Valkyries Survive Omaha Comeback to Secure Five-Set Win
MLV Orlando Valkyries

Valkyries Survive Omaha Comeback to Secure Five-Set Win

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


OMAHA, Neb. - The Orlando Valkyries, reigning 2025 Major League Volleyball champions, edged out a big road win Sunday night, surviving a late match comeback from Omaha and winning in five sets by set scores of 25-18, 25-20, 16-25, 24-26, 15-9.

In front of a crowd of 10,563, the Valkyries faced their toughest test of the season against the Omaha Supernovas. Orlando set the tone early, firing on all cylinders on both sides of the net. The Valkyries hit .361 and .244 in the opening two sets, quickly silencing the home crowd. Defensively, Orlando matched Omaha's physicality, holding the Supernovas to just .146 and .179 hitting percentages to take a commanding two-set lead into the break.

Coming out of halftime, Orlando had its sights set on accomplishing what few teams have ever done: sweeping Omaha on its home floor. However, the third set told a much different story. The Valkyries came out flat, and Omaha capitalized, cruising to a 25-16 win. Orlando's passing began to falter, and unforced errors mounted. After committing just three attack errors in the first two sets combined, the Valkyries totaled five in the third alone, a completely different team than their first two sets

The fourth set brought a clear objective for Orlando: reestablish aggression and quiet the crowd. Offensively, the Valkyries responded, hitting .333 and getting back to the high-flying offense they've had. But Omaha found its stride as well, posting a .349 hitting percentage in a tightly contested set. The difference came at the net, where the Supernovas delivered timely blocks late and narrowly escaping with a 26-24 victory.

After suffering a five-set loss at home to Atlanta on Friday, the Supernovas were determined to avoid another heartbreak and complete a reverse sweep against the defending champions. But when the moment demanded a response, Brittany Abercrombie rose to the occasion.

The reigning league MVP was unstoppable down the stretch, recording five of the Valkyries' six kills in the fifth set while hitting an eye-popping .833. The career performance capped a dominant night for the left-side opposite, as Abercrombie finished the match hitting .400 with 22 kills and 19 digs, once again delivering when her team needed her most.

"I challenged the team after we got to five sets to finish," head coach Amy Pauly stated postgame. "We put ourselves in a bit of a hole in set three and four, after going up 2-0. The attention to detail started to slip away, but I'm super proud of how the girls responded in a hostile environment, especially in the fifth set when the crowd back was at its loudest. Brittany was huge for us down the stretch and allowed us to get the cushion we needed to ice the match."

Notes:

Chompoo Guedpard set a new career high with 59 assists

Three Valkyries recorded a double-double: Charitie Luper (14 kills and 13 digs), Hannah Maddux (13 kills and 12 digs) and Brittany Abercrombie (22 kills and 19 digs)

Valkyries outblocked the Supernovas 9-6

Orlando finished the match hitting .279, their highest mark this season

Next Match: Orlando Valkyries (3-0) vs. Indy Ignite (2-0) | Thursday, January 22, 7:00 p.m. ET | Addition Financial Arena | MLV YouTube | Theme: Upside Down Night

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Major League Volleyball Stories from January 18, 2026


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