Thrill on the road to defend Pro Volleyball Federation first place

One week after climbing to the top of the 2025 Pro Volleyball Federation League standings, the Vegas Thrill will need to defend their spot during the fifth week of action of the second season of the American League.

With only six matches set to take place between Thursday and Saturday, Friday’s encounter between the Thrill and the San Diego Mojo, which is going to be held at the Viejas Arena, in California, at 19:05 local time (3:05 GMT, Saturday), stands out as the most impactful one.

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Undefeated in their last three matches, the Thrill reached the top of the standings last week, when they defeated the Indy Ignite and the Atlanta Vibe and improved their season record to six wins and two losses.

With the second-placed Ignite (4-2) playing twice this week – on Thursday, at home, against the Omaha Supernovas, at 19:00 local time (00:00 GMT, Friday), and on Saturday, on the road, against the Orlando Valkyries, at the same time -, the Thrill need to triumph against their Californian opponents to continue in first place regardless of their rivals’ results.

The second-best scorer of the Pro Volleyball Federation league with 130 points, outside hitter Hannah Maddux has played a key role in the Thrill’s recent strong form, having scored 40 points in the team’s last two matches.

Other standouts in their squad are Olympic medalist setter Alisha Glass Childress, who leads the league in assists with 377, libero Teagan DeFalco, second in digs with 116, and middle blocker Layne Van Buskirk, fifth in blocks with 17.

The Mojo, on the other hand, enter Friday’s encounter determined to recover ground in the standings after dropping both of their matches last week, falling to the Vibe and the Grand Rapids Rise. With the upsets, the team fell to seventh place, with three wins and four losses.

The team’s top scorer in the season with 96 points, outside hitter Kendra Dahlke will be a key piece for the Mojo against the Thrill. The 28-year-old player is displaying great chemistry with Korean setter Da-Yeong Lee, who ranks second in the league in assists with 273.

Vibe and Valkyries to play on Thursday

On Thursday, the first day of matches in the week, besides the duel between the Ignite and the Supernovas, the Vibe will host the Valkyries in Atlanta, at 19:00 local time (00:00 GMT, Friday).

Friday’s schedule will have the Columbus Fury going for their first victory in the season against the Rise in front of their home fans, at 19:00 local time (00:00 GMT, Saturday). On Saturday, the last day of action, the Vibe will be at home again, this time against the Supernovas, at 19:00 local time (00:00 GMT, Sunday).