By Annie Walker

March 27, 2024

FURY DROP MIDWEEK MATCHUP IN ATLANTA

COLUMBUS, Ohio—The Columbus Fury (5-6) dropped their rematch with Atlanta (10-4) on Wednesday night in straight sets (25-16, 25-15, 25-17). The Vibe got out to a hot start and Columbus never caught up. The Fury matched a season-low with only four blocks in the match and Atlanta hit .370 as a team.

Set 1

Atlanta jumped out to an early lead in the first set behind a strong presence at the net. The Fury were able to stay within four points through the midway point of the set, but a 4-0 run from the Vibe pushed their lead to 22-14 and shifted the momentum fully in their favor. Megan Courtney Lush had a strong start with four kills on six swings but it wasn’t enough as the Fury fell 25-16.

Set 2

The Fury opened the second set on a 3-0 run getting kills from Samantha Drechsel, Reagan Cooper and Asjia O’Neal. Atlanta followed with a 9-3 run to take a three-point lead, 9-6, and later used a 4-0 run to take the 13-8 lead. Columbus was able to get a little more consistency in their offense, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit, falling 25-15.

Set 3

The Fury switched up their lineup in set three with both Michelle Bartsch-Hackley and Nikoleta Perović earning their first set starts since joining the team. Bartsch-Hackley got an early block and had two kills in the set while Perović had three kills and four digs. Columbus was able to find a little more efficiency on offense in the third set, but Atlanta’s momentum and attack at the net proved too much as they took the match with a 25-17 third set.

Standout Stats

• Columbus hit just .120 as a team, their lowest mark on the season outside of the season opener.
• Eight different players registered a kill in the match with Megan Courtney Lush leading the way with eight kills.

Up Next

The Fury will be back in action on Friday night when they host the Orlando Valkyries at 7 p.m. in Nationwide Arena.

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