Orlando Falls in Five Sets to Atlanta
MLV Orlando Valkyries

Orlando Falls in Five Sets to Atlanta

Published on February 6, 2026 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
Orlando Valkyries News Release


ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Valkyries, reigning 2025 Major League Volleyball champions, battled through another five-set test Saturday night, eventually falling to Atlanta Vibe at home, 2-3 (18-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-21, 9-15).

"Despite the loss, I was really proud of our depth and the way our younger players stepped up," head coach Amy Pauly said postgame. "Colby gave us some really good minutes tonight alongside Bre, and Hannah Maddux had a big night after a slow first set. Naya stepped up as well. We're still finding our identity as a team, and these tough battles early in the season are going to help get us where we need to be."

The Valkyries got off to a slow start, falling behind 5-11 in the opening set. Orlando debuted a new lineup, with Naya Shime making her first start this season. Orlando closed out set one, hitting just .194 to Atlanta's .306.

Orlando would start to settle in with their reshuffled starting lineup, amping up the defensive intensity, and it played big dividends. After Atlanta hit .306 as a team in the first, Orlando held them to .128 in the second. Hannah Maddux also turned it around in the second, going from four kills hitting .071 to five kills hitting .333 in the second. Colby Neal came in off the bench, earning her first point of the season to make the score 21-17 and finishing set two with two kills on two attempts.

Maddux continued to steal the show, earning six kills while hitting an impressive .750 at 11-11. Shortly after, Atlanta went on 5-0 run, gaining their first lead on the Valkyries in this set and flipping the score to 12-18. The Vibe continued to apply pressure, steadily extending the margin to 22-16, before closing it out 25-19.

Set four remained competitive, with Atlanta grabbing the lead early until Orlando created a 5-0 run, flipping the score from 15-18 to 20-18. Maddux was at the forefront yet again, earning nine kills with a .333 hitting percentage, only one point off from tying the MLV record for most kills in a single set. The Valkyries pulled away at the end to finish set four 25-21.

After the back-and-forth battle throughout the match, Atlanta responded in the decisive fifth, jumping out to an early four-point cushion before the side switch at 8-4. Shorthanded down three starters, Orlando pushed the match to the final point, ultimately losing 9-15.

Notes:

Hannah Maddux set a new career-high with 27 kills, leading both teams

Natalie Foster finished with four service aces: her third match recording 3+ aces this season

Orlando finished hitting .175; third time this season hitting under .200 as a team

Atlanta led Orlando in digs 65-62

Next Match: Orlando Valkyries (5-3) vs. Omaha Supernovas (6-3) | Sunday, February 8, 3:00 p.m. ET | Addition Financial Arena | MLV YouTube | Theme: Mental Health Awareness Night

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Major League Volleyball Stories from February 6, 2026


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