Columbus' new professional women’s volleyball team will start its first season Thursday in the Pro Volleyball Federation. Columbus Fury will match up against Grand Rapids Rise in Michigan.
"We have a good product,” says Angel Perez, Head Coach for the Columbus Fury. “We have really good, talented players. I think what's important for the people is to know that this is not a second-level league, and that it is the top-level league, where we have Olympians, we have All-Americans, we have national team players from all over the world playing."
The Columbus Fury is one of seven teams to participate in the 2024 inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball Federation.
Perez, who is from Puerto Rico, coached the team Las Pinkin de Corozal to back-to-back league championships. He says the Fury was able to get the first draft pick and selected Asjia O’Neal from the University of Texas. Her team had just won its second championship in two seasons.
Other players selected for the Fury’s inaugural team are Reagan Cooper from the University of Kansas and Kendall Kipp from Stanford University.
"It's nice to see that women are now getting, you know, the attention, you know, like we deserve, because we put just as much time and effort into our sport and having this next level in America to kind of aim for. It's amazing,” says Cooper. “I think a lot of the young girls are excited about it as well."
Perez says the team is impressive.
"We were trying to look for those players that could transition from college to pro, which not everybody can do it,” says Perez. “We're looking for some intangibles and we found them, and we were lucky enough to select them. We're really happy with that, our draft."
The growth of women’s sports recently led the NCAA and ESPN in reaching a $920 million, eight-year agreement that will give the network exclusive rights to 40 championships, including the Division I women's basketball tournament. Perez says that investment makes a big difference overall.
"We're excited about the growth of women's sports,” says Perez. “We're excited about women's volleyball. And I think it's about time that there was a professional volleyball league in the state. We're trying to be the forerunners on it and try to put a good product out there and not make it just a year, but something sustainable for the long run."
Player Ray Santos is from Puerto Rico, where she played on a team that won their league championship. Her coach was Angel Perez.
"I know the kind of coach he is, how he cares for his players, the work that we put in,” says Santos. “And I kind of wanted to experience that and then be part of the professional league of the state. (It's) something big that we're building here. And, I wanted to be, you know, part of it."
Santos says she expects the first year to be tough.
"It's a first year for everyone,” says Santos. “Everyone is, you know, trying to figure things out. But as the road goes, we just gotta have fun, play hard and continue our hard work that we're doing."
The first home match for the Fury is scheduled for Feb. 21 against the Omaha Supernovas at Nationwide Arena.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and his parents are part owners of the Columbus Fury.
