UNLEASH THE FURY
The Columbus Fury are one of seven teams taking the court in the inaugural season of Pro Volleyball Federation.
The Fury boast a roster that features a combined 64-years of professional experience.
The two newest additions to the team, Michelle Bartsch-Hackley and Nikoleta Perović have over 10 years of professional experience. Two players, Megan Courtney Lush and Raymariely Santos have seven-plus years of experience playing internationally.
Columbus’ roster features two Ohio State alums, Valeria León, and Jenaisya Moore, who will once again be playing volleyball in the Buckeye State. The team also features Buckeyes assistant coach, Michelle Bartsch-Hackley who joined the coaching staff in March of 2023.
The Fury join the Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) and the Columbus Crew (MLS) as the major league teams representing the city.
The team hosted their home opener on Feb. 21 in front of a crowd of 9,165 at Nationwide Arena.
After an 0-2 start, the team won their next three matches behind the strong play of rookie Reagan Cooper. Cooper earned the Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week on 2/27 after totaling 66 points, 58 kills and 33 digs over three matches.
The Fury have been active in player transactions in the last week adding three new players to the roster: Tori Stringer, Michelle Bartsch-Hackley, and Nikoleta Perović.
Columbus secured their second Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week award on March 26 after Asjia O’Neal totaled 30 kills, two blocks and two aces over two matches while hitting .453. She totaled 34 points for an average of 4.25 points per set.
LATE SEASON LULL
The Fury won three-straight matches from April 19-28 to keep themselves within reach for the postseason, but have since dropped their last three matches and were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss to San Diego on May 7.
Megan Courtney Lush did not play inthe match at San Diego and is likely out for the May 9 match against Omaha as well.
Despite their record, the Fury have had some elite performances on the year and rookie Reagan Cooper has continued to make her mark on the league. After getting pulled early in their last match against San Diego, She came back in the third set and proceeded to put down 10 kills on a .625 hitting percentage in about a set and a half of action.
Tori Stringer has come on strong in the last few matches and put together a solid performance at San Diego with 47 kills and 13 digs for her tenth double-double of the season.
STREAK SNAPPED
The Fury finally snapped their six-match losing streak in upset fashion, taking down the first-place Atlanta Vibe on April 19. Columbus dropped the opening set 25-23 before bouncing back to win the next three sets.
Jenaisya Moore stepped into the starting lineup on the road at Vegas and after a solid performance, she made the most of her opportunity starting again against the Vibe. She recorded her first professional double-double with 10 kills and a team-high 15 digs.
Kendall Kipp was electric at home once again as she put down 26 kills, the second-most by a Fury player this season, on an efficient .310 hitting percentage.
The Fury also had their best blocking performance of the year, totaling 15 blocks compared to 11 for the Vibe. It was also the first time Columbus put up double-digit blocks since their win over Atlanta on March 24.
