GRAND RAPIDS RISE 3 vs. Columbus Fury 2
Jan. 14, 2026
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Rise overcame 1-0 and 2-1 set deficits, along with an unfavorable 4-0 hole in the fifth set, to upend regional rival Columbus Fury in their home opener Wednesday night at Van Andel Arena in front of the fourth-largest crowd in franchise history (6,174).
The Rise earned their first win of the season (1-2 overall) behind a balanced offensive attack, with four players reaching double-digit kills, and steady defense that produced 14 blocks and 65 digs. Columbus (1-2) was held to a season-low .157 hitting percentage.
A hard-fought opening set saw the Rise take an early 10-7 lead behind a 6-0 run with middle blocker Leah Meyer behind the service line. Outside hitter Carli Snyder provided a kill to give Grand Rapids a 16-14 lead going into the media timeout. Snyder followed that up with an out-of-system kill to level the first frame, 21-21. Her former Florida teammate Rhamat Alhassan added a crucial block a couple plays later, but the Fury prevailed by the minimum, 25-23.
Rise setter Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres opened the second set with her first ace of the season, igniting a 6-2 Rise run to start the frame. Alhassan’s second block of the match forced a Columbus timeout with the Rise up six points, 11-5. By the media timeout, Grand Rapids continued to extend its advantage, 16-8, and coasted to the finish line for its largest set win of the season, 25-17. Paige Briggs-Romine sealed the set with the final kill, as the Rise hit .371.
Columbus, led by five kills from Raina Terry and six team blocks, won the third set, 25–19. Rise opposite hitter Elizabet Inneh provided a brief spark with back-to-back aces, and another ace from Snyder pulled Grand Rapids within one at 16-15, but Columbus pulled away down the stretch. Terry finished with a match-high 20 points (14 kills, six blocks) for the Fury.
Down a set again and on the verge of defeat, the Rise seized control midway through the fourth set to extend the match. A pair of blocks from Meyer and Ka’aha’aina-Torres, along with a kill from Briggs-Romine, pushed Grand Rapids ahead 19-13. The Fury fended off four set points before an Alhassan kill forced a fifth frame, 25-21.
Each of the last five meetings between the Rise and Fury has gone five sets.
Columbus scored the first four points of the final frame, prompting Rise head coach Cathy George to call a timeout to regroup. From there, Grand Rapids slowly chipped away.
Alhassan’s team-high fourth block tied the set at 9-9. After the Fury scored the next two points, an Alhassan kill and a Columbus attack error tied it again at 11-11. Snyder placed a kill in the back corner, and another Fury mistake put the Rise up two. Fittingly, the Florida duo closed out the set with the final two Rise points on kills.
Snyder finished with a team-high 19 points, including 16 kills, two aces, and a block. Alhassan added a season-high 17 points with 13 kills (.391) and four blocks. Meyer and Briggs-Romine each finished with 11 kills, joining Snyder and Alhassan in double-digit scoring. Ka’aha’aina-Torres tied her season-high with 48 assists, and collected her second double-double of the season with 10 digs.
Rise second-year libero Elena Oglivie had a match-high 15 digs.
Notes
· The Rise improved to 2-1 in home openers, 6-4 in five-set matches at home in franchise history, and 4-1 at home against Columbus.
· Grand Rapids notched only the fifth comeback win in 25 matches after trailing 2-1.
· Former Rise setter Ashley Evans returned to Grand Rapids for the first time since leading the Rise to the 2024 championship match. She finished with 47 assists, 12 digs, two kills, and a block.
· Grand Rapids won’t see Columbus again until April. The Rise will play three out of their final eight matches in the regular season against the Fury on April 5, April 12, and April 19.
GR 23 25 19 25 15 — 3
CLB 25 17 25 21 12 — 2
Team Leaders
GR: Kills — Carli Snyder 16, Rhamat Alhassan 13, Leah Meyer 11, Paige Briggs-Romine 11; Assists — Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres 48, Elena Oglivie 3, Camryn Turner 2; Aces — Elizabet Inneh 2, Snyder 2, Ka’aha’aina-Torres 1; Blocks — Alhassan 4, Meyer 3, Briggs-Romine 3; Digs — Oglivie 15, Inneh 11, Snyder 11, Ka’aha’aina-Torres 10.
CLB: Kills — Raina Terry 14, Regan Pittman-Nelson 12, Abby Walker 10; Assists — Ashley Evans 47; Aces — Megan Lush 1; Blocks — Terry 6, Lush 3, Pittman-Nelson 3; Digs — Terry 13, Evans 12, Lush 10.
A — 6,147
Record / Next Match
Grand Rapids: 1-2 / Fri., Jan. 23 at San Diego Mojo, 10 p.m. EST
Columbus: 1-2 / Sat., Jan. 17 vs. Indy Ignite, 7 p.m.
Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Rise