This Week’s Match
RISE (7-10) vs. Vegas Thrill (7-9) // Thu., March 20 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena
Listen: 96.1 The Game at 6:45 p.m.
Watch: WXSP-TV and VBTV at 7 p.m.
Season Series: 1-1 Overall, 0-0 Home. Third of four meetings overall, first of two at Van Andel Arena
All-Time Regular Season Series: 4-2 Overall, 1-1 Home
Noteworthy: Grand Rapids is in the middle of a four-match homestand as it hosts the Thrill for the first time this season. In the two matches played in Vegas, the results were split, with the Thrill winning the season-opener on Jan. 10 with a reverse sweep and the Rise avenged the loss with a 3-0 road win on March 2. Vegas has lost seven straight matches after starting the season 7-2, while the Rise enter on a two-match losing streak.
What Happens in Vegas: As both matches in Vegas have already been played this season, here’s a quick recap of the two action-packed affairs:
- 10: The Rise lost to the Thrill in a dramatic 3-2 reverse sweep during their season opener. Leading 2-0, Grand Rapids was overtaken as Vegas rallied behind Alisha Childress, who set a PVF single-match record with 72 assists. Carli Snyder had 16 kills for the Rise, while Charitie Luper (18 kills), Hannah Maddux (13), and Lauren Jardine (13) led Vegas.
- March 2: The Rise bounced back with a dominant 3-0 win, snapping a five-match losing streak. Grand Rapids set a new PVF record with 18 blocks in a three-set match. Erika Pritchard, playing as an opposite hitter, led the Rise with 16 points, and Ali Bastianelli added five blocks. The Rise hit .257 and held Vegas to just .085. With set scores of 25-18, 25-17, 25-23, Grand Rapids earned its third sweep of the season.
Grand Rapids is 3-1 all-time in Vegas and holds a 16-10 edge in sets won and a 590-557 advantage in total points across all matchups. This season, the Rise lead 5-3 in sets won and 182-164 in points scored.
Otec to Active Roster: On Wednesday evening, the Rise activated libero Jena Otec to the active roster and sent Valeria León to the team's practice squad. Otec started the first three matches of the season before spending two stints on the practice squad. Otec last played on Feb. 15 at Orlando. She had a season-high 12 digs in the Rise season-opener against Vegas on Jan. 10. León has featured in seven matches (13 sets) this season, recording eight digs and an assist.
Snyder Breaks Rise Ace Record: With two aces against the Indy Ignite on March 15, Snyder set a franchise record for most aces in a single season, reaching 18. She surpassed teammate Marin Grote, who had 17 aces in the 2024 inaugural season. Grote still holds the Rise career record with 21 aces, while Snyder is now four behind. Snyder currently ranks third in the league with 18 aces, trailing Orlando’s Natalie Foster (38) and Atlanta's Leah Edmond (33).
The Great Wall: The Rise lead the league in total blocks (205) and blocks per set (3.11), thanks in part to standout blocker Bastianelli, who ranks second with 48 blocks. On March 2, Grand Rapids set a PVF record for blocks in a three-set match with 18 in a win over Vegas, also tying the team’s record for most blocks in any match. They matched the milestone on March 9 with another 18-block performance in a four-set road win against San Diego. Alyssa Jensen became the only Rise player to record five or more blocks in three consecutive matches from March 2-9, and she has had three or more blocks in the last six matches.
Beyond Rookie Status: Since taking over as the starting libero after the third match of the season, rookie Elena Oglivie out of Stanford has been a reliable passer and defensive standout for the Rise. She is second on the team with 194 digs and is on pace to surpass the Rise’s single-season dig record of 275, set by Emiliya Dimitrova last year. To surpass that mark, Oglivie would need to average just 7.4 digs per match — a feat well within reach given her consistency, with double-digit digs in 12 out her last 13 matches. She has also contributed 46 assists this season, averaging 2.7 per match.
100-Point Club: Four Rise players have reached 100 points scored this season, with Paige Briggs-Romine (112) becoming the most recent addition after her season-high 20-point performance against San Diego on March 9. Snyder leads the way with 218 points, followed by Pritchard (175) and Bastianelli (128). Naya Shime is just four points away from joining the 100-point club. In total, nine different players have scored over 50 points this season, matching the number of players who achieved that milestone last year.
No Opening Set Jitters: Grand Rapids has shined in opening sets lately, winning eight out of its last 11. This season, the Rise are 10-7 in first sets with a +11 point differential. Strong starts have been a trend for Grand Rapids — over the past season and a half, they’ve gone 29-14 in first sets, outscoring opponents 1,010-943 for a +67 point advantage.
Rise-Thrill Connections: Reunions when Grand Rapids takes on Vegas:
- Rise middle blocker Bastianelli and setter August Raskie played with Vegas Thrill opposite hitter Willow Johnson and outside hitter Grace Loberg last season with the San Diego Mojo. Johnson also played with Raskie at Oregon for three seasons (2016-18).
- A pair of PVF champions are on opposite sides, with Briggs-Romine, the outside hitter for Rise, facing her former Omaha Supernovas teammate Kendall White. However, White was placed on the season-ending injury reserve on Feb. 21.
- Vegas setter Childress is from Leland, Michigan. Last season, she was recognized with PVF's first Most Inspirational Player award. She broke the PVF single-match record with 72 assists against the Rise on Jan. 10.
Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Rise