Orlando Ready For Championship Rematch vs. Indy

Ignite on Thursday; Hosts Dallas Pulse Sunday

ORLANDO, Florida, January 20, 2026. - The Orlando Valkyries, reigning 2025 Major League Volleyball champions, return to Addition Financial Arena for a marquee two-match homestand beginning with a championship rematch against the Indy Ignite on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. ET. Orlando captured the title matchup with a 3–1 victory over the Ignite last season.

Thursday night will also feature Upside Down Night, with a Valkyries-themed Stranger Things T-shirt giveaway to the first 300 fans in attendance.

The homestand wraps up on Sunday, Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. ET, as Orlando welcomes Major League Volleyball’s newest expansion team, the Dallas Pulse, to town.

Both matches will be streamed on the MLV YouTube Channel. 

Match Details vs. Indy Ignite

Matchup: Orlando Valkyries (3-0) vs. Indy Ignite (2-0)

When: Thursday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Fla.

Season Series:  (0-0) First of our meetings, first of two at Addition Financial Arena

All-Time Series: ORL up 3-2 (May 11, 2025, last matchup, 3-1 ORL in the 2025 Championship match)

Match Details vs. Dallas Pulse

Matchup: Orlando Valkyries (3-0) vs. Dallas Pulse (1-1)

When: Sunday, Jan. 25, at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Fla.

Season Series: (0-0) First of our meetings, one of two at Addition Financial Arena

All-Time Series: (0-0), first match against the Dallas Pulse 

The Valkyries (3–0) are off to the fastest start in franchise history, picking up right where they left off in their 2025 championship campaign. As a team, Orlando is hitting .235 through the opening weeks, while its defense has held opponents to a .193 hitting efficiency, the second-best mark in the league and an improvement from last season, when the Valkyries limited opponents to a .216 efficiency.

Orlando opened the season with a five-set home victory over the Grand Rapids Rise, followed by a 3–1 road win against the San Diego Mojo and a five-set thriller on the road at Omaha. Against San Diego, the Valkyries posted a .247 team hitting percentage, with four players recording double-digit kills: Brittany Abercrombie and Kaz Brown with 10 apiece, Lindsey Vander Weide with 11, and Hannah Maddux leading the attack with 15.

At Omaha, reigning league MVP Brittany Abercrombie delivered a dominant performance, highlighted by a decisive fifth set in which she hit .833 with five kills. Abercrombie finished the match with 22 kills and 19 digs while hitting .400 overall.

The Indy Ignite opened the season 2–0, beginning with a four-set road victory over the Dallas Pulse on opening night before following it up with a five-set thriller against the Columbus Fury on Saturday, Jan. 17. The start marks the second consecutive season the Ignite has begun the year 2–0.

Indy is led by first-year head coach Lauren Bertolacci and 2025 MLV All-Stars Azhani Tealer and Leketor Member-Meneh. In the season opener, Tealer led the Ignite with 19 kills while hitting .324. In the five-set win over Columbus, Tealer added 12 kills, while Member-Meneh led all attackers with 23 kills on a .314 hitting efficiency.

The Dallas Pulse earned the first win in franchise history with a 3–1 home victory over the San Diego Mojo, rebounding after a 3–1 loss to the Indy Ignite in the franchise’s inaugural home match at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas.

Dallas is led by first-year head coach Shannon Wizner, who brings an extensive resume, most notably serving as head coach of Canada’s Women’s National Team from 2021 to 2024. The Pulse features a balanced offensive attack anchored by a pair of outside hitters, including 2025 MLV first overall pick Mimi Colyer out of Wisconsin, and Sofia Maldonado Díaz from Louisville, who currently lead the team in kills with 23 and 28.