GRAND RAPIDS RISE 1 vs. Dallas Pulse 3
April 3, 2026
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Every set was decided by three points or fewer Friday night inside Van Andel Arena, as the Grand Rapids Rise pushed the Dallas Pulse to the brink before Dallas rallied for its eighth straight victory by set scores of 22-25, 25-22, 25-23, 26-24.
Dallas improved to 9-1 on the road this season, dropping only its 13th set away from home.
Rise outside hitter Paige Briggs-Romine set the tone early, converting all five of her swings in the opening set for kills, including four during Grand Rapids’ first seven points. Opposite hitter Elizabet Inneh also opened efficiently with four kills on eight swings (.500).
It was the Rise defense, however, that swung the opening set, as back-to-back blocks from Alyssa Jensen and Allison Mayfield built a 22-19 cushion. Grand Rapids held Dallas to a .108 hitting percentage while attacking at a .333 clip. Mayfield recorded her third kill on set point to seal the 25-22 victory — the Rise’s fourth first-set win at home and eighth overall this season.
Dallas answered with an identical 25-22 scoreline in the second set. A 4-0 Pulse run created early separation at 9-5, and although the Rise pulled within one at 14-13 and again at 17-16, they were unable to draw even. Grand Rapids fought off three set points before Sofia Maldonado Diaz closed the frame with her ninth kill, evening the match at one set apiece.
Maldonado Diaz and first overall draft pick Mimi Colyer each finished with a match-high 18 kills for Dallas. Both were held to just three kills in the first set.
The third set, like the first two, remained tight throughout. With the score tied 6-6, Briggs-Romine sparked a 4-0 run with three consecutive kills, capped by a Pulse attack error for a 10-6 Rise advantage. Dallas gradually worked back into the set, tying the score at 18-18. A transition kill from Mayfield gave Grand Rapids a 22-21 edge, but long rallies favored Dallas late. Consecutive Rise miscues, a service error followed by an attack error, allowed the Pulse to claim the set by the minimum, 25-23.
The fourth set followed a similar script. Grand Rapids led 18-17 after Inneh delivered the Rise’s lone ace of the match, but Dallas responded with a 6-2 run to move ahead 23-20. The Rise battled back, tying the score at 24-24 after Jensen saved match point with a kill through the middle. Jensen finished with five kills and a team-high five blocks, extending her streak to five consecutive matches with four or more blocks.
Dallas closed the match moments later behind Maldonado Diaz’s 18th kill and an overpass finish from setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson, sealing the 26-24 victory. Valentin-Anderson added 43 assists, four kills and a team-high 14 digs.
Rise setter Camryn Turner directed a Rise offense that hit .213, totaling 44 assists and 11 digs for her seventh double-double of the season and 15th of her Rise career. Briggs-Romine also recorded a double-double with 15 kills and 13 digs.
Notes
· The Rise were without two outside hitters on Friday, with team captain Carli Snyder unavailable for the match and Alexis Shelton away attending a family funeral.
· Grand Rapids had four players reach double-digit points: Briggs-Romine (15), Inneh (14), Mayfield (13), and Jensen (10). Mayfield had a season-high 11 kills.
· Middle blocker Berkeley Oblad led the Rise in hitting efficiency with eight kills on 14 swings (.429).
· Rise defensive specialist Camila Gómez appeared as a serving substitute in the first two sets, becoming the 10th player in franchise history to appear in 100 or more sets for the team.
· Dallas held a 14-10 advantage in blocks while the Rise recorded 15 more digs (58-43). Rise libero Morgan Hentz led the team with 16 digs while posting a 60 percent positive reception rate. Pulse libero Kylie Murr picked up 13 digs and nine out-of-system assists.
· The Pulse completed the regular-season series sweep over the Rise (4-0), winning three matches in four sets and one via a sweep.
GR 25 22 23 24 — 1
DAL 22 25 25 26 — 3
Team Leaders
GR: Kills — Paige Briggs-Romine 15, Elizabet Inneh 12, Allison Mayfield 11; Assists — Camryn Turner 44, Morgan Hentz 4; Aces — Inneh 1; Blocks — Alyssa Jensen 5, Mayfield 2, Turner 2; Digs — Hentz 16, Briggs-Romine 13, Turner 11.
DAL: Kills — Sofia Maldonado Diaz 18, Mimi Colyer 18, Kaylee Cox 9; Assists — Natalia Valentin-Anderson 43, Kylie Murr 9; Aces — Maldonado Diaz 2, Colyer 1, Caroline Meuth 1; Blocks — Colyer 4, Karson Bacon 4, Tristin Savage 2; Digs — Valentin-Anderson 14, Murr 13, Colyer 7.
A — 2,645
Record / Next Match
Grand Rapids: 7-13 / Sun., April 5 at Columbus Fury, 5 p.m.
Dallas: 16-5 / Sun., April 5 at San Diego, 8 p.m. EDT
Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Rise