Áurea Esther "Aury" Cruz Dalmau is an indoor and beach volleyball player from Puerto Rico who currently plays for the Orlando Valkyries of the Pro Volleyball Federation. She is best known for competing for the Puerto Rico national team at the 2008 Olympic Qualification Tournament in Japan, where she was named Best Server at the event.
Orlando, Florida has a history of major events in sports. It has had a considerable measure of success in minor league sports as well, with teams winning several minor league championships.
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began play in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation as a Division II league since 2017, placing it under Major League Soccer in the hierarchy. The USL is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
Sports in Atlanta has a rich history, including the oldest on-campus NCAA Division I football stadium, Bobby Dodd Stadium, built in 1913 by the students of Georgia Tech. Atlanta also played host to the second intercollegiate football game in the South, played between the A&M College of Alabama and the University of Georgia in Piedmont Park in 1892; this game is now called the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. The city hosts college football's annual Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the Peachtree Road Race, the world's largest 10 km race. Atlanta was the host city for the Centennial 1996 Summer Olympics, and Downtown Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park was built for and commemorates the games.
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. Headquartered in New York City, it is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federation.
Orlando City Soccer Club, known as Orlando City SC or simply Orlando City, is an American professional soccer club in Orlando, Florida, that competes as a member of the Eastern Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top division in the United States soccer league system. Orlando City SC began play in 2015 as the 21st franchise in MLS, succeeding the USL Pro team of the same name. In doing so they became the first MLS team in Florida since Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny both folded following the 2001 season. The team plays in Downtown Orlando at Inter&Co Stadium, which it owns and operates.
The Connecticut Whale were a professional ice hockey team based in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). They played in Simsbury, Connecticut at the International Skating Center of Connecticut. The team was established in 2015 as one of the four charter franchises of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), which became the PHF in 2021. Their name and colors paid homage to the Hartford Whalers, a former NHL and WHA franchise based in Connecticut. The team folded along with the PHF in 2023 as part of the creation of a new, unified women's league, the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).
USL League One (USL1) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that had its inaugural season in 2019. The Division III league is operated by United Soccer League, the same group that operates the Division II USL Championship and other leagues. As of 2023, the league has 12 teams who play 32 regular season games, followed by playoffs.
Purdue's women's volleyball team is a varsity sports team at Purdue University. The team debuted in 1975. Carol Dewey became the first head coach. She coached for 20 years, when Joey Vrazel took over as head coach.
The European League of Football (ELF) is a professional American football league. The league consists of 17 teams located in Germany, Poland, Spain, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and France, with plans to expand to 24 teams in 2024. The new league was officially created in November 2020, and kicked off on 19 June 2021.
The National Indoor Soccer League (NISL) is an indoor soccer league that began play in 2021 and is based in the Southeast United States. The league fields men's and women's divisions. On March 24, 2021, the league announced its partnership with Nike.
Prime Volleyball League (PVL), also known as RuPay Prime Volleyball League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional men's indoor volleyball league in India. The inaugural season took place in February 2022. The league is an initiative of Baseline Ventures with no involvement from Volleyball Federation of India and a rechristened version of the Pro Volleyball League which was held in February 2019. Sony Pictures Networks India is the official broadcaster of the league. RuPay is the title sponsor of the league and signed the contract for three years.
The Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) is a women's professional indoor volleyball league in the United States. The league was announced on November 17, 2022.
Shainah Joseph is a Canadian female volleyball player who currently plays for the Orlando Valkyries of the Pro Volleyball Federation. She is a member of the Canada women's national volleyball team and competed at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Women's Olympic Qualification Tournaments.
The Atlanta Vibe are an American professional indoor volleyball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. One of the seven charter members of the Pro Volleyball Federation, the Vibe are set to begin play for the league's inaugural 2024 season. The Vibe play their home games at Gas South Arena in nearby Duluth.
The Columbus Fury are an American professional indoor volleyball team based in Columbus, Ohio. One of the seven charter members of the Pro Volleyball Federation, the Fury began play for the league's inaugural 2024 season. The Fury play their home games at Nationwide Arena.
The Grand Rapids Rise are an American professional indoor volleyball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. One of the seven charter members of the Pro Volleyball Federation, the Rise are set to begin play for the league's inaugural 2024 season. The Rise play their home games at Van Andel Arena.
The Omaha Supernovas are an American professional indoor volleyball team based in Omaha, Nebraska. One of the seven charter members of the Pro Volleyball Federation, the Supernovas began play during the league's inaugural 2024 season. The Supernovas play their home games at CHI Health Center Omaha.
The San Diego Mojo are an American professional indoor volleyball team based in San Diego, California. One of the seven charter members of the Pro Volleyball Federation, the Mojo are set to begin play in the league's inaugural 2024 season. The Mojo play their home games at Viejas Arena.
The Vegas Thrill are an American professional indoor volleyball team based in Las Vegas, Nevada. One of the seven charter members of the Pro Volleyball Federation, the Thrill are set to begin play in the league's inaugural 2024 season. The Thrill play their home games at Dollar Loan Center in nearby Henderson, Nevada.
