Vibe Battle Falls Short in 3-1 Loss to Valkyries at Home

Atlanta Vibe battled all night but came up short, falling 3-1 to the Orlando Valkyries at Georgia State Convocation Center in front of an announced crowd of 3,000 in downtown Atlanta.

Head Coach Kayla Banwarth pointed to her team’s effort as a bright spot, even in defeat.

“They competed hard, they battled, they grinded every point out,” Banwarth said. “There’s not a whole lot more I can ask than to give that type of effort. I’m proud of them, not the result we wanted, but there’s a lot of good that we can take from tonight.”

Atlanta set the tone early.

The Vibe took a 1-0 lead with a 25-23 win in the opening set, powered by a combined 10 kills from outside hitter Leah Edmond and opposite hitter Aiko Jones.

Orlando responded in the second, evening the match at 1-1 with a 25-16 result before taking control in the third set. The Valkyries claimed a 25-17 win to go ahead 2-1, putting Atlanta in a must-win situation heading into the fourth.

The final set proved to be a fight.

Atlanta stayed within striking distance, but Orlando closed it out late with a 25-22 win to secure the 3-1 victory.

Jones delivered one of her strongest performances of the season, leading the Vibe with 20 kills — her second-highest total this year — while adding seven digs and a block. Her aggressive mindset reflected a team eager to capitalize in front of its home crowd.

“It’s less about what I’m seeing and more about what I know I can do and what I know I have to do to put us in good positions,” Jones said. “Jump high and hit hard.”

Edmond, who was honored pre-match for reaching 1,000 career kills earlier this season, added a double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs, along with two service aces and two blocks.

Setter Averi Carlson continued her steady play with a double-double of 34 assists and 13 digs, while libero Elli McKissock anchored the defense with 19 digs and four assists.

Now 20 matches into her professional career, Carlson said she’s continuing to build chemistry across the offense.

“I have a lot of hot hands and that makes it really fun as a setter,” Carlson said.

Atlanta will look to regroup on the road, traveling to face the Columbus Fury on April 10 at 7 p.m. ET.