This Week’s Matches
RISE (0-2) at Indy Ignite (1-0) // Thu., Jan. 16 // 7 p.m. ET // Fishers Event Center
Watch: YouTube at 7 p.m.
Season Series: First of four meetings overall, first of two at Fishers Event Center
All-Time Regular Season Series: 0-0 Overall, 0-0 Home, 0-0 Away
Noteworthy: Grand Rapids is looking to snap a six-set losing streak after suffering a reverse sweep to Vegas and being swept by Omaha in the home opener to start the season. The Indy Ignite won their franchise’s inaugural match with a 3-1 victory at home against the Orlando Valkyries on Jan. 11. The Ignite dropped the first set, 25-13, before winning the next three (25-19, 25-17, 25-21). Indy outside hitter Member-Meneh Leketor had an opening week match-high 25 kills (.360) to be named PVF’s Player of the Week.
RISE at Atlanta Vibe (1-1) // Sun., Jan. 19 // 6 p.m. ET // Gas South Arena
Watch: FS1 at 6 p.m.
Season Series: First of four meetings overall, first of two at Gas South Arena
All-Time Regular Season Series: 2-2 Overall, 1-1 Home, 1-1 Away
Noteworthy: Grand Rapids and Atlanta split their four regular-season matchups at 2-2 last year, but the Rise delivered when it mattered most, toppling the top-seeded Vibe in the Pro Volleyball Federation semifinals. Atlanta opened the 2025 season with a five-set loss to the Supernovas on Jan. 10 in front of a U.S. pro volleyball record-setting crowd of 13,486 spectators in Omaha. The Vibe rebounded by sweeping the Vegas Thrill on Jan. 12.
No Place Like Home: After drawing a franchise-record crowd of 8,706 fans to Van Andel Arena for their home opener on Jan. 12 against the Omaha Supernovas, the Rise now face the extended challenge of hitting the road. With three consecutive road matches ahead, the Rise aim to channel the unmatched energy of their record-setting home crowd as they travel to Indy, Atlanta, and Columbus.
So Close, Yet Not Enough: The Rise have dropped their last six sets by a combined score of 141-123, with an average deficit of just three points per set. Offensively, Grand Rapids boasts the league's best hitting percentage (.259) but sits last in kills per set (12.38). Despite two players — Sherridan Atkinson (34 points) and Carli Snyder (28) — ranking in the PVF Top 5 for points, the team's efficiency hasn't translated into set wins.
Risk Averse: Grand Rapids has kept errors low, committing just 23 attack errors over two matches, compared to Indy's 24 in its winning debut. However, cautious shot-making and opponents averaging 18.25 digs per set against them have stifled the Rise’s offensive momentum.
Ace Up Their Sleeve: Both the Rise and Atlanta Vibe share the PVF lead with nine aces this season, but trail the Orlando Valkyries, who top the league with 1.14 aces per set (8 total). In the season opener against the Vegas Thrill, the Rise set a franchise record with seven aces, led by Snyder, who joined former setter Ashley Evans as the only players in team history to notch three or more aces in a match. Marin Grote has added two aces this season, while Atkinson, Ali Bastianelli, August Raskie, and Alyssa Jensen have each contributed one.
Feeling Things Out: Through two matches, 13 of the 14 players on the Rise's active roster have seen playing time, with 11 appearing in at least three sets. Setters Raskie and rookie Camryn Turner have taken turns in orchestrating the Rise's offense. The most consistent presence on the court has come from the three key players who have competed in all eight sets: opposite hitter Atkinson, outside hitter Snyder, and libero Jena Otec.
Net Front Presence: The Rise set a franchise record with 16 blocks in their season opener against Vegas. Jensen leads the team with seven blocks through two matches, followed by Grote (5), Atkinson (4), and Erika Pritchard (3). Opponents have managed just 1.25 blocks per set against the Rise this season. In the home opener, the Omaha Supernovas only recorded four blocks — the fewest ever by a team facing the Rise.
Welcome Back: The Rise roster underwent a handful of changes over the offseason, given the nature of players being signed to one-year contracts for the 2024 season. As such, player movement and turnover across the League was high. Rise Head Coach and Vice President of Volleyball Operations Cathy George re-signed four players who played for Grand Rapids last season: middle blockers Grote and Jensen, and outside hitters Pritchard and Symone Abbott. The four of them combined to play 231 sets last season, with 398 kills (26.8% of the team's total), 274 digs (15.6%), 109 blocks (44.5%), and 27 aces (34.6%).
Return to the Mitten: Five Michigan-born players made the 14-player active roster. New to the team are Macomb native Snyder, who played six pro seasons in France, Marysville native Bastianelli, who led the PVF in blocks per set (1.07) last year with the San Diego Mojo, and Ortonville native and PVF champion Paige Briggs-Romine. They join two Michigander returnees in Abbott from Northville and Jensen from Holland. The only other state to have multiple representatives on the Rise roster is California, with Atkinson and Grote. The Rise also have a player each from Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico.
Coaching Experience: George enters her 37th season as a head coach, supported by a new and highly experienced coaching staff. The team includes associate head coach Mike Gawlik (21 years), assistant head coach Jason Oliver (28 years), assistant coach Katie Gawlik (6 years), and director of volleyball operations and assistant coach Matt Jennings (22 years). Together, this seasoned group brings nearly 100 years of combined coaching experience and has led teams through more than 2,000 matches.
Mike Gawlik reunites with George after spending 11 seasons (2005–2015) on her staff at Michigan State. He joins the Rise alongside his wife, Katie Gawlik, both coming from Central Michigan, where Mike served as the head coach of the Chippewas and was named the 2024 North Region Coach of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). Oliver and Jennings also bring head coaching experience, having led programs at Toledo and Michigan Tech, respectively.
Rise – Ignite Connections: New franchise Indy Ignite, meets familiar faces on the Rise:
- Former Omaha teammates Briggs-Romine (Rise) and setter Sydney Hilley (Ignite) face off against each other for the first time.
- Both squads have a group of former Purdue standouts. The Rise have Atkinson (2016-18), Otec (2017-21), and Raven Colvin (2021-24), while the Ignite have Blake Mohler (2015-19) and Grace (Cleveland) Wade (2018-21).
- This past fall, Rise opposite hitter Naya Shime and Ignite middle blocker Nnedi Okammor helped SMU reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
- Ignite outside hitter Carly Skjodt played for the University of Michigan from 2015-18.
Rise – Vibe Connections: A few college ties:
- Two former Stanford liberos, Rise’s Elena Oglivie (2020-24) and Atlanta’s Morgan Hentz (2016-19), cross paths for the first time in the professional ranks. Hentz won three NCAA national titles in four seasons as a Cardinal (2019, 2018, 2016). Oglivie also played four seasons at Stanford with Vibe middle blocker McKenna Vicini (2019-23).
- Rise outside hitter Snyder competed for Florida (2014-17) alongside two of Vibe’s Marlie Monserez’s sisters: Allie Monserez (2016-18) and Madison Monserez (2011-14). All three Monserez sisters were setters. Snyder graduated just before Marlie’s collegiate career began (2018-21).
Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Rise