LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Southern Nevada's growing sports scene is welcoming another professional sports team.
Before playing the Pro Volleyball Federation's inaugural season, the Vegas Thrill held their first-ever practice on Tuesday at the Vegas Aces volleyball club's facility in Henderson.
Since the Thrill revealed their branding on Nov. 27, the team's roster has grown, and players have moved to the valley. Tuesday's training session gave head coach Fran Flory and her newly formed team the chance to gain on-court chemistry for the first time.
"The reveal was so exciting and fun. We had that energy but didn't even get to take it into the gym," setter Alisha Childress told Channel 13's Nick Walters before practice. "Now we're getting to take that, capture it, bottle it, and bring it out into the gym. Really get after it and see how we're going to be as a team."
"Beyond exciting," middle blocker and Coronado High School graduate Berkeley Oblad said. "I feel like I've been waiting forever. It's awesome that it's here, and it's been so fun to play with the girls and be competitive in the gym."
Set to play their home games at Dollar Loan Center as one of seven teams in the PVF's first year, the Thrill will play 24 games in the regular season — facing the league's other six times a total of four times, twice at home and twice on the road.
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"Girls from all over the place bring different experiences and different strengths so to have all that coming together," middle blocker and Ontario native Layne Van Buskirk said. "I think they did a really good job recruiting and getting everything we need for a great team."
"We're making history," Florey said. "This is not just a start for something, this is a historic moment for women's college volleyball in this country because they now have the opportunity to do this. We have six graduating college kids in the gym, and we have a bunch of pros who have played on national teams. They get to tell their kids, grandkids, I was a part of the first."
The Thrill's first-ever game will be on the road on Feb. 7, and the team's home debut will be on Feb. 15 against Omaha.
