Brown and Abercrombie Shine in Valkyries' Home Victory

The Orlando Valkyries secured a crucial home victory Thursday night, defeating the Grand Rapids Rise in four sets (25-18, 18-25, 25-18, 25-15) at Addition Financial Arena. Behind a dominant performance from middle blocker Kaz Brown and outside hitter Brittany Abercrombie, the Valkyries moved one step closer to clinching a Pro Volleyball Federation playoff spot. Brown led all players with 20 points, including 12 kills on a blistering .600 hitting percentage, two aces, and six blocks. Abercrombie added a match-high 17 kills and eight digs to power Orlando’s attack.

After Orlando took the opening set behind Brown’s early serving run, the Rise answered with a sharp second frame, hitting .378 and recording five blocks to even the match. Carli Snyder and Paige Briggs-Romine sparked the Rise’s turnaround, with Briggs-Romine eventually finishing with a team-best 13 kills and 12 digs. However, the Valkyries’ defense locked in from the third set on, holding Grand Rapids to a combined .060 hitting percentage over the final two frames. Natalie Foster, the league’s ace leader, added three more to her season total, including two in the pivotal third set.

The Valkyries closed out the match with a commanding 25-15 fourth-set win, backed by a relentless block and strong back-row play. Orlando tallied 12 blocks as a team and saw libero Shannon Scully contribute two digs against her former squad. Setter Pornpun Guedpard expertly ran the offense with 50 assists, while Lindsey Vander Weide and Courtney Schwan combined for 29 digs. Now 13-9, Orlando will look to keep their momentum going Saturday night at home against the Atlanta Vibe.