COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Federation of Professional Volleyball's first season is in the Columbus Fury's books, even though it ended sooner than fans and players had hoped. Although the team didn't make the playoffs, there are many lessons learned from the first year.
The Fury finished fifth in the standings with eight wins and 16 losses, just outside of the playoffs. It may not have been the success Angel Perez had envisioned when he took over as manager.
“We had to do a better job from within to put a better volleyball product out there,” Perez said. “But do we have the pieces? I think so. I think we have some young players who have exploded this year.”
However, Fury has managed to build a sizable fan base. The Nationwide Arena crowd was energetic at every point in Saturday's season finale against San Diego, when the Columbus Crew played at Lower.com Field.
“I think we have the best crowd in Columbus. I think we have the best people, and having the best people allows us to create the best atmosphere, so I think it exceeded our expectations.” I think so,” Perez said.
Outside hitter Megan Courtney Rush sees potential in the support Fury has received this season.
“Everyone who goes to a volleyball game for the first time will say they fell in love with volleyball. They want to come back and they want to support it because it's new,” Courtney Rush said. Told. “It's different, it's not what they're used to. And they're not used to seeing women compete at such a high level.”
Now, the hope is that the league can capture the momentum of women's sports in the United States. With the Olympics just around the corner and the U.S. women's national team looking to defend the gold medal it won in Tokyo, players hope fans will continue to be excited about professional volleyball in 2025.
“I know there's some comfort in the fact that this is bigger than any of us. This is bigger than any of us,” Fury middle blocker Jenna Rosenthal said. “The theme of unfinished business will continue throughout the offseason, but I think we did something special here, even if it wasn't what we expected.”
Next year's team may look different. But Fury's expectations are now playoff-or-bust.
Rosenthal: “We'll be here when they come looking for us.”
