Thrill looking to recover early form against the Fury

The 2025 Pro Volleyball Federation season has seen two versions of the Vegas Thrill so far – a dominant team that started the season on fire and got to the top of the standings with seven victories in their first nine matches and a struggling side that dropped their most recent six encounters.

Looking to end the difficult run of form that took them from first to sixth place in a month and return to the pace in which they started the season, the team from Nevada visits the Columbus Fury on Friday, at 19:00 local time (23:00 GMT), during the tenth week of the regular season in the American League.

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Ironically, the Thrill’s struggles started exactly against the Fury, in Columbus, when the teams met on February 17. Since them, the Las Vegas side has lost all six matches it played, falling to the Orlando Valkyries, the Indy Ignite (twice), the Grand Rapids Rise and the Atlanta Vibe.

If getting back to the top of the standings seems far-fetched now, since the Valkyries ran away with 11 wins and four losses and the Omaha Supernovas are right next with ten wins and four losses, the Thrill, who have seven victories and eight defeats, can quickly get back into the playoff picture as the teams ranked from third to fifth – Ignite (8-7), Vibe (8-8) and Rise (7-8) – are not too far away.

Some key players for the Thrill as they look to end their winless streak against the Fury will be Olympic medalist setter Alisha Childress, who ranks second in the league in assists with 625, and outside hitter Hannah Maddux, the league’s fourth-best scorer with 230 points.

Currently at the bottom of the standings with four wins and 11 losses, the Fury also had better days in the 2025 PVF season. The team from Ohio had a rough start to the season, losing their first seven matches, but then won three in a row, including one against the Thrill. Columbus lost their last three encounters, though, and returned to eighth place last weekend.

Opposite Isabella Rapacz, the team’s leading scorer with 181 points, and Puerto Rican setter Wilmarie Rivera, who ranks fourth in aces with 13, are some of the Fury’s standouts in the season.

First matches on Thursday

The tenth week of the regular season will start on Thursday, with three matches, all scheduled for 19:00 (23:00 GMT) – the Valkyries will host the San Diego Mojo, the Ignite will welcome the Omaha Supernovas and the Rise will meet the Vibe.

Three other duels will be held on Saturday, with the Rise playing at home again, at 12:00 (16:00 GMT), against the Ignite, and two matches starting at 19:00 (23:00 GMT) – Valkyries vs. Supernovas and Vibe vs. Mojo.

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