Catching up with the Columbus Fury

The Columbus Fury return home Friday evening looking to bounce back after suffering a 3-0 loss to the Atlanta Vibe on Wednesday evening. Columbus welcomes the Orlando Valkyries to Nationwide Arena as both teams continue to battle for the coveted fourth spot in the Pro Volleyball Federation standings. The top four teams qualify for the post season and will compete in the PVF Championship in May in Omaha, Nebraska.

Friday's match marks the first time the Fury are playing at home to cap-off the work week. Columbus hosts three more Friday contests, with perhaps none bigger than the April 12th matchup against San Diego Mojo. That contest is scheduled to be broadcast to a national audience on the CBS Sports Network as the Fury has the chance to showcase a passionate fanbase that calls Central Ohio home.

Friday night is "Dads and Daughters Night" inside Nationwide Arena as a win for Columbus would do wonders for its postseason aspirations. A win for the Fury would lift them back to the .500 mark on the season and help keep the Valkyries below them in fifth place in the standings.

Let's get you caught up on some other headlines this week.

Asjia O'Neal named Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week

It's the first time that a middle blocker has earned the POTW honors but it likely won't be the last time Asjia O'Neal is recognized for her efforts this season. The first overall pick in the PVF Draft is the second player from Columbus recognized by the league this season. Earlier this season, teammate Reagan Cooper captured player of the week honors.

The Southlake, Texas-native led her team to a 1-1 week, highlighted by a victory over league-leading Atlanta, which stopped the Vibe’s five-match winning streak. She had 34 points for the week, finishing with 4.25 per set.

Returning from an injury in the match against Grand Rapids, O’Neal put down 13 kills, the second-most on her team. She followed with 17 kills versus Atlanta, recording an efficient .556 attack percentage. She also notched two aces during her play last week.

The last time out...

The Columbus Fury (5-6) dropped their rematch with Atlanta (10-4) on Wednesday night in straight sets (25-16, 25-15, 25-17). The Vibe got out to a hot start and Columbus never caught up. The Fury matched a season-low with only four blocks in the match and Atlanta hit .370 as a team.  

Set 1

Atlanta jumped out to an early lead in the first set behind a strong presence at the net. The Fury were able to stay within four points through the midway point of the set, but a 4-0 run from the Vibe pushed their lead to 22-14 and shifted the momentum fully in their favor. Megan Courtney Lush had a strong start with four kills on six swings but it wasn’t enough as the Fury fell 25-16.

Set 2

The Fury opened the second set on a 3-0 run getting kills from Samantha Drechsel, Reagan Cooper and Asjia O’Neal. Atlanta followed with a 9-3 run to take a three-point lead, 9-6, and later used a 4-0 run to take the 13-8 lead. Columbus was able to get a little more consistency in their offense, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit, falling 25-15.

Set 3

The Fury switched up their lineup in set three with both Michelle Bartsch-Hackley and Nikoleta Perović earning their first set starts since joining the team. Bartsch-Hackley got an early block and had two kills in the set while Perović had three kills and four digs. Columbus was able to find a little more efficiency on offense in the third set, but Atlanta’s momentum and attack at the net proved too much as they took the match with a 25-17 third set.

Standout Stats

• Columbus hit just .120 as a team, their lowest mark on the season outside of the season opener.
• Eight different players registered a kill in the match with Megan Courtney Lush leading the way with eight kills.

First serve from Nationwide Arena is scheduled for 7:10 PM. Our Ralph Schudel and Sam Fahmi will have you covered.

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