Orlando Valkyries opposite hitter Naya Shime (7) rises for a kill attempt against the Dallas Pulse on Friday at Comerica Center.
Courtesy of Orlando Valkyries
The Orlando Valkyries claimed a 3-1 road victory over the Dallas Pulse in their second meeting of the season, improving to 7-6 overall and continuing their dominance away from home.
Setter Chompoo Guedpard returned after missing four matches with a finger injury, helping steady the offense. Orlando remained shorthanded, as opposite hitter Brittany Abercrombie was still sidelined with a foot injury and did not appear in any matches during February, while outside hitter Hannah Maddux was unavailable as a precaution due to a back injury.
Orlando fell behind early in the opening set, trailing by as many as six points before mounting a late push. The Valkyries strung together seven consecutive points to secure a 25-23 win.Â
Orlando hit .359 in the set, led by outside hitter Courtney Schwan’s six kills on a .667 hitting percentage. Dallas outside hitter Mimi Colyer recorded 12 kills while hitting .583, but the Pulse were unable to close out the opener.
Dallas evened the match with a 25-20 win in set two, using five blocks to control the net. Orlando recorded just one block in the set.
The Valkyries regained control in the third, leading by as many as four points and holding on for another 25-23 win despite not recording a block in the set.
Set four delivered the night’s defining moment. With the score tight at 17-16, head coach Amy Pauly signaled for a net fault challenge. As the call was reviewed, boos cascaded through the arena from the Dallas crowd.Â
The ruling favored Orlando, pushing the Valkyries ahead 18-16. Dallas later challenged at 21-18 but was unsuccessful, and Orlando closed the set 25-20 to secure the 3-1 victory.
Middle blocker Natalie Foster finished the match hitting .435 on 23 attempts, providing a key offensive lift. Colyer shouldered a heavy load for Dallas, recording 49 attempts while hitting .388. Dallas finished with 13 total blocks compared to Orlando’s five.
The win moves Orlando to 6-1 on the road despite a 1-5 mark at home.
The Valkyries return Sunday for an afternoon matchup against the Grand Rapids Rise at Addition Financial Arena.