Fast Start Not Enough as Rise Fall in Five at Columbus
MLV Grand Rapids Rise

Fast Start Not Enough as Rise Fall in Five at Columbus

Published on April 5, 2026 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
Grand Rapids Rise News Release


Grand Rapids Rise middle blocker Hattie Bray
Grand Rapids Rise middle blocker Hattie Bray
(Grand Rapids Rise, Credit: Columbus Fury)

COLUMBUS, Ohio - For a sixth straight head-to-head meeting, the Grand Rapids Rise and Columbus needed all five sets to decide a winner in the regional showdown. Columbus prevailed, earning its first five-set win of the season in dramatic fashion by capturing the final three sets to complete a home reverse sweep by set scores of 14-25, 22-25, 25-17, 25-22, 15-12.

The Fury avenged a five-set loss to the Rise earlier this season, when Grand Rapids rallied from a 6-1 deficit in the deciding fifth frame to win its home opener on Jan. 14. The heart-breaking defeat marked the fifth reverse sweep in franchise history for the Rise, now 15-5 all-time (7-2 on the road) when jumping out to a 2-0 advantage.

Grand Rapids started strong, jumping out to a 6-1 lead with opposite hitter Elizabet Inneh behind the service line, recording both an ace and a kill during the early run. Inneh and outside hitter Paige Briggs-Romine each finished with two aces in the match. Columbus did not record its first kill until the 16th rally of the opening set, when Raina Terry