This Week’s Matches
RISE (11-14) vs. Atlanta Vibe (9-15) // Wed., April 22 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena
Watch: Scripps Sports Network and MLV YouTube Channel at 7 p.m.
Listen: 96.1 The Game at 6:45 p.m.
Season Series: 2-1 Overall, 1-0 Home. Fourth of four meetings overall, second of two at Van Andel Arena
All-Time Regular Season Series: 5-6 Overall, 2-3 Home
Noteworthy: The Rise are on a four-match winning streak, tied for the longest in team history. Atlanta has been swept in each of its last three matches against Omaha, San Diego, and Indy, and must win to remain in playoff contention. The Vibe opened the season series with a home sweep on Jan. 11 but have dropped the last two meetings, with the Rise earning a 3-0 win on Feb. 14 and a 3-1 road victory on March 13.
RISE vs. Orlando Valkyries (10-14) // Sat., April 25 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena
Watch: Samsung TV Plus and MLV YouTube Channel at 7 p.m.
Listen: 96.1 The Game at 6:45 p.m.
Season Series: 1-2 Overall, 0-1 Home. Fourth of four meetings overall, second of two at Van Andel Arena
All-Time Regular Season Series: 4-7 Overall, 2-3 Home
Noteworthy: Grand Rapids and Orlando last met March 1, when the Rise snapped a two-match skid against the Valkyries with a 3-1 victory. The three meetings this season have all been decided in different set lengths — an Orlando sweep on Jan. 29, the four-set Rise win, and a five-set Valkyries victory in Grand Rapids’ season opener on Jan. 9. Orlando enters on a three-match losing streak, including consecutive sweeps against Omaha and San Diego. The Valkyries host league-leading Indy Ignite on Thursday, April 23, before traveling to Grand Rapids, with two losses eliminating them from playoff contention.
Rising Up: The Rise have tied the franchise record with four straight victories over the past two weeks. The last time Grand Rapids won four consecutive matches was from Jan. 19 through Feb. 2 last season, when the team rebounded after a 0–3 start. The Rise have also won five of their last seven matches to move up to fifth place in the MLV standings and are in the playoff hunt despite having started the season 3-9.
Playoffs?! We Are Talkin’ About Playoffs: What felt like wishful thinking a little over a month ago has quickly turned into an opportunity, as the Rise sit just outside the playoff picture with three matches left. While Grand Rapids doesn't control its own destiny, there are two distinct paths that would send the Rise to the postseason for the second time in franchise history.
Option A — Surpass San Diego
The Mojo currently hold third place at 13-11 and need two more wins to clinch a postseason berth. San Diego arguably faces the league’s toughest remaining schedule, with matches against the top two teams — both already clinched but battling for the No. 1 seed — at the Indy Ignite and at home against the Dallas Pulse, along with a road match in Columbus and a head-to-head meeting with the Rise on April 30.
If San Diego finishes 1-3 down the stretch and Grand Rapids wins out, both teams would end the regular season at 14-14. In that scenario, the Rise would likely hold the match points tiebreaker, projected at 43 points compared to San Diego’s 39, assuming all matches conclude in three or four sets. The Mojo could still close the gap by earning additional points in five-set losses, or if the Rise drop points in five-set victories.
Option B — Overcome Omaha
The Supernovas currently hold the fourth and final playoff spot at 13-13 with two matches remaining, hosting Columbus on April 24 and traveling to Dallas on May 1. The clearest path for the Rise requires the Supernovas to go 0-2 while Grand Rapids wins its final three matches. A split by Omaha would only slightly open the door, leaving the Rise needing additional help through points and tiebreak scenarios.
As noted, the Rise’s maximum total is 43 match points if all remaining wins come in three or four sets. Omaha could finish 14-14 with 42 points if the lone win comes in five sets, which would allow Grand Rapids to move ahead by winning out. However, Omaha could also reach 43 points if its win comes in three or four sets without a five-set loss.
If Omaha and Grand Rapids finish tied at 14-14 and level on points, the next tiebreaker, head-to-head results, would also be even at 2-2 this season. The following tiebreaker is sets ratio, calculated by sets won divided by sets lost, which Omaha would win.
