Columbus Fury Take Grit and Growth into Omaha Showdown
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Columbus Fury (1–3) return to action Thursday night, traveling to Omaha, Nebraska, for a rematch with the Omaha Supernovas, a team they’ve already faced once this season.
Despite having just one win so far, the Fury have proven to be one of Major League Volleyball’s most competitive teams. Columbus dropped its most recent match to the Indy Ignite on January 17 by just 11 points and fell to the Supernovas a week earlier by only eight. Even amid back-to-back close losses, head coach Ángel Pérez remains proud of his team’s effort and resilience.
“I thought we had ups and downs during the game, and we need to figure out what we can get better at,” Pérez said following the loss to Indy. “We believe there are moments when the game gets critical where we can still improve decision-making, which could give us one or two points, the difference in a match. We’ve been preaching that, but again, I love the grit of this team.”
And there’s plenty to love about this Columbus squad. The Fury lead Major League Volleyball with 62 total blocks through four matches and have recorded double-digit blocks in every contest this season. That includes a franchise-record 17 blocks against Omaha on January 10.
One of the team’s biggest bright spots continues to be second-year professional Raina Terry. The former University of Illinois outside hitter showed flashes of potential last season, but she has truly flourished in this retooled Fury lineup. Terry has taken on a completely new role on the right side while still producing strong numbers, leading the team with 31 points and 26 kills.
“Yeah, it’s definitely a learning experience, that’s for sure,” Terry said of the position change. “But I’m willing to do whatever it takes for us to pull out a win.”
Terry credits her growing connection with new setter Ashley Evans for much of her success.
“Having a good setter is so vital,” Terry said. “And that’s not to say the setters last year weren’t great, but Ashley adds a level of maturity. She’s a veteran who’s been doing this for a long time, she knows the game so well, and I think that’s really made the difference.”
The Fury will look to turn their competitive performances into a win on Thursday, with first serve scheduled for 8 p.m. in Omaha.