By Annie Walker
May 11, 2024
San Diego Mojo (12-11) at Columbus Fury (8-15)
The postseason-bound San Diego Mojo close out the regular season slate in Ohio on Saturday when they face the Columbus Fury at 4 p.m. PT inside Nationwide Arena. It will mark the second matchup in the last five evenings between the squads with the Mojo having defeated the Fury in San Diego on Tuesday, May 7 in four sets. Overall, San Diego is 3-0 against Columbus this season.
Tune-In
Fans can watch every league match on YouTube.
- Stream: Click here to watch the match, or access it through any device compatible with the YouTube app.
San Diego Mojo Outlook
San Diego secured the third seed in the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship with a five-set victory in Orlando on Wednesday. San Diego started the season 1-5 and have won 11 of their last 17 matches. Lindsey Vander Weide dominated in the Mojo effort on Thursday, setting PVF records with 30 kill and 32 points, scoring on 30 of 58 swings (.517) while also adding 14 digs, two assists, one block and one service ace. Temi Thomas-Ailara and Nootsara Tomkom also tallied double-doubles for the Mojo, with Thomas-Ailara recording 14 kills and 15 digs and Tomkom posting a match-high 50 assists with 10 digs.
Thomas-Ailara is averaging 3.66 kills per set, the sixth-best mark in the league, while Ronika Stone tops the league with a .339 hitting percentage and leads the Mojo with 13 service aces. Ali Bastianelli is fifth in the PVF with 55 blocks and leads the league averaging 1.0 blocks per set. Nootsara Tomkom is fourth in the league in assists per set (10.56) and ranks third in total assists (919) and Shara Venegas ranks fourth in the league in digs per set at 3.67 and is third in total digs with 345.
Columbus Fury Outlook
Columbus heads into the season finale with losses in their last four matches, including a pair of sweeps. Last time out, the fell in three sets at the Omaha Supernovas. Reagan Cooper leads the Fury with 317 kills, the fifth-most in the league, while her 4.06 kills per set are the fourth-best mark in the PVF. The Fury have two primary setters with Tori Stringer leading the squad with 625 assists (9.47 per set) followed by Raymariely Santos with 490 (7.31 per set). Kaitlyn Hord tops the team with 42 blocks and Rainelle Jones has tallied 35, while Valeria Leon leads the team with 261 digs, just ahead of the 225 from Megan Courtney Lush.
Up Next
San Diego will square off with the Omaha Supernovas on in the PVF Championship semifinals on Wednesday, May 15 at approximately 6:30 p.m. PT at the CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha. The match will air live on CBS Sports Network.
The inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation Championship will be held on May 15 and 18. San Diego is among four teams that will compete for the first-ever title in the nation’s top professional volleyball league and a player bonus of $1 million. The other teams include the top-seeded Atlanta Vibe, second-seed Omaha and fourth-seed Grand Rapids Rise. Fans can purchase tickets for the two semifinal sessions through this link. Tickets for the championship match can be purchased here.
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 SAN DIEGO MOJO
The San Diego Mojo is a women’s professional volleyball team in San Diego, CA, and is an inaugural member of Pro Volleyball Federation, the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. The Mojo play their home matches at Viejas Arena on the campus of San Diego State University.
COURTESY SAN DIEGO MOJO COMMUNICATIONS
