By Annie Walker

April 26, 2024

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Columbus Fury (7-11) won their second-straight match with a 3-1 (22-25, 26-24, 25-12, 25-15) victory over Orlando (7-13) on Friday night at Nationwide Arena. The win took the Fury into fifth place in PVF, just one spot behind playoff position.

Set One

Columbus made the first set out to be a competitive one, and brought the Valkyries to a tie at 19 despite trailing for most of the set. Ultimately, Orlando put together a run and the Fury couldn’t quite pull out the victory to start the match. Kendall Kipp led the team with eight kills on 21 attacks, while Jenaisya Moore tallied five digs.

Set Two

The Fury came out looking to attack in the second set and took an early 7-2 lead behind a couple of huge plays by setter Tori Stringer. Stringer came up with two blocks and a kill in just the first nine points. Orlando didn’t go away quietly, however, and scored three-straight points while the Fury had 24 to even the set. After collecting themselves, the Fury were able to put the set away with a kill from Kipp and an Orlando attack error. Kipp once again led the team with five more kills in the second set on 13 attempts.

Set Three

Columbus came out of the second intermission looking dominant and cruised to a 25-12 set win in the third. Numerous players got in on the action as team captain Megan Courtney finished with a perfect five kills on five attempts, Reagan Cooper claimed four kills of her own on eight attacks, and another three kills from Kipp. As a team, the Fury only allowed themselves two errors over the entirety of the set.

Set Four

The Fury didn’t let up on the momentum gained in the third set and once again jumped out to a dominant 17-10 lead. Columbus gained contribution from all over the court with kills from five different players. Cooper led the way for the fourth set with seven kills on eight attempts, including a kill on match point to finish it off.

Standout Stats

• The Fury finished with a punishing 28% attacking percentage, while limiting Orlando to 16%. Columbus also finished with a 56% attacking percentage in the third set.
• Valeria Leon looked dominant with a 17-dig performance including five assists.
• Kipp finished with a double-double, tallying 21 kills and 11 digs.

Up Next

The Fury will have a quick turnoaround as they look to get their first win against Grand Rapids at home at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

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