ORLANDO, Fla. — Coming off a four-set road win over Dallas on Friday, the Orlando Valkyries came back home looking to stack momentum. Instead, the same home-court problem showed up again.
Grand Rapids Rise walked into Addition Financial Arena and took the match 3–1, handing Orlando another tough night in Orlando: 22–25, 24–26, 25–21, 18–25. The loss drops the Valkyries to 1–6 at home this season.
Score by Set
Set 1: Rise 25, Valkyries 22
Set 2: Rise 26, Valkyries 24
Set 3: Valkyries 25, Rise 21
Set 4: Rise 25, Valkyries 18
Final: Rise 3, Valkyries 1
The story of the night: rhythm never really arrived
Friday night in Dallas, Orlando’s offense looked sharp. This one went the opposite direction. The Valkyries finished with a .137 hitting percentage, their second-lowest mark of the season, and it felt like every time Orlando tried to settle in, Grand Rapids had an answer — especially at the net.
The Rise controlled that part of the match with a 15–9 blocking advantage, and those blocks didn’t just score points — they broke up Orlando’s timing and kept the Valkyries from getting into a comfortable flow.
Bright spot: Naya Shime keeps producing
Even in a rough offensive night, Naya Shime continues to be a steady source of production. Filling in and making the most of her opportunities, she led Orlando with 15 kills — her fourth straight match with double-digit kills (10+). When Orlando needed a swing to stop a run or spark energy, Shime was often the one taking it.
“High highs and really low lows”
After the match, head coach Amy Pauly pointed to the biggest theme right now: consistency.
Orlando sits third in the standings at 7–7, but the ride has been uneven. February ended 2–4, and in four of those six matches, the Valkyries didn’t reach .200 hitting efficiency. The ceiling is there — we’ve seen it — but the week-to-week (and set-to-set) swings are what have kept this team from separating.
Outside hitter Lindsey Vander Weide echoed the belief that this group can still go on a run, the way they did last season. Nobody’s satisfied with where things are right now — but the confidence isn’t gone.
Notes
Grand Rapids out-blocked Orlando 15–9
Naya Shime led Orlando with 15 kills
Orlando fell to 1–6 at home this season
Only two teams in MLV currently have winning home records (San Diego and Indy)
Up next
Orlando Valkyries (7–7) vs Columbus Fury (3–9)
Thursday, March 5 — 7:00 p.m. ET
Addition Financial Arena | Roku Channel
This is the spot in the season where teams either drift or respond. Orlando’s still right in the mix — but the next step is simple and hard at the same time: bring the road energy home and make it repeatable.
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