Game Preview: San Diego Mojo at Orlando Valkyries: January 9, 2025
January 9, 2025 - Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF)
San Diego Mojo News Release
San Diego Mojo (0-0) at Orlando Valkyries (0-0)
The San Diego Mojo travel east to square off with the Orlando Valkyries in the season opener for the Pro Volleyball Federation. Last season, the Mojo topped the Valkyries in three of four matches, including both contests in Orlando. All four of the matches in 2024 went five sets, the only teams in the PVF to have each of their contests take the full five sets. First serve inside the Addition Financial Arena is set for 4:00 p.m. PT.
MATCH NOTES
Tune-In
Fans can watch the match on FS2
Paul Sunderland (play-by-play) and Holly McPeak (analyst) will be on the call.
San Diego Mojo Outlook
The Mojo look to build off of the momentum established at the end of the 2024 season, in which the team bounced back from a 1-5 start to win 13 of the final 18 regular-season games to earn a spot in the PVF Championship Semifinals. The squad came one set short of the championship match, falling to eventual champion Omaha in five sets after taking an early 2-0 lead.
San Diego head coach Tayyiba Haneef-Park's roster features a pair of players who started every game for the Mojo last season in middle blocker Ronika Stone and libero Shara Venegas, as well as San Diego local Kendra Dahlke. Stone, a 2025 PVF Preseason All-League Team honor, led the league in hitting percentage last season with a mark of .336. Venegas was fourth in the league with 345 total digs (3.63), while Dahlke was among the top scorers for the Mojo in 2024 highlighted by a 23-point match at Orlando on April 14 that is the fifth-best scoring output in team history.
Orlando Valkyries Outlook
Orlando is led by second-year head coach Amy Pauly, who guided the Valkyries to an 8-16 record during the inaugural PVF season.
The roster is highlighted by a pair of Preseason All-League Team selections in middle blocker Kaz Brown and opposite hitter Brittany Abercrombie. Brown ranked second behind Stone in hitting percentage last season with a mark of .333, while posting the second-most blocks in the league with 68 (0.67/set) and ranking third in kill percentage (.433). Abercrombie is a 7-year professional who joins the league after winning the 2024 Athletes Unlimited title as the top-ranked player in the league.
Also on the Orlando roster is former Mojo standout Lindsey Vander Weide, an outside hitter who ranked second on the team in scoring last season with 3.4 points per set and earned PVF Player of the Week honors after establishing league records with 32 points and 30 kills in the last match between the Mojo and Valkyries on May 9.
• Discuss this story on the Pro Volleyball Federation message board...
Pro Volleyball Federation Stories from January 9, 2025
- Valkyries Take Down Mojo in Three - Orlando Valkyries
- Mojo Fall in Season Opener at Orlando - San Diego Mojo
- Vibe Travel to Omaha for First Game of the 2025 Season - Atlanta Vibe
- Game Preview: San Diego Mojo at Orlando Valkyries: January 9, 2025 - San Diego Mojo
- Supernovas Battle Vibe on Banner Night for 2025 Season Opener; Travel to Grand Rapids on Sunday - Omaha Supernovas
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
