GRAND RAPIDS RISE 3 at Indy Ignite 2
April 12, 2025
INDIANAPOLIS — With their playoff hopes on the line, the Grand Rapids Rise delivered their most dominant defensive performance in franchise history Saturday night against the Indy Ignite. The Rise took down the Ignite for the first time ever, racking up 24 blocks — tying the Pro Volleyball Federation single-match record — and posting a franchise-best 93 digs.
Grand Rapids pulled out a five-set win by set scores of 25-17, 22-25, 21-25, 25-18, 15-11 to keep within two and a half matches of a playoff spot behind Indy. The result was against the odds as the Ignite came in with a 7-2 home record at Fishers Event Center, while the Rise were just 2-8 this season (3-18 all-time) when trailing 2-1 entering the fourth set of a match.
Rise middle blocker Ali Bastianelli led the way, setting a team record with nine blocks while nearly notching the franchise’s first triple-double, finishing with 10 kills (.409) and seven digs.
Grand Rapids made a strong defensive statement early on, tallying six blocks in the opening set. Bastianelli’s fourth block extended the Rise's lead to 16-12, and they cruised from there to a 25-17 first-set victory. Erika Pritchard, returning from injury, made her first start since March 5 and her first appearance since March 20 after missing the last four matches.
The Rise surged to a 5-1 lead early in the second set, fueled by blocks from Bastianelli and Alyssa Jensen, along with kills from Bastianelli and Paige Briggs-Romine. Indy battled back to tie the score at 10-10, shifting the momentum. The Rise took the lead for a final time at 14-13 after a thrilling rally saw the ball cross over the net 19 times, ending with a Carli Snyder kill. However, Indy regrouped and pulled ahead to take the second set 25-22, deadlocking the match at 1-1 despite the Ignite hitting just .088 across the first two sets.
Azhani Tealer caught fire in the third set for the Ignite, delivering seven of her match-high 19 kills in the frame. Lydia Martyn also added five kills on seven swings (.571) to help Indy take the third set 25-21 and a 2-1 lead.
To keep the match alive, the Rise needed to snap a six-set losing streak in fourth sets. Bastianelli’s ninth block gave them a 16-11 lead. Jensen followed with her fifth block, the team’s 20th, to make it 22-17. Eleanor Holthaus, who saw limited action in the early sets, stepped up late and delivered the set-winning kill for a 25-18 victory. She played a key role down the stretch, finishing with eight kills (.214), five digs, and three blocks.
Both teams entered the decisive fifth set with identical 3-3 records in five-set matches this season. The score was last tied at 3-3 before the Rise began to pull away. Bastianelli’s 10th kill extended the lead to 9-5, and a combination of Indy attack errors and a Snyder kill sealed the 15-11 set win for Grand Rapids.
Notes
- The Rise set a team record with 201 attack attempts in the victory. Snyder had the most swings with 55, followed by Briggs-Romine (44) and Pritchard (30).
- Rise rookie libero Elena Oglivie racked up a team-high 24 digs with a 57% positive reception rating. Three other Rise players also finished in double figures: Briggs-Romine (15), Snyder (13), and rookie setter Camryn Turner (11). All three also recorded double-doubles.
- Both Snyder and Bastianelli finished with a team-high 20 points. Tealer led the Ignite with 22 points (19 kills, two blocks, and an ace).
- Grand Rapids earned its first-ever win over Indy, avenging a 3-0 loss on Jan. 16 and a 3-1 defeat on March 15 earlier in the Ignite’s inaugural season.
GR 25 22 21 25 15 — 3
IND 17 25 25 18 11 — 2
Team Leaders
GR: Kills — Carli Snyder 16, Paige Briggs-Romine 12, Ali Bastianelli 10; Assists — Camryn Turner 49, Elena Oglivie 3; Aces — Bastianelli 1, Briggs-Romine 1, Turner 1; Blocks — Bastianelli 9, Alyssa Jensen 5, Snyder 4; Digs — Oglivie 24, Briggs-Romine 15, Snyder 13, Turner 11.
IND: Kills — Azhani Tealer 19, Caitlin Baird 17, Carly Skjodt 12, Lydia Martyn 12; Assists — Sydney Hilley 55, Elena Scott 6, Ainise Havili 6; Aces — Isabel Martin 1, Tealer 1; Blocks — Tealer 2; Digs — Scott 29, Hilley 23, Baird 14, Tealer 14.
A — 4,914
Record / Next Match
Grand Rapids: 10-13 / Thu., April 17 at Omaha Supernovas, 8 p.m. EDT
Indy: 12-10 / Thu., April 17 vs. Vegas Thrill, 7 p.m.
Photo by Heidi Kearney/Orlando Valkyries