From staff reports
Kaylee Cox of the Dallas Pulse celebrates a point during a Major League Volleyball match on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026 at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida. (Photo courtesy of Major League Volleyball)
The Dallas Pulse extended its winning streak Sunday night, outlasting the Orlando Valkyries in a five-set road win, 24-26, 22-25, 25-16, 25-23, 15-9, at Addition Financial Arena.
Outside hitter Mimi Colyer led all scorers with 22 points, finishing with 21 kills on 45 swings. Opposite Kelsie Payne added 15 kills on 32 attacks and four blocks, and Kaylee Cox earned player of the game honors after providing a lift off the bench with 13 kills on 30 swings.
Dallas (3-1) posted a season-high 73 kills and finished with 13 blocks.
“The best part about today’s game was the full team effort,” said Dallas coach Shannon Winzer. “Our serving subs, Geli Cyr and Isabel Martin, hit key serves in crucial moments, and we continue to show the depth of talent in this team with Malaya Jones getting two key points late in the fourth set and Kaylee Cox coming in the third to make an immediate impact offensively. Every game, we want to improve on the last, and so far, we are doing just that.”
For Orlando, opposite Brittany Abercrombie recorded a double-double with 17 kills on 40 swings and 11 digs. Outside hitter Charitie Luper added nine kills on 26 attempts.
Orlando took control early in the opening set and held off a late Dallas push. The Pulse pulled even at 24-24 behind six kills from Payne and five from Colyer, but a successful block-touch challenge swung momentum back to the Valkyries. Orlando closed the set with an Abercrombie kill and a Maddux ace to win 26-24.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with the teams tied at 21-21 before Orlando finished on a 4-1 run to take a 2-0 match lead.
Dallas turned the match in the third set behind Cox, who came off the bench and delivered five kills on nine swings without an error. A string of Orlando errors helped the Pulse build separation, and Payne capped the frame with a kill to close out a 25-16 win.
Dallas carried the momentum into the fourth, using an early 4-0 run with Colyer at the service line to jump ahead. Cox finished with six kills in the set, and middle blocker Layne Van Buskirk hit .600 as the Pulse tightened up defensively to edge Orlando 25-23 and force a fifth set.
The Pulse remains on the road Thursday to face the Columbus Fury at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. First serve is set for 6 p.m, with the match streaming on YouTube.
Dallas returns home Feb. 5 to host the Omaha Supernovas at Comerica Center in Frisco. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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