GRAND RAPIDS RISE 3 vs. Orlando Valkyries 2
Jan. 30, 2025
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — With momentum shifting from set to set, the Grand Rapids Rise eventually seized control Thursday night inside Van Andel Arena with a dominant defensive showing to knock off the Orlando Valkyries in five sets by scores of 24-26, 25-15, 17-25, 25-18, 15-12.
The Rise set a new franchise record with 18 blocks and collected 84 digs — just two shy of the team’s all-time mark. Grand Rapids hit .259 while limiting Orlando to .199.
Leading the offensive charge was second-year Rise standout Erika Pritchard, who delivered a career-best performance for the Rise with 27 points, 21 kills (.240), and five blocks. She also contributed an ace and eight digs. Setter August Raskie shined as well, dishing out a season-high 51 assists while matching the franchise’s single-match record with 26 digs.
Rise outside hitter and reigning Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week Carli Snyder delivered another strong performance with 17 points, tallying 12 kills, two blocks, and — for a second consecutive match — three aces. Grand Rapids finished with six aces as a team.
In a tightly contested opening set where neither team led by more than two points, the Valkyries escaped with a 26-24 victory. Orlando fought off a Rise set point with a kill from Brittany Abercrombie, and then pushed on with a block from Courtney Schwan and another kill from Abercrombie — her 11th of the frame — to claim the set. The Rise, who entered the match leading the league in blocks per set (2.63), recorded six in the first set alone, with Pritchard and middle blocker Ali Bastianelli contributing two each.
A pair of Orlando miscues forced the Valkyries into an early second-set timeout, trailing 11-8. The Rise kept pushing onward, using a 12-5 run to comfortably take the set 25-15 and even the match at one apiece. Grand Rapids spread the offense effectively, with four players — Snyder, Raskie, Pritchard, and Naya Shime — each tallying three kills in the frame. Raskie came close to recording a double-double in the set alone, with 11 assists and eight digs.
The Valkyries came out firing after the intermission, hitting .438 in the third set. Schwan was nearly unstoppable, converting six of her seven attack attempts, while Natalie Foster was perfect at 4-for-4. Their efficiency powered Orlando to a 25-17 victory to take a 2-1 lead.
The Rise broke away in the fourth set with a 7-0 run behind Carli Snyder’s serve, jumping ahead 16-11. Orlando trimmed the deficit to 21-17, but Marin Grote sealed the set with a kill and a timely set-point ace, giving the Rise a 25-18 victory.
Grote, facing her younger sister Lydia for the first time as a professional, delivered again in the fifth set, with three of her five blocks in the match. Grand Rapids surged to a 12-6 lead but had to weather a late push from the Valkyries, who fought off four match points before Shime sealed the 15-12 victory with a match-winning kill.
Notes
- Grand Rapids has won three straight regular-season matches for the first time in team history.
- Through six matches, the Rise have yet to play a four-set match. Grand Rapids is 1-2 in three sets and 2-1 in five sets.
- Former Rise outside hitter Shannon Scully played one set for the Valkyries and recorded two kills on five swings (.400).
- Orlando had five players reach double figures in points: Foster (18), Abercrombie (17), Schwan (14), Kaz Brown (13), and Adora Anae (13).
- Rise libero Elena Oglivie had a season-high 22 digs and four assists.
- Raskie posted a hitting percentage over .500 for a third straight match, going 5-for-8 with no attack errors (.625). She entered the match leading the League with a .457 hitting percentage on the season.
GR 24 25 17 25 15 — 3
ORL 26 15 25 18 12 — 2
Team Leaders
GR: Kills — Erika Pritchard 21, Carli Snyder 12, Naya Shime 12; Assists — August Raskie 51, Elena Oglivie 4; Aces — Snyder 3, Pritchard 1, Raven Colvin 1, Marin Grote 1; Blocks — Pritchard 5, Grote 5, Snyder 2, Shime 2; Digs — Raskie 26, Oglivie 22, Snyder 18.
ORL: Kills — Brittany Abercrombie 17, Natalie Foster 12, Courtney Schwan 11, Adora Anae 11; Assists — Pornpun Guedpard 49, Hannah Pukis 4, Nalani Iosia 4; Aces — Schwan 1, Foster 1, Anae 1; Blocks — Foster 5, Kaz Brown 3, Schwan 2; Digs — Guedpard 18, Anae 13, Georgia Murphy 10.
A — 2,596
Record / Next Match
Grand Rapids: 3-3 / Sun., Feb. 2 vs. San Diego Mojo, 4 p.m.
Orlando: 2-4 / Sun., Feb. 2 vs. Omaha Supernovas, 3 p.m.
Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Rise