GRAND RAPIDS RISE 3 vs. Omaha Supernovas 2
May 12, 2024
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In a potential preview of the Pro Volleyball Federation championship match six days from now, the Grand Rapids Rise and Omaha Supernovas squared off in the final match of the 2024 inaugural regular season Sunday evening inside Van Andel Arena. Although the Mother’s Day affair lacked the pressure of determining playoff positions, as both teams were already locked into their respective seeds, the match still offered bragging rights and the psychological advantage of maintaining a win streak heading into the postseason.
The Rise, utilizing all 14 players on their roster for the first time this season, prevailed in a five-set showdown over the Supernovas by set scores of 25-16, 23-25, 23-25, 26-24, 15-10. Grand Rapids improved to 3-4 in five-set matches this season, while picking up its first win after trailing 2-1 through three sets. The Rise (12-12) defeated the Supernovas (16-8) for the first time this season after dropping the first three meetings.
Grand Rapids hit a staggering .586 in the opening frame, a team set record. The Rise had 18 kills and only one attack error on 29 swings. Outside hitter Claire Chaussee knocked down seven of her match-high 20 kills (season-best .444 hitting percentage) in the first set. The lethal Rise offense carried Grand Rapids to tie its largest set win over Omaha this season, 25-16.
In the next three sets, the match fell into a familiar pattern, where only two pivotal points determined the winner. The Rise and Supernovas have now played 18 sets this season — eight of them decided by the minimum of two points.
The second set was last tied at 21-21. Grand Rapids briefly thought a block from Kayla Caffey had evened the score again at 24-24, but Omaha successfully challenged a net touch to secure set point, 25-23. The Supernovas won the set despite taking out many of their starters, who only featured in the first set. With nothing to play for standings-wise, Omaha decided to rest Brooke Nuneviller, Tori Dixon, Natalia Valentin-Anderson, Bethania De La Cruz, and Stephanie Samedy.
Rise head coach Cathy George did the same near the end of the third set. Starters Chaussee, Caffey, Erika Pritchard, Ashley Evans, and Emiliya Dimitrova didn’t play the final two frames.
Dimitrova, who was recognized with a retirement ceremony before the match, ended up with nine kills and five digs in her final showing inside Van Andel Arena. She finished the regular season second in the League in points (4.75) and kills (4.26) per set. Her replacement, opposite hitter Morgahn Fingall, stepped in and delivered with 10 kills (.250), seven digs, three blocks, and an assist to close out the match. The 13 points scored were a season high for Fingall.
After Omaha took the third set, 25-23, Grand Rapids was faced with a must-win fourth frame. The Supernovas raced out to a 7-3 lead before the Rise strung together four straight points behind the serving of Molly Lohman, who picked up her first ace of the season. Later in the set, back-to-back kills from Symone Abbott put Grand Rapids up 20-17. The three-point advantage, however, was erased, and a block from Sophie Davis created a 23-23 deadlock. Fingall and Paige Briggs then traded kills, 24-24. The Rise extended the match to a fifth set by scoring the next two points off a side out kill from Lohman and a set-point spike from Fingall, 26-24.
Fingall then scored three out of the first four Rise points in the fifth set. A second block of the match by setter Mac Podraza had Grand Rapids leading 7-3. An ace from Briggs, her final contribution of the match after scoring a season-high 19 points, helped Omaha get within a point at 8-7. But more kills from Fingall and Abbott saw the Rise pull away. On match point, the ball crossed over the net 13 times before Fingall blocked Briggs to end the match, 15-10.
The Rise finished with 72 kills (.276), tied for the most this season, and finished with more blocks (9-8), digs (83-78), and assists (65-56) than the Supernovas.
Notes
- After a 17-year career, Dimitrova is retiring from professional volleyball at the end of this season. The Rise captain made her pro debut in 2007 with Slavia Sofia in Bulgaria when she was 16 years old. She had played for 13 club teams in six countries (Bulgaria, Italy, Turkey, Romania, Japan, and France) before coming to the United States in 2023. In her future endeavors, she aims to pursue a career as an elementary school teacher while expanding her family in Bulgaria with her husband, Rise assistant coach Denis Dimitrov.
- Evans collected 39 assists before being replaced by Podraza in the third set. Evans needed one more helper to reach the 1,000-assist plateau for the season. Podraza came a dig short of record her first double-double this year (19 assists, nine digs).
- A total of 5,262 spectators filled Van Andel Arena, the second-largest Rise home crowd behind the sellout season-opener on Jan. 25 (7,805). The final inaugural season attendance was 53,881 over 12 home matches (4,490 average). Grand Rapids finished 7-5 at home after winning four out of the last five matches at Van Andel Arena.
- Next up, both teams travel to Omaha for the 2024 Pro Volleyball Federation Championship. The No. 2-seeded Supernovas are hosting the four-team playoff at the CHI Health Center. The semifinals will take place Wednesday, May 15, with the No. 1-seeded Atlanta Vibe taking on the No. 4-seeded Rise at 7 p.m. ET, followed by Omaha facing the No. 3-seeded San Diego Mojo at approximately 9:30 p.m. The two winners will advance to the championship match being held Saturday, May 18, at 4:30 p.m. All three postseason matches are being broadcast by CBS Sports Network. There will also be pre- and post-match shows streamed on the Pro Volleyball Federation YouTube channel.
Rise Radio Post-Match Interviews: Cathy George | Mac Podraza
OMA 16 25 25 24 10 — 2
GR 25 23 23 26 15 — 3
Team Leaders
OMA: Kills — Paige Briggs 17, Sophie Davis 9, Allison Mayfield 8; Assists — Sydney Hilley 43, Natalia Valentin-Anderson 10; Aces — Briggs 2, Mayfield 1, Bethania De La Cruz 1; Blocks — Hristina Vuchkova 4; Digs — Gabby Thompson 16, Briggs 13, Vuchkova 10, Hilley 10.
GR: Kills — Claire Chaussee 20, Morgahn Fingall 10, Emiliya Dimitrova 9; Assists — Ashley Evans 39, Mac Podraza 19, Camila Gómez 4; Aces — Marin Grote 1, Evans 1, Alyssa Jensen 1, Molly Lohman 1; Blocks — Fingall 3, Podraza 2, Kayla Caffey 2; Digs — Gómez 19, Erika Pritchard 9, Chaussee 9, Podraza 9.
A — 5,362
Record / Next Match
Grand Rapids: 12-12 / Wed., May 15 vs. Atlanta Vibe in Omaha (Playoff Semifinal), 7 p.m.
Omaha: 16-8 / Wed., May 15 vs. San Diego Mojo in Omaha (Playoff Semifinal), 8:30 p.m. CT
Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Rise