<\/p>\n
Orlando Valkyries opposite hitter Naya Shime (7) rises for a kill attempt against the Dallas Pulse on Friday at Comerica Center.<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Orlando Valkyries<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Setter Chompoo Guedpard<\/a> returned after missing four matches with a finger injury, helping steady the offense.\u00a0Orlando remained shorthanded, as opposite hitter Brittany Abercrombie<\/a> was still sidelined with a foot injury and did not appear in any matches during February, while outside hitter Hannah Maddux<\/a>\u00a0was unavailable as a precaution due to a back injury.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n Orlando hit .359 in the set, led by outside hitter Courtney Schwan\u2019s<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Set four delivered the night\u2019s defining moment. With the score tight at 17-16, head coach Amy Pauly<\/a> signaled for a net fault challenge. As the call was reviewed, boos cascaded through the arena from the Dallas crowd.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n