Valkyries Rise To The Occasion, Snap Four-Match Losing Skid

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, April 25, 2026. - After a tough stretch that saw the Valkyries drop four straight matches, they responded in a big way Saturday night, ending their four-match losing streak and snapping Grand Rapids’ five-match win streak in five sets (25-20, 20-25, 23-25, 25-23, 15-11).

In what was deemed a defensive showing from the jump, the Valkyries managed to put up 101 digs, including 30 in the opening set, causing Grand Rapids to be in extended rallies and work for every point. One silver lining came pre-game, where Amy Pauly mixed the starting lineup yet again, this time inserting rookie middle blockers Colby Neal and Bre Kelley, and pin hitters Courtney Schwan, Adanna Schad and Brittany Abercrombie back into the starting rotation.

“This group competed all night long and it’s a testament to what this group has been capable of all season,” Amy Pauly after a stellar defensive showing. “We were in attack lanes all night with our energy, and over the course of the match our blocking started to make a much bigger impact because of it.”

Throughout the entirety of the match, there were a variety of substitutions being made, as Hannah Maddux, Zoe Weatherington, Charitie Luper, and Chompoo Guedpard all got in, showing much needed juice when the team needed it. “Full team effort tonight. We went with a different lineup at first to create some different looks and as we got deeper and deeper into the match, we needed to continue keeping Grand Rapids on their heels by mixing things up,” head coach Amy Pauly stated.

Valkyries rookie middle blocker Bre Kelley went toe-to-toe with Grand Rapids’ Rhamat Alhassan, as both finished with six blocks, a new career-high for Kelley. Her ability to attain first ball contact and slow down the swings of Grand Rapids provided a big boost that helped the Valkyries seal the comeback victory against the team that currently leads the league in total points scored.

Not only was the defense playing at a high level, but opposite hitter Brittany Abercrombie returned to her 2025 MVP form with one of her bigger performances of the season, finishing with 24 kills, 16 digs and hitting .261.

With only two matches remaining in the 2026 season, the Valkyries will return home on Friday, May 1 for their final home match of the season against the Atlanta Vibe, before heading to Dallas on Sunday, May 3 to cap off the season.