.
That's the odds on probability, any given play,
but not when Foster is serving.
Another big swing early from Nora Siss.
Nora Siss is so aggressive on the attack.
She's got a nice long approach.
Watch the approach.
Beautiful set.
And she put it in area five.
Good pass from Kaylee Cox.
And Lewis gets a hold of one.
Morgan Lewis in the starting lineup for Isabella Rapocz,
who is the top point scorer Rapocz is for Columbus.
Morgan Lewis has really stepped up on that right side
when she's gotten an opportunity.
Semi-final match.
Gets the championship and win again.
Single elimination format.
Vander Weide with the point.
This is the offensive lineup on the outside for Orlando
with both Nora Siss.
Like that, moving on.
Yeah, that's a very uncommon looking play
for a team to lose a point on almost a free ball.
Abercrombie is dug by Cox.
Now Morgan Lewis finds the right angle down the line.
That was a beautiful out of system set by Paula Sarame.
Nice long touch on the ball,
guiding it all the way out to Morgan Lewis.
Former teammates on the national team, former roommates.
A lot of sets throughout this match.
She has three kills on five swings with three early digs.
Klika has to race for the second ball.
Megan Courtney Lush, one of the great all-around players
as an outside hitter, had a dig right there
in the back row.
Sarame hits the deck to save the point.
Shampoo with some tempo and Siss is stonewalled
by Morgan Lewis.
If you're a young blocker on that right side position,
take note of Morgan Lewis's block.
So technically sound.
Watch her rise and making strides
and they put her in for her size at the net
and her offensive efficiency.
Well, those veteran options that's on a younger team
sorely needed now getting back healthy
as Kaz Brown connects on another slide.
That is that sweet spot that Kaz Brown attacks on the slide
that is so difficult to defend.
It's deep down the line.
And this is something that they rubbed out
in the right place.
Orlando going uphill though right now
in the first set at home.
Hannah Rapoch extends the lead to four.
Megan Courtney Lush with the serve.
Expect Columbus to target Siss a lot on the other side
who has to take this set.
Lewis back in there after the substitute.
Cox, dug by Shannon Scully.
Reaching back Van Der Waade didn't get a lot on it.
Block touch controls off of the Cox swing.
Out of the back row, Siss scores for Orlando.
Columbus two points away in the first set.
To put a team away within a set or within a point.
Columbus scrambles nicely.
Tight to the net.
Oh, Siss taking advantage of that set
and just hammering it home.
Norah Siss' approach is so explosive in the ball.
Coming up at team high, 16 kills against Omaha
on their five-set loss
when they were officially eliminated from the postseason.
Set point though for Columbus.
Out of system.
Siss, she missed it.
And Columbus comes in to Orlando
as the big underdog on the road.
To take advantage.
Pass from Van Der Waade.
And it's Brown in the back row.
Brown has absolutely surged late into this season.
She's fourth in blocks in the league,
top 10 in efficiency, seventh in.
Lewis to the ground.
A serve from Morgan Lewis, her fourth of the season.
She is at such a difficult area to attack.
Courtney Lush, perfect pass.
And she'll attack.
That's called a pass to attack play from an outside hitter.
And you wouldn't choose too many people
ahead of Megan Courtney Lush.
Megan Courtney Lush's ball control
and her pass is as elite as they come.
So much to this league, but it starts at the serve.
Under the radar player, Makayla White,
who played collegiately at James Madison in the CAA.
Four copy, double block, three nothing.
Run for Orlando.
Brown is so invasive.
She's really quick side to side.
And look at the press.
This time, Tom Calm digs Cass Brown.
Lewis hits line, Klika pops it up.
Not a good set, but Van Der Weide does an excellent job
just to recycle, keep the point alive.
What a read against Abercrombie.
Now Van Der Weide, that's where she's been going this time.
Courtney Lush, oh yeah.
That'll work.
Last time versus Orlando, Courtney Lush had one kill
and actually hit into the negative,
but she's coming off of some momentum.
Double digit kills, last match.
Rivera, number seven in the league in aces with a serve.
Cass Brown is blocked at Columbus.
Collegiate start, Illinois.
Set point for Columbus.
Can they go up two nothing?
Not yet.
Van Der Weide puts it down.
And Shampoo is back to serve.
Back set, Raipoch.
Laura Sisk gets the dig.
Negotiating the referee stand was Abercrombie.
Rivera, back to Raipoch.
Doesn't miss there.
What a swing by Raipoch.
Different serves in a match recently in Columbus.
This time, Scully takes it.
Has continued to be reliable.
Double figure kills now for Abercrombie.
And seven in this set.
Across multiple leagues, her first year playing in the PBF.
Another Orlando set point.
Samara Sisk says goodbye in the second set.
Cass Brown over there as well.
Two more to tie her single season record from last year.
It's over.
Klika with some fast reaction time.
Scully gets a stunt block against Liao.
Columbus covers it.
Raipoch, who can put this rally to bed.
Abercrombie can.
And absolutely can.
