San Diego Mojo middle blocker Ronika Stone posted back-to-back blocks to close out a five-set thriller against the first-place Orlando Valkyries on Thursday evening at Addition Financial Arena, winning 17-25, 25-16, 25-16, 15-25, 17-15. The win ended a two-game losing skid for the Mojo (6-10) and snapped a Pro Volleyball Federation-record nine-game winning streak for the Valkyries (11-5).
Stone finished with a match-high six blocks while also collecting nine kills to finish with 15 points. The six blocks equaled a career high for Stone and are tied for the sixth-most in a match in program history. Three of her six blocks came in the fifth and deciding set, including the last two points of the game.
Outside hitter Kendra Dahlke had match highs of 21 points and 20 kills for the Mojo and added 15 digs for her eighth double-double of the season, and rookie outside hitter Maya Tabron registered 18 points with a career-high 15 kills, two blocks, and a service ace.
Setter DaYeong Lee paced San Diego with 44 assists and 17 digs for her team-leading ninth double-double of the year, while libero Shara Venegas added 15 digs.
Orlando was firing on all cylinders to start the match, jumping to a 10-4 lead and extending the advantage to 10 points, 19-9, in large part due to a series of service, attack, and dig errors by the Mojo. San Diego found a rhythm during the final portion of the set, winning eight of the final 14 points, but ultimately falling in the set, 25-17. Overall, the Orlando defense and passing helped keep the group in system, allowing the hosts to hit .357 in the first set to the Mojo’s .091 with four Valkyries players collecting at least three kills.
It was a different story in set two, as the Mojo came out firing to move in front 4-1 and push the lead to 8-4 after a Valkyries’ hitting error forced an Orlando timeout. An ace by Tabron pushed the lead to five with the Mojo hitting .500 to start the set when the Valkyries battled back to cut the lead to two, 12-10. A 9-3 run for San Diego pushed the lead to eight, 21-13, before closing out the set to even the match with a 25-16 score. San Diego flipped the script in the second frame, holding the Valkyries to a .025 hitting percentage.
The squads traded the first 10 points of the third set, when San Diego caught fire, jumping to a five-point lead, 12-7. Orlando stayed within striking distance and trailed by four late in the frame, 19-15. San Diego found another gear and won the final six points to close out the set 25-15. Tabron provided the spark for the Mojo in the set, collecting eight kills and hitting .429. The Mojo offense was dominant, hitting .500 to the Valkyries .125.
Set four started much like its predecessor, as the squads split the first 10 points; however, this time, the Valkyries took command and held a healthy 8-point lead heading into the break, 16-8. The Mojo fought back out of the time out and started grinding out points. San Diego utilized a 4-point run and won six of the next eight points to cut the deficit to four, 18-14. That was as close as the Mojo would get, as the Valkyries scored the next six points before closing out the frame, 25-15, to force a fifth and deciding set.
Orlando moved ahead quickly and appeared to be on the verge of running away with the set after a Dahlke swing went wide to put the home side ahead 4-1. San Diego head coach Tayyiba Haneef-Park challenged the call, and the Mojo were awarded the point after a block touch was ruled. The Mojo kept the scoring close, trailing 8-7, midway through the set, when the Valkyries took command, reeling off six of the next 10 scores to move to match point, 14-11. San Diego came storming back to even the score, 14-14. The squads traded the next two points before Stone’s back-to-back blocks won it for the Mojo, 17-15.
San Diego had lost four-straight road games heading into the match, while the Valkyries were winners of six in a row at home. It marked the first five-set match of the season for the Mojo after playing in a league-leading 11 five-set matches in 2024.
Orlando team entered the match leading the PVF with a .271 hitting percentage, but the Mojo held the Valkyries to .170 on the night while also limiting the hosts to two aces over five sets after averaging 1.19 aces per set entering play. San Diego finished with 11 blocks in the match, the fifth time in the last six matches that the Mojo finished in double figures.
Next up, the Mojo heads to Georgia to face the Atlanta Vibe on Saturday, March 15. The first serve from Gas South Arena is set for 4 p.m., and the game will broadcast live on KUSI.
