Orlando Falls to League Leading Indy Ignite
MLV Orlando Valkyries

Orlando Falls to League Leading Indy Ignite

Published on March 12, 2026 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
Orlando Valkyries News Release


FISHERS, Ind. - Following a three-set loss at home to Dallas on Saturday, the Valkyries were unable to fight off the red-hot Indy Ignite on the road, as Indy won their eighth straight match with set scores of 20-25, 22-25, 17-25.

Indy's offense set the tone from the opening set and finished the match hitting .381 as a unit. When asked about what makes the Ignite so dangerous, head coach Amy Pauly stated they have weapons everywhere. "What the Ignite do so well is that they have weapons everywhere on the floor and you have to be really aggressive from the service line to try and get them out of rhythm. You can't just scout one player when you play them; you have to take into account everyone they have. We wanted to serve tough which I think we did exceptionally well in the second set but just couldn't close it out."

Going up against an Indy unit that is now 14-2 overall, the Valkyries finished the night hitting .190, as they couldn't keep up with the high flying Ignite offense. Playing without Brittany Abercrombie and Hannah Maddux, who were both out due to injury, Orlando searched for consistent scoring throughout the match, as different lineups were made involving the pin hitters to try and create a spark.

Despite the loss, one encouraging takeaway was the impact of the Valkyries middle blockers and how important they are to the team's offensive rhythm. "They were huge for us tonight," Amy Pauly stated postgame. "We want our middles to be point scorers and anytime you have middles who can put the ball down, that can really alleviate pressure off your pin hitters."

Orlando's most efficient stretch came in the second set, when the team hit .343. Much of that success came from the connection between setter Chompoo Guedpard and the middle duo of Natalie Foster and Kaz Brown, whose presence in the middle got everyone else going. Foster recorded two kills while hitting .667, while Brown delivered five kills on a .625 clip. The offensive balance also allowed Shime to contribute five kills hitting .333, and Courtney Schwan added two kills on .400 hitting.

Natalie Foster finished tonight's match reaching an historic milestone, recording her 100th career ace and becoming the only player in Major League Volleyball history to achieve that feat.

Orlando (8-9) will look to regroup quickly as they return home to face the San Diego Mojo (7-8) on Saturday, March 14 at 7:00 pm.

Notes:

Leketor Member-Meneh led both teams in kills with 12

Naya Shime led the Valkyries with 11 kills

Natalie Foster recorded her 100th career ace, becoming the first ever player in MLV history to achieve this feat

Next Match: Orlando Valkyries (8-9) vs San Diego Mojo (7-8) | Saturday, March 14, 7:00 p.m. ET | Addition Financial Arena | MLV YouTube | Samsung TV Plus

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Major League Volleyball Stories from March 12, 2026


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