GRAND RAPIDS RISE 3 vs. Columbus Fury 1
March 9, 2024
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Rise got back into the win column Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Fury inside Van Andel Arena. The Rise, who had dropped three straight on the road entering the matinee match, ended the Fury’s run of four straight wins, winning by set scores of 25-15, 13-25, 25-17, 25-23.
Grand Rapids picked up their second win over Columbus this season by setting a new season high with 15 blocks in the match and was paced offensively by outside hitter Claire Chaussee and opposite hitter Emiliya Dimitrova with 17 and 14 kills, respectively.
The Rise raced out to a 13-5 lead in the opening set and even forced Columbus into an early timeout when middle blocker Marin Grote dropped in an ace to give Grand Rapids a 10-5 advantage. Grote leads the team by recording at least one ace in six matches this season. The Rise reached a double-digit advantage at 23-13 before Chaussee closed out the first frame with a block and kill for the final two Rise points. The Rise claimed the set 25-15 for their largest set win of this season.
Grand Rapids tied a season high with six blocks in the first set. Grote had three, followed by setter Ashley Evans with two and Chaussee chipping in with one. The Rise dominated defensively by serving well and holding the Fury to a -.063 attack percentage to start the match.
Columbus found its footing in the second set. The Fury jumped out to a 15-9 lead by the media timeout, getting a pair of kills each from Rainelle Jones, Reagan Cooper, and Megan Courtney Lush. The Rise tried to counter by bringing in setter Mac Podraza and opposite hitter Morgahn Fingall to ignite the offense, but Columbus cruised to a 25-13 set win to even the match at one set apiece. Grand Rapids was stifled offensively and only hit .032 in the second set.
The tide turned again in the third set. Two timely kills from Shannon Scully helped the Rise jump out to an 8-3 lead. Defensive heroics by libero Sarah Sponcil to save a point led to a Grote block to put Grand Rapids up 13-5. With the Rise leading 23-17, head coach Cathy George called in 6-foot-5 middle blocker Sydney Bolding to make her first professional appearance. Bolding, a native of Pickens, South Carolina, delivered with a kill in her first pro point played. The Fury made an attack error on set point to hand the Rise a 25-17 third-set victory.
Tied at 7-7 in the fourth set, Columbus went on a 4-0 run that was stopped by a Grand Rapids timeout. The Rise drew level at 17-17 with a kill on the left side of the court by Chaussee. From the same spot, Chaussee stepped up again with another kill to give Grand Rapids its first lead of the set at 19-18.
Dimitrova took over the match from there. The last three Rise points were claimed by the 17-year veteran, who knocked down two kills and a match-ending block. Dimitrova hit .225 for the match and added four digs, three blocks and an ace. She was one of four Rise players to finish with three or more blocks, along with Grote (4), Evans (4), and Alyssa Jensen (3).
Courtney Lush was the only Fury player to reach double-digit kills with 13 on 37 attack attempts. She also had a match-high three aces.
Notes
- The Rise improved to 3-1 at home this season with a 10-6 set record.
- Chaussee recorded her seventh double-double this season with 17 kills and 14 digs.
- Evans tossed up 40 assists, giving her 40 or more assists in six out of the eight matches so far this season.
- Bolding, who started this season on the Rise practice squad, was selected in the second round, 11th overall, of the 2023 Pro Volleyball Federation college draft.
- Twelve of the 14 players on the Rise’s active roster played in the match.
CLB 15 25 17 23 — 1
GR 25 13 25 25 — 3
Team Leaders
CLB: Kills — Megan Courtney Lush 13, Reagan Cooper 8; Assists — Ray Santos 27, Valeria Leon 3; Aces — Courtney Lush 3, Rainelle Jones 2; Blocks — Jones 4, Santos 2, Courtney Lush 2, Kaitlyn Hord 2; Digs — Courtney Lush 13, Ashley Wenz 10, Santos 9.
GR: Kills — Claire Chaussee 17, Emiliya Dimitrova 14, Marin Grote 7; Assists — Ashley Evans 40; Aces — Grote 1, Dimitrova 1; Blocks — Grote 4, Evans 4, Dimitrova 3, Alyssa Jensen 3; Digs — Chaussee 14, Sarah Sponcil 14, Jensen 9.
A — 5,011
Record / Next Match
Grand Rapids: 4-4 / Sun., March 17 vs. Vegas Thrill, 4 p.m.
Columbus: 4-3 / Mon., March 11 vs. Vegas Thrill, 7 p.m.
Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Rise