GRAND RAPIDS RISE 3 at Atlanta Vibe 0
Jan. 19, 2025
ATLANTA — Grand Rapids Rise outside hitter Erika Pritchard turned and watched as the serve sailed out of bounds. The match was over. Pritchard and her teammates rushed to the middle of the court, erupting into a joyful celebration.
Alongside the excitement was a palpable sense of relief, as the Rise secured their first win of the season Sunday night in Atlanta at Gas South Arena, sweeping the Vibe in straight sets (25-23, 25-23, 25-21).
Grand Rapids secured the road win through resilience and capitalizing on Atlanta’s mistakes. Despite posting franchise lows in a victory — 39 kills (.245), 45 digs, and 38 assists — the Rise rose to the occasion when it mattered most to improve to 1-3 overall on the season.
The Rise snapped their nine-set losing streak by claiming the opening frame against the Vibe. Grand Rapids showcased noticeably improved passing, anchored by rookie libero Elena Oglivie in her first professional start. Rise middle blocker Ali Bastianelli opened the match with a block, triggering a 5-1 run to give Grand Rapids an early cushion. However, Atlanta fought all the way back to tie the score at 23-23. The Rise closed out the set, 25-23, with a kill from Paige Briggs-Romine on her first attack attempt and a Vibe attack error.
Rise setter August Raskie filled the stat sheet in the first set with 13 assists, five digs, and two kills, putting her on track for her third double-double of the season, which she achieved with 33 assists and 10 digs by the end of the match.
In a tightly contested second set, with no more than three points separating the teams, Grand Rapids rallied from an 18-15 deficit to secure a 2-0 lead. Briggs-Romine delivered a crucial ace to tie the score at 19-19 before the Rise sealed the win with rookie Naya Shime’s sixth kill and an emphatic set-point block by Pritchard. The Rise edged the Vibe again by the minimum, 25-23.
Through the first two sets, Grand Rapids limited Atlanta to a .173 hitting percentage.
Atlanta made a setter change to start the third set, with rookie Mia Tuaniga replacing Marlie Monserez. This was one of the few adjustments made by either team, before Atlanta started turning to its bench in search of a spark later in the third set. Meanwhile, the Rise relied on just eight players throughout the contest.
A block by Marin Grote tied the final set at 17-17, bringing her total to 10 points for the match. Pritchard (11 points) and Carli Snyder (10) also reached double figures. Pritchard accomplished this by recording four kills in the final five points scored by the Rise. Snyder provided consistent offensive production, finishing with 10 kills on 29 attempts (.310). She was a dig shy of her second double-double this season.
A Vibe serving error on match point encapsulated the contest. Both teams finished with 15 service errors and two aces. The Rise took the third set 25-21, securing a third-set win for the first time this year.
Notes
- This was the fourth sweep in Rise franchise history, and second one on the road.
- The Rise held reigning Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Year Leah Edmond to 11 kills (.207), 10 digs, four blocks, and an ace. 2024 first-overall draft selection Merritt Beason was shut down to four kills (-.053), five digs, and an ace.
- Oglivie had a match-high 44% perfect pass rating on receptions and finished with four digs and four assists.
- Grand Rapids won the three sets by an average margin of 2.67 points per set, the closest margin of victory across the five sweeps that have happened in the League so far this season.
- Opposite hitter Shime finished with seven kills and 10 digs in her second career start, filling in for an injured Sherridan Atkinson.
GR 25 25 25 — 3
ATL 23 23 21 — 0
Team Leaders
GR: Kills — Carli Snyder 10, Erika Pritchard 10, Naya Shime 7; Assists — August Raskie 33, Elena Oglivie 4; Aces — Ali Bastianelli 1, Paige Briggs-Romine 1; Blocks — Marin Grote 2, Bastianelli 2, Pritchard 1, Raskie 1; Digs — Raskie 10, Shime 10, Snyder 9.
ATL: Kills — Leah Edmond 11, Pia Timmer 6, Khori Louis 5; Assists — Marlie Monserez 19, Mia Tuaniga 12, Whitney Bower 3; Aces — Edmond 1, Merritt Beason 1; Blocks — Edmond 4, McKenna Vicini 1, Anna Dixon 1; Digs — Morgan Hentz 14, Edmond 10, Monserez 8.
A — 2,305
Record / Next Match
Grand Rapids: 1-3 / Sun., Jan. 26 at Columbus Fury, 2 p.m. EST
Atlanta: 2-2 / Thur., Jan. 23 vs. Vegas Thrill, 7 p.m. EST
Photo by Zelda Saltzman/Atlanta Vibe