Natalia Valentin-Anderson sets the ball while playing for the Dallas Pulse.

Courtesy of Major League Volleyball/Dallas Pulse

Natalia Valentin-Anderson Hits Career Highs, Leads Dallas to 2–0 Week in MLV Week Three

Courtesy of Major League Volleyball/Dallas Pulse

Siera Jones

Jan 26, 2026

Winter Storm Fern may have postponed some of the Week Three Major League Volleyball action, but for the Dallas Pulse, it was business as usual. And for veteran setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson, it was a week of career highs.

Valentin-Anderson helped lead the Dallas Pulse to a 2-0 week, anchoring a pair of five-set road wins that required resilience from the entire squad. Across the two matches, she set MLV career highs in both digs and assists while guiding the Dallas offense.

Dallas opened the week Thursday night in Atlanta with a back-and-forth battle against the Vibe. The Pulse dropped the opening set, responded in the second, then narrowly fell again in the third before flipping the match in their favor. Dallas took control in the fourth and carried that momentum into the fifth, pulling away late for the 3-2 win (20-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-20, 15-9). Valentin-Anderson finished with 47 assists, two blocks, and an MLV career-high 24 digs, surpassing her previous best of 21, set during the 2025 season.

On Sunday in Orlando, the Pulse faced an early test against the Orlando Valkyries, dropping the first two sets before finding its rhythm. Dallas responded with a decisive third frame and evened out the match in the fourth before completing the comeback in the fifth. Valentin-Anderson raised the bar again, recording her MLV career-high 63 assists while adding 15 digs, one block, and three kills as Dallas secured the five-set victory, 24-26, 22-25, 25-16, 25-23, 15-9.

The pair of road wins pushed Dallas to 3-1 and best in the league, as the Pulse continues to build momentum behind Valentin-Anderson’s leadership.

Indy Ignite at Orlando Valkyries

AU players: Brittany Abercrombie, Chompoo Guedpard

After trading the opening two sets Thursday night, a tightly contested third proved to be the turning point. Ignite edged the frame and carried that momentum into the fourth, pulling away late to close the match.

Ignite defeated the Valkyries in four sets (25-18, 23-25, 27-25, 25-18). Brittany Abercrombie finished with seven kills, six digs, and two aces, while Chompoo Guedpard tallied 32 assists and added eight digs in the loss.

Columbus Fury at Omaha Supernovas

AU players: Morgan Hentz, Sarah Wilhite Parsons, Reagan Cooper, Brooke Nuneviller, Sydney Hilley

Columbus jumped out to a two-set lead Thursday in Omaha before the Supernovas pushed back in the third. The Fury answered immediately, regaining control in the fourth to seal the road win.

Columbus claimed the 3-1 (25-23, 25-22, 19-25, 25-21) match win, and despite the loss, Brooke Nuneviller led the Supernovas offense with 20 kills on 51 attempts for a .314 hitting percentage, adding two blocks and nine digs. Sarah Wilhite Parsons contributed 15 kills on .333 efficiency with three blocks and seven digs, while Morgan Hentz anchored the Supernovas backcourt with 16 digs. Sydney Hilley recorded 55 assists, six digs, two blocks, and an ace.

Grand Rapids Rise at San Diego Mojo

AU players: McKenna Vicini, Taylor Sandbothe, Carly Graham, Kayla Caffey, Marlie Monserez

The opening set stretched late on Friday night before the Grand Rapids Rise finally broke through. After dominating the second set, the Rise weathered a San Diego response in the third before bouncing back to take the match win 3-1 (31-29, 25-22, 16-25, 25-19).

McKenna Vicini posted a strong performance for Mojo offense, recording seven kills on 17 attempts without an error for a team-best .412 hitting percentage, and added a block and six digs. Marlie Monserez contributed 49 assists, adding 11 digs and two kills.

Omaha Supernovas at Ignite

AU players: Morgan Hentz, Sarah Wilhite Parsons, Reagan Cooper, Brooke Nuneviller, Sydney Hilley

Omaha dropped the opening set Saturday before seizing control to snap a three-match skid with a 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-16, 25-23) win.

Brooke Nuneviller recorded 18 kills on 39 attempts without an error for a .436 hitting percentage and added 10 digs. Reagan Cooper made a statement in her first full-match performance after seeing limited playing time this season. She finished with 17 kills and a .429 efficiency, while Morgan Hentz led the team with 16 digs. Sydney Hilley tallied 38 assists, five digs, and three blocks.