GRAND RAPIDS RISE 1 vs. Indy Ignite 3
March 15, 2025
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — With aces in both the first and final sets, Rise outside hitter Carli Snyder set a new franchise record for most aces in a single season, reaching 18. However, the milestone wasn’t enough to stop the Indy Ignite from spoiling the Saturday afternoon Princess Day party inside Van Andel Arena.
After dropping the first set, the Ignite won the next three, improving to 2-0 against the Rise in their inaugural season. Indy prevailed by set scores of 22-25, 25-20, 25-19, 25-22.
The Ignite finished .281 hitting percentage despite the Rise recording 15 blocks. Snyder led all attackers with 18 kills (.371) and had 11 digs for her fifth double-double of the season.
Opening the match with an Alyssa Jensen block, the Rise set the defensive tone early. Grand Rapids held a 12-6 lead following Snyder's 17th ace of the season, which tied the Rise single-season record set by Marin Grote last year.
Snyder tallied eight kills in the first set on a lethal .727 hitting percentage. A block by opposite hitter Kaleigh Nelson put the Rise at set point, 24-16. However, the Ignite mounted a late surge, scoring six straight points to make things interesting. Ali Bastianelli ended the scare with her first kill of the match, as the Rise claimed the first frame, 25-22.
The Rise briefly took a 14-13 lead in the second set after an ace from Naya Shime before the Ignite pulled away with a 5-0 run to hold a 20-15 advantage. Indy kept its five-point cushion to the end, winning 25-20 to even the match at one set apiece.
Indy went up 20-15 again in the third set after the score was last tied at 14-14. A handful of kills from rookie Anna DeBeer made the difference down the stretch, as the Ignite claimed a second straight stanza, 25-19. DeBeer (12), Carly Skjodt (11), and Azhani Tealer (10) all reached double-digits in kills for Indy through three sets.
The Rise were down by five twice, 12-7 and 14-9, in the fourth and final set but got back within a point at 18-17 after an ace from Bastianelli. Snyder’s record-breaking ace kept the Rise in striking distance, though still down one, 21-20. Grand Rapids nearly pulled even at 23-23, but a block touch video review didn’t reverse a Snyder attack error into a kill.
Former University of Michigan standout Skjodt (2015-18) delivered the match-winning kill at 25-22, finishing with a team-high 15 kills (.353). She also had eight digs, two blocks, and an ace in the match.
Notes
- The Rise are now 1-1 all-time in matinee matches starting at noon. Grand Rapids won its first matinee match, 3-1, over the Columbus Fury on March 9, 2024. The Rise will play one more noon match this season on April 19 against the Ignite again at Van Andel Arena. This was the earliest start time to a match that Indy has played during its inaugural season.
- Indy finished with more kills (53-49), assists (52-48), digs (50-41), and aces (7-5).
- Jensen finished with a team-high four blocks. She surpassed 50 blocks in her Rise career (53) and has had three or more blocks in her last six matches.
- Paige Briggs-Romine became the third Rise player to reach 100 kills this season, recording nine kills in the defeat. She also joined Snyder (21) and Bastianelli (12) as one of three Rise players to reach double figures in points during the match, finishing with 10.
GR 25 20 19 22 — 1
IND 22 25 25 25 — 3
Team Leaders
GR: Kills — Carli Snyder 18, Paige Briggs-Romine 9, Ali Bastianelli 8; Assists — August Raskie 36, Camryn Turner 10, Elena Oglivie 2; Aces — Snyder 2, Bastianelli 1, Raskie 1, Naya Shime 1; Blocks — Alyssa Jensen 4, Bastianelli 3, Shime 2, Kaleigh Nelson 2; Digs — Snyder 11, Oglivie 6, Raskie 6.
IND: Kills — Carly Skjodt 15, Anna DeBeer 13, Azhani Tealer 11; Assists — Sydney Hilley 47, Elena Scott 3; Aces — Hilley 2, Caroline Crawford 2, DeBeer 2, Skjodt 1; Blocks — DeBeer 3, Tealer 3, Lydia Martyn 3; Digs — Scott 14, DeBeer 11, Hilley 8, Skjodt 8.
A — 3,441
Record / Next Match
Grand Rapids: 7-10 / Thu., March 20 vs. Vegas Thrill, 7 p.m.
Indy: 9-8 / Thu., March 20 vs. Columbus Fury, 7 p.m.
Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Rise