By Annie Walker

Angel Perez Fury head coach Post-match Press Conference 3 11 2024 Vegas 3 Fury 1 PVF .mp3

FURY DROP HOME BATTLE TO THRILL

COLUMBUS—The Columbus Fury (4-4) took on the Vegas Thrill (4-7) on Monday night falling in four sets for their first home loss of the season. Columbus took the first set, closing it out on a 5-0 run, but Vegas answered with a 28-26 win in set two to seing the momentum in their favor. The Thrill used that momentum to close out the match 25-17, 25-16 in the third and fourth sets, respectively. Reagan Cooper led the Fury in kills once again with 14, while Jenna Rosenthal went 9-13 in her first extended action of the season.

Set 1

The Thrill were hot early, jumping out to an 11-5 lead. A kill from Megan Courtney Lush helped kickstart the Fury offense as they went on a 5-0 run to cut the Vegas lead to one. Back-to-back blocks from Ashley Wenz and a hitting error from the Thrill forced a Vegas timeout up by a point, 15-14. The teams traded the lead late into the set with Vegas up 21-20. The Fury tied the set off a kill from María Schlegel and the team closed the set on a 5-0 run behind the serve of Ivania Ortiz to earn the 25-21 set win.

Set 2

The second set saw a tight contest throughout with the Thrill holding the largest lead of four points. After trading points early, a block and a kill from Cooper gave the Fury their largest lead of the set, 11-8. Vegas responded with a run of their own and built a 17-13 lead. Columbus was able to tie the set at 21-all on a successful challenge by coach Pérez on a net touch. The Fury were the first to grab a set point at 24-23, but Vegas tied the set to send it to extra points. Columbus fought off two set points before dropping the set 28-26.

Set 3

The Thrill carried their momentum into set three. As the teams traded points early, Vegas was able to get separation going on a 5-0 run to take a 12-8 lead and forcing the Fury timeout. Columbus was unable to recover from the defecit as they toatled just eight kills in the set, falling 25-17.

Set 4

The Fury adjusted their lineup in the fourth set to try and shift the momentum in their favor but Vegas was able to get out to an early lead, 10-5. The Thrill built their lead to 22-11 and despite the deficit, Columbus refused to quit. The team fought off three match points before falling 25-16 in the set.

Standout Stats

• Cooper led the Fury with 15 points on 14 kills and a block, she also added eight digs and an assist for the match.
• Three Fury players notched double-digit digs, led by Valeria León with 14 while Courtney Lush and Wenz each totaled 11.
• Wenz had a solid night at the net totaling a season-high five blocks. It matches the highest block total for any Fury player in a match this season.
• Jenna Rosenthal played her first extended time of the season and put together seven kills on 12 attempts for a .583 hitting percentage.

Up Next

Columbus has nine days to prepare for their next match on Wednesday, March 20, when they host Grand Rapids at 7 p.m. The team will host Nurse’s Night for the match with a ticket deal for nurses here.

ABOUT THE COLUMBUS FURY    

The Columbus Fury is the first women’s professional volleyball team in Columbus and is an inaugural member of Pro Volleyball Federation, the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. The Fury is one of seven founding members of Pro Volleyball Federation, joining the Atlanta Vibe, Grand Rapids Rise, Omaha Supernovas, Orlando Valkyries, San Diego Mojo, and Vegas Thrill for the inaugural 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.

COURTESY COLUMBUS FURY COMMUNICATIONS