Orlando Valkyries Bring Home Florida Gators Stars Marlie Monserez and Elli McKissock for 2027 Season
MLV Orlando Valkyries

Orlando Valkyries Bring Home Florida Gators Stars Marlie Monserez and Elli McKissock for 2027 Season

Published on June 2, 2026 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
Orlando Valkyries News Release


Marlie Monserez and Elli McKissock with the Florida Gators
Marlie Monserez and Elli McKissock with the Florida Gators
(Orlando Valkyries, Credit: University of Florida)

ORLANDO, Fla. - With free agency officially underway, the Orlando Valkyries made an immediate splash by signing former University of Florida standouts and Windermere natives Marlie Monserez and Elli McKissock for the 2027 season. The pair, who starred together in Gainesville, will now reunite professionally in their hometown.

Monserez arrives in Orlando following a standout 2026 season with the San Diego Mojo, where she became just the fifth setter in league history to eclipse 1,000 assists in a season. Prior to her time in San Diego, she spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Atlanta Vibe, earning All-League Second Team honors in both campaigns while guiding her team to the playoffs each season.

Before beginning her professional career, Monserez built an impressive resume at the University of Florida from 2018-2021, where she finished fifth all-time in program history with 3,689 assists and became one of only two setters in school history to surpass 3,500 assists during the rally-scoring era. She later transferred to UCLA for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, transitioning to beach volleyball and compiling a 48-17 career record.

A native of Windermere, Florida, Monserez was a four-year letterwinner at Bishop Moore Catholic High School, where she led the program to back-to-back state championships in 2015 and 2016. Her dominant senior campaign earned her both Florida Miss Volleyball and Gatorade Florida Player of the Year honors in 2017.

"I'm so excited to come back to the town where my love for the sport all began," said Monserez. "It's an extremely full circle moment for me to be able to continue to share my love of volleyball in the city that raised me. Orlando means the world to me, and I can't wait for this opportunity to play in front of the many people that shaped me into who I am as an athlete and person."

Joining Monserez is her former Florida teammate and close friend, Elli McKissock, giving the duo an opportunity to reignite their chemistry that made them such a force in Gainesville.

When asked about reuniting with McKissock, Monserez couldn't hide her excitement.

"Getting to play with my childhood friend and college teammate again is the cherry on top," she said. "I know our families are beyond excited to watch us together again."

McKissock, also a Windermere native, returns to Orlando for her second stint with the Valkyries after spending the 2026 season with the Atlanta Vibe, where she compiled 152 digs and 2.34 digs per set across 65 sets. She previously played a key role in helping the Valkyries capture the franchise's first championship in 2025 after joining the team late in the season on March 31.

Prior to her professional career, McKissock spent her entire collegiate career at the University of Florida from 2020-2024, where she currently holds the program record for career digs (2,147) and career sets played (534). In high school, she starred at the First Academy, where she was named Dairy Farmer's Florida 4A Player of the Year in 2018, as well as earning an Under Armour First Team All-American selection in 2019.

With the highly anticipated 2027 MLV season beginning in January, the Valkyries will have their work cut out for them even more as the competition grows from eight to 12 teams, with inaugural franchises slated to make their debut in Los Angeles, Minnesota, Northern California, and Washington D.C., along with an additional franchise announced at a later date.

The Valkyries will continue their free agency announcements throughout the week. Fans can stay up to date with all the latest free agency signings via the free agency tracker and the team's social media channels.

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Images from this story

Marlie Monserez with the San Diego Mojo
Marlie Monserez with the San Diego Mojo
 Marlie Monserez and Elli McKissock with the Florida Gators
Marlie Monserez and Elli McKissock with the Florida Gators
(University of Florida)		  



Major League Volleyball Stories from June 2, 2026


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