By Annie Walker
3 3 2024
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Valkyries will face the Columbus Fury on Sunday, March 3 at 3 p.m. The match will take place at Addition Financial Arena and will be streamed on YouTube. Tickets for the match are still available and fans can visit the Orlando Valkyries website for additional information.
Orlando (4-4) enjoyed a 3-1 (25-27, 25-22, 25-20, 25-11) victory the last time it faced Columbus (3-2) in February. The Fury lost its first two matches of the inaugural season, but is on a three-game winning streak.
Valkyries Players to Watch:
Adora Anae led the Valkyries in total points (22), kills (21) and digs (14) in the team’s last match against the Grand Rapids Rise. Anae’s all-round game has been vital for the Valkyries. The outside hitter leads the team in points (20.2) and kills (17.5) per match. Anae is the first Orlando player to clinch the Pro Volleyball Federation’s Player of the Week title, winning the honor in week 3 of the 2024 season. She is a sixth-year pro, with experiences from various countries, including South Korea, Turkey, Puerto Rico, Ukraine and Greece. Prior to her professional career, Anae excelled at the University of Utah, where she earned recognition as the first-ever player named to the 1st-Team Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. She holds the record for the school’s all-time single season kills (501) and was the first player in program history to achieve consecutive AVCA All-American honors, as well as being named to the All-AVCA First Team.
Kaz Brown is holding it down in the middle for the Valkyries. Against the Rise, she tied for second on the Valkyries in total points (15) and led both teams with five blocks. The 6-foot-4 middle blocker also had a 44 percent hitting percentage against Grand Rapids. Brown, out of the University of Kentucky, has five years of professional experience with stops in Germany, France, Ukraine and Greece. At Kentucky, she was a standout player and earned three-time All-SEC and three-time AVCA All-Region honors. Brown ended her collegiate career as the Wildcats’ career record holder for total blocks, solo blocks, and block assists. She was selected to the US Collegiate National Team in 2016-17.
Fury Players to Watch:
Reagan Cooper was named the Pro Volleyball Federation’s Player of the Week for week 5. Cooper had a monster week, leading her team to three victories and recording 58 kills. The outside hitter was drafted by the Fury in the second round of the first-ever Pro Volleyball Federation College Player Draft. Cooper’s achievements include being named a third-team All-American in 2023 during her time with the Kansas Jayhawks. Prior to joining Kansas, she spent three seasons at Texas Tech after a one-year stint at Washington State. At Texas Tech, she totaled 702 kills and 118 blocks while ranking among the team’s leaders in kills. During her lone season at Kansas, Cooper finished second on the team in kills with 363 and led in kills per set with an average of 3.86 on a .346 hitting percentage.
Kaitlyn Hord recorded 11 kills in Columbus’ last match against the Vegas Thrill. In five matches this season, she is averaging six kills. Hord holds an impressive track record in collegiate volleyball and brings one year of professional experience to the Fury. She has been recognized three times as an AVCA All-American, earning first-team honors in 2019, second-team in 2021, and third-team in 2020. Additionally, Hord has received five selections to the AVCA All-Region team. During her senior season at Nebraska, she led the nation in blocks with an average of 1.61 per set. Hord’s collegiate career statistics include 1,175 kills and 697 blocks.
The two teams will face off two more times in the 2024 season.
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 will begin 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 entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our 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, proud member team in the Pro Volleyball Federation – the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. The Valkyries will play out of Addition Financial Arena, located in the heart of the University of Central Florida campus, and will begin play in January 2024. Home opener and season tickets for the inaugural season are on sale now. For more information on how to get tickets, contact the Orlando Valkyries sales department at (321)-244-4600 Ext. 113, 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! *
COURTESY ORLANDO VALKYRIES COMMUNICATIONS
