By Annie Walker
3 29 2024
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Valkyries will face the Columbus Fury on Friday, March 29 at 7 p.m. The match will take place at Nationwide Arena and will be streamed on YouTube.
Orlando (5-8) looks to get back in the win column after a two-game skid. Atlanta (5-6) is coming off a loss against the league-leading Atlanta Vibe but beat them the previous match. This will be the third meeting between the Valkyries and Fury. The series between the two teams is tied at 1-1, with the Fury winning the last match in five sets.
Valkyries Players to Watch:
Kaz Brown led the Valkyries in total points (9) in the team’s last match against the Atlanta Vibe. Brown had four blocks against the Vibe and is leading the league with 42 blocks for the season. In 13 matches this season, she is averaging 12.8 points, 9.2 kills and 3.2 blocks. The 6-foot-4 middle blocker has five years of professional volleyball experience, which included stops in Germany, France, Ukraine and Greece. Brown attended the University of Kentucky, where she was a standout player and earned three-time All-SEC and three-time AVCA All-Region honors. She ended her collegiate career as the Wildcats’ career record holder for total blocks, solo blocks, and block assists. Because of her standout play, Brown was selected to the US Collegiate National Team in 2016-17.
Adora Anae is leading the Valkyries in points (19.2) and kills (16.6) per match. The outside hitter 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.
Fury Players to Watch:
Reagan Cooper leads the Fury in points (17.1) and kills (15.5) per match. She was named the Pro Volleyball Federation’s Player of the Week in week 5 after 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 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.
Asjia O’Neal won the Pro Volleyball Federation’s Player of the Week for week 9 after recording 30 kills, two blocks and two aces in two matches. In six matches this season, she is averaging 11.1 points, 9.5 kills and 1.3 blocks. O’Neal, a middle blocker, was drafted first overall by the Fury in the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation Draft. She played six seasons at the University of Texas and finished her college career with back-to-back National Championships. O’Neal was a two-time first team All-American and is the record holder for most career blocks at Texas with 601.
The Valkyries and Fury will face off one more time in the 2024 season.
ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION
Pro Volleyball Federation is the present and future of professional volleyball in North America. The League began play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players joined by elite standouts from around the world. Seven teams have taken the court in the first season, with 10 teams scheduled for the 2025 campaign. Our focus is on ensuring that the level and quality of play, treatment of players and the entire fan experience is world class and the best offered anywhere. 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, which began play in January 2024, plays out of Addition Financial Arena, located in the heart of the University of Central Florida campus. Tickets 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
