Valkyries Celebrate Women in Sports Night March 7; Host Florida-UCF Spring Match Ahead of Showdown with Dallas Pulse
MLV Orlando Valkyries

Valkyries Celebrate Women in Sports Night March 7; Host Florida-UCF Spring Match Ahead of Showdown with Dallas Pulse

Published on February 18, 2026 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
Orlando Valkyries News Release


ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Valkyries, reigning 2025 Major League Volleyball champions, are excited to announce they will host Women in Sports Night on March 7 presented by In Bloom Florist. Kicking off the night will be a spring match between the University of Central Florida and University of Florida volleyball programs at 4:30 p.m., followed by the Valkyries taking on the Dallas Pulse at 7:00 p.m.

Women in Sports Night will honor the trailblazing women and organizations in Central Florida who continue to elevate sports at the highest level and inspire the next generation of young girls watching from the stands.

Florida and UCF will meet for a spring match at The Venue from 4:30-6:00 p.m., with doors opening at 4:00 p.m. Following the scrimmage, both teams will head next door to Addition Financial Arena for a joint autograph session beginning at 6:15 p.m., leading into the Valkyries' 7 p.m. matchup against the Dallas Pulse.

Addition Financial Arena doors open at 6 p.m., and a Valkyries game ticket is required for entry to both the autograph session and the Orlando Valkyries match. Tickets are available here.

"This is a great opportunity to celebrate women's volleyball across all levels," said Orlando Valkyries Vice President of Business Operations Sarah Ratzlaff. "We're excited to bring together elite collegiate programs and professional volleyball while recognizing the impact of women in sports throughout our community."

Both collegiate programs entered the 2025 spring season under new leadership. Florida hired Ryan Theis following his 11-year tenure at Marquette, while UCF brought in Matt Botsford after 11 successful seasons at FGCU.

In his first full season at the helm, Theis guided Florida to its 35th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025. The Gators finished 16-12 and earned ranked victories over No. 3 Pitt (3-2), No. 20 Baylor (3-2), No. 25 Missouri (3-1), and No. 16 Tennessee (3-2, road). Florida advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to SMU.

Botsford led a dramatic turnaround in his first season at UCF, increasing the Knights' overall wins from nine to 17, doubling their Big 12 victories from four to eight and increased their final RPI from 204 to 63. UCF finished 17-12, highlighted by ranked wins over No. 17 BYU (3-1, road) and No. 24 Iowa State (3-0, home).

One ticket grants admission to the autograph session and the Valkyries' 7 P.M. matchup vs the Dallas Pulse. Please note that re-entry between events will not be permitted.

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