The reigning MVL champion Orlando Valkyries defeated the Grand Rapids Rise 3-2 on Friday at Addition Financial Arena. Despite being two points away from defeat, Orlando rallied to pick up its first win of the 2026 season.
“I think we can win, even when it’s not pretty,” Valkyries middle blocker Kazmiere Brown said. “There was definitely times where I didn’t feel like we were playing our best volleyball or our cleanest volleyball, or we weren’t doing the thing that we work on every day in practice. But at the end of the day, we talked about, like, we just want to win, no matter the circumstance. And so being able to get a big win on opening night at home against a really, really good Grand Rapids team is huge. All these wins, they stack up, so we knew that we just wanted to set the tone for the season by coming out and getting a win.”
Reigning league MVP Brittany Abercrombie recorded the most kills in the match with 24, while Grand Rapids’ Elizabet Inneh led the team with 19.
“[Abercrombie] has all the shots; she doesn’t just have one,” Grand Rapids Rise coach Cathy George said. “Your defense has to be on alert at all times as she moves a ball. She’s a master of the craft, right? She hits deep, she can tip, she can hit sharp. She’s got all the tools that you should have. And that’s why she’s had so much success.”
Orlando raised its 2025 banner before the match and the team was presented with its championship rings. While the players knew the ceremony was taking place, the rings were a surprise from ownership.
“We knew about the banner and the ceremony, and I think it was really cool how our front office took the time to do that for us and how the city showed out and supported us,” Brown said. “I think we still have a long way to go for fan support, so I’m gonna keep encouraging that from the city. But I think now we’re to the point where we’re getting recognized at the grocery stores or, you know, people are coming to more games or telling their friends about it. So, really cool moment for us as a team, but also one of those things you kind of take that moment and you leave it there and, you know, now we’re onto a new season.”
Game Flow
In the first set, Orlando led the entire way, with Abercrombie collecting eight kills, followed closely by Charitie Luper with six.
However, the next set was not as kind, as the Valkyries would trail for the majority of the second set. The Rise were in command and a block would seemingly give them a 19-13 lead, but a successful Orlando challenge would change the point to the home team.
The Valkyries would use this change in a call to flip the momentum, going on a 7-1 run to claim the lead 20-19. Despite this comeback, the Rise would then go on a run of their own, finishing on a 6-1 run to win the set.
Grand Rapids carried this momentum into set three, as the away team would win their second straight set on the back of a timeout. After the Rise led 16-14, they would outscore the Valkyries by three to gain a 2-1 advantage.
The fourth set was the closest thus far, as through the second media timeout, there were six lead changes and five ties. Orlando held the lead 16-14, a two-point cushion they held for most of the final third of the set.
Down 23-19, the Rise rallied and went on a 4-1 run, but Luper hit the ball at former Florida Gator Rhamat Alhassan and collected a kill and the 25th point.
“We’re [a] super tough… super gritty team,” Luper said. ”We just, we never give up, and we don’t like to lose. Every single person who’s on the court, we do not want to lose at all. And it’s the same way in practice; practice is super competitive. It’s hard to score on both sides. We just brought that same mentality into the game today that we don’t like to lose.”
With the match tied at two sets apiece, both teams looked to be highly competitive in the closing frame. However, Orlando would mount a 12-2 lead and eventually win the final set 15-4, the largest margin of victory in the fifth set in MVL history.
In the match, the Valkyries had seven aces compared to the Rise’s one, with rookie Bre Kelley accounting for two. The sixth overall pick and Pitt product started the final two sets for Orlando, playing a crucial role for the team to start the season 1-0.
Next Up
The Valkyries will travel out west to play the San Diego Mojo on Sunday. The Mojo are coming off an 0-3 loss against the Omaha Supernovas.
“I think that how we overcame and came back tonight just was a testament to how hard we go every day against each other,” Orlando Valkyries coach Amy Pauly said. “I think that this is just the first little stepping stone, but I love five setters and I love that it’s early on and we’re learning from it. So really, really proud of our team’s resiliency tonight right now.”
First serve against the Mojo is set for 7:00 p.m. EST on Jan. 11.