Gives a sense of Orlando,
one of the eight franchises in the PBF.
What's Orlando's role within the league?
What's the connection when you think about
just the volleyball landscape in the States to this city?
I'll let you answer that after this point.
I'll give you time to think about that question, Madison.
As Gillen shoves it.
In play.
I think one of the special parts about-
Clenching, it's Indy, Orlando, Atlanta, and Omaha
are the four teams in the PBF post-season.
It's official.
Well, Courtney Walsh taking out
some of that anger on the ball.
I mean, that really is what it looked like, wasn't it?
That was some spunk, some heat behind that swing
with a nice, long approach, all of her momentum.
She contacts it high.
And then watch her drive through-
Brittany Abercrombie kills in a season.
Here she is, 16 on the day,
and Abercrombie hitting close to 400.
Been off the bench most of the season for Columbus,
but was the number eight overall pick last year
in the inaugural PBF draft.
Oh, a rainbow from Kaz Brown,
who continues her efficient day, 9-4-14,
with just one error.
And what I love from Kaz Brown is,
from where we're sitting,
you can upset her shampoo joints.
Gets to join it with someone that she called her teacher.
On the other side, it's our Tom Cobb,
diving play by Gillen, and Raypotch pays it off.
Columbus hanging around in the third set.
Timeout, Orlando.
Raypotch is so aggressive,
she can really get up and attack the ball
at such a high clip.
Watch her avoid the block so well
and swing into that angle.
Good job running this offense.
She loves those short float serves.
Foster going soft.
A bullet, keeping themselves in the set.
Not a prolonged run there from Foster,
but Abercrombie re-extends the lead to three for Orlando.
Watch Brittany Abercrombie with the nice, long approach.
Kaz Brown doing a great job.
It's just really interesting,
they're both in the opposite position.
This is an outside hit for Norah Siss.
This is an opposite attack on the right side for Raypotch.
Now, make it 12 kills.
How does that impact the offense
when you are more opposite dominant?
I mean, it just puts different pressure and stresses.
To go up two sets to one.
Orlando has that opportunity.
Set point, van der Weide.
Rothera just punches it up.
Gillen out of system.
Flops it over.
Shaftmaster, deep ball.
Abercrombie is down.
Orlando is up two to one.
Abercrombie so explosive on that deep ball.
Which normally, that's a huge strength for the Valkyries.
Part of the reason why this match has been closer.
It's our Tom Com.
Jill Gillen go in line.
I love that Jill Gillen goes right back at that spot
that she had just erred on.
She trusts herself.
She wants to nail that location.
She sees that it's a good one to swing at.
Brittany Abercrombie onside.
Winger setters in front row.
Gotta have some quick reflexes
in order to compete at this level.
Kaz Brown doing yeoman's work as a middle in the back.
Whoa, and van der Weide turns it down the line.
Van der Weide!
It's always younger players and hoping to develop them
and cultivate them for years to come.
Orlando at one point set a new PBF record
with a nine-match winning streak.
That has since been surpassed and-
He was the towel guy at the all-star game.
I'm telling you guys, he's the best of the best.
Hey, I respect anyone who has pride
and takes a passion in what they do.
Even if the towel guy shows he can turn it into something.
Big block for Orlando.
Incoming, leading into next year.
But first, the PBF post-season in Vegas,
May 9th and May 11th.
Kaz Brown gets to celebrate another.
And with that, that is Kaz Brown's fourth block.
So what does that mean?
That means she's breaking her previous-
I mean, as van der Weide is blocked by Leah.
I mean, there have been times this year, though,
we've watched Indy play, and I think rightfully said,
man, who has more talent than them?
So you just don't know when all four are gonna have a-
So she's been playing.
Nice short serve by Courtney Lush.
Abercrombie loves to tip.
Siss gets a piece, and it gets down to the court.
Such a good out-of-system set by Shannon Skelly,
really leading her attacker, putting it a little inside.
So Norah Siss did a good job
at getting her feet to the ball.
Watch the out-of-system set over the shoulder
in the back row right now.
So you've got two libero serve receiving, essentially.
Handles that serve receive, and Siss puts it away.
Norah Siss contacts the ball really high.
She's got a nice, fast arm swing,
and she's swinging over the block.
I like the decision from Shampoo.
She's over there, she's going with the Valkyries' knee.
Nice serve by Abercrombie.
Gillian off the top and down.
It's so impressive to be 5'7 and to use the block
by going above the block, above their hands,
and swinging up on top of them.
Really impressive by Jill Gillian.
Orlando, though, closing in
on making it a clean sweep this year.
4-0 against one team is hard to do,
and they're right on the brink against Columbus, 24-18.
Fast point.
And that's a serve that you really,
just at this point, can't afford to miss.
When Rivera going for it, just missed it outside the lines.
Orlando looking to finish the home slate 9-5.
Home finale, the regular season.
Shaftmaster, bump set, van der Waade.
Go for it to make it a record this year against Columbus.
And Orlando wins in four
and clinches their final home.