The Rise could still pass Omaha with a 2–1 finish. If Grand Rapids earns two wins in three or four sets and takes its lone loss in five, the Rise could reach 41 points — enough to move ahead if Omaha loses both remaining matches in three or four sets. A 40-point tie at 13-15 overall with Omaha would keep the Supernovas in the playoffs over the Rise via the sets ratio tiebreaker.
TL;DR: Rise win out (ideally in three or four sets for maximum points), with either San Diego going 1-3 or worse (finishing with fewer points than Grand Rapids) or Omaha going 1-1 or worse with its lone win coming in five sets and no five-set loss. A Rise playoff berth with a 2-1 finish is possible if the Mojo go 0-4 or Omaha loses both of its matches not in five sets, along with additional help elsewhere.
Team Record Points Matches Back of Playoff Berth
1. Indy Ignite 19-5 56 Clinched
2. Dallas Pulse 18-7 50 Clinched
3. San Diego Mojo 13-11 36 + 1.0
4. Omaha Supernovas 13-13 40 --
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Grand Rapids Rise 11-14 34 - 1.5
6. Orlando Valkyries 10-14 31 - 2.0
7. Atlanta Vibe 9-15 28 - 3.0
8. Columbus Fury 5-19 19 Eliminated
Rhamat's Return: Rise middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan made her long-awaited return to the rotation in the third set on April 12 against the Fury after missing the previous 11 matches due to injury. She had last appeared on Feb. 22 at the Dallas Pulse. This past weekend, Alhassan led all attackers in efficiency on Friday against Indy, hitting .550 with 11 kills on 20 error-free swings. It was the second-highest hitting percentage in Rise history among players with at least 20 attack attempts in a match. Sunday in Columbus, Alhassan added nine kills (.318) and three blocks.
Hentzville Never Sleeps: Rise libero Morgan Hentz is on pace to appear in a league-record 30 regular-season matches in 2026. Hentz played 202 sets across her first two MLV seasons with the Atlanta Vibe and now leads all players in league history with 310 career sets played. She currently sits at 108 sets this season with three regular-season matches remaining.
The Rise single-season record for sets played is held by Carli Snyder (111 in 2025), while Indy’s Elena Scott owns the MLV single-season record after appearing in 116 sets last year. Hentz also leads the MLV with 415 total digs this year — 249 with Grand Rapids and 166 with Omaha prior to the trade — averaging 3.84 digs per set. That mark would establish a new Rise single-season record.
Dig That: Grand Rapids set a franchise record with 104 digs in a four-set win over Omaha on April 10, surpassing the previous mark of 103 digs in a five-set match against Atlanta on April 26, 2025. The total is also the most in league history for a four-set match and topped the Rise’s previous four-set high of 86 digs against Orlando on March 1 this season.
Rise-Vibe Connections: Notable shared history between the two teams:
· Rise libero Hentz played for the Vibe from 2024-25;
· Atlanta middle blocker Raven Colvin, now on season-ending injured reserve, was selected seventh overall in the 2024 draft by the Rise;
· Rise middle blocker Leah Meyer, also now on season-ending injured reserve, played one season in 2019 with former Kentucky teammate Leah Edmond;
· Middle blocker Phoebe Awoleye played with Rise libero Camila Gómez with the Omaha Supernovas last season;
· Vibe assistant coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn coached Paige Briggs-Romine, Gómez, and Allison Mayfield during her tenure (2024-25) as the head coach of the Supernovas;
· Rise setter Camryn Turner and Atlanta newcomer Jenny Mosser played one season together at the University of Kansas (2021).
Rise-Valkyries Connections: Notable shared history between the two teams:
· Former Rise opposite hitter Naya Shime takes on her former team. Shime left Grand Rapids in mid-March of the 2025 season after playing in 10 matches (34 sets), recording 92 kills, 67 digs, and 15 blocks in her rookie campaign;
· Former 2025 Vegas Thrill teammates reunite with Rise's Mayfield, Lauren Jardine-Clark, and Berkeley Oblad taking on Orlando's Charitie Luper and Hannah Maddux. Oblad and Orlando setter Hannah Pukis also played for the Thrill during the 2024 season;
· Rise setter Saige Ka'aha'aina-Torres and Orlando outside hitter Lindsey Vander Weide played for Changas de Naranjito in Puerto Rico during the 2022-23 season.
Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Rise