Columbus is home to some of the most popular sports teams in the country. From the Ohio State Buckeyes to the Columbus Crew, the city offers a wide array of sporting events for fans to attend throughout the year. However, a new sports league has recently entered the scene and is beginning to spike interest among sports lovers.
In 2024, Columbus became home to the Columbus Fury, one of the nation’s first professional women’s volleyball teams who play at Nationwide Arena. The team was created by the Professional Volleyball Federation (PVF), which debuted in Jan 2024 with a mission to give American players access to elite volleyball while making a livable wage. The PVF consists of eight different teams located in major cities across the country.
The Fury made their first appearance in Columbus on Feb. 24, 2024, at Nationwide Arena. Although it was a close match, the Fury took home a victory over the Omaha Supernovas with a score of 3 – 1. Over 9,000 people attended the event, filling the entire lower bowl of the arena.
The recent development of the PVF has posed a series of obstacles that the league has had to overcome. Audrey Flaugh, former Ohio State University volleyball player, coach and now community ambassador for the Fury, explained that the PVF is constantly striving to achieve higher salaries for players.
“It’s a work in progress. If you go back and research any of the male professional teams, it wasn’t what it is today and so we understand that it’s going to take a while,” Flaugh said.
As community ambassador, Flaugh plays a key role in bringing the community and coaching staff of the Fury together. In addition, she serves as the team’s TV Color Analyst, assisting with the broadcasting of games.
“My main goal is to always broadcast in such a way that is going to not only teach viewers the nuances of the game but also highlight players and really showcase the talent that we have,” Flaugh explained.
Beyond her role in broadcasting, Flaugh has a clear vision for encouraging the team’s future success.
“I want to encourage young volleyball players to dream big so that they can see themselves as a professional female athlete. My goal is to make sure everybody in the state of Ohio knows about the Columbus Fury.”
Through her efforts, Flaugh has helped grow an extremely devoted and enthusiastic fan base of people from all over Ohio, including junior Katy Cole, a season ticket holder who spoke about how fan support positively impacts the team.
“The act of us going out there is really impactful. I see so many little girls going to the game who enjoy it and I think it really inspires everyone,” Cole said.
Not only have the Fury brought the community together, but their games have also provided an electric atmosphere that fans are eager to be a part of.
“The atmosphere is so amazing. The crowd is really fun and interactive. We’ll have cheers that we do as they’re playing,” Cole explained. “The main one that I can think of is the crowd saying ‘We’ on the first contact, ‘Are’ on the second and ‘Fury’ on the third. So typically a pass, set and hit.”
Not only does Nationwide Arena host the Columbus Fury, but it is also home to the Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ). With two major teams sharing the venue, efficient scheduling is essential. David Garrity, the operations manager at Nationwide Arena, explained the steps taken to ensure the space is always in use.
“We want to maximize the events that we can have here. [The] volleyball team doesn’t have the ability to practice here, so they practice off site. We don’t have their court set up except for game days,” Garrity said.
The transfer of the CBJ ice rink to a volleyball court involves many steps that can take up to eight hours for Garrity and his team to complete.
“After hockey ends, we cover the ice with a bunch of insulated boards and then we take the glass down from the hockey boards. Then, we lay out the Fury court, set up the net, set up chairs around the court, build a riser that goes on one end and then we’re ready for volleyball,” he explained.
The Fury recently capped off their season on May 4 and will return to the court in January 2026. But, with a growing fan base and a strong community presence, the team is quickly turning Columbus into a hub for professional women’s volleyball.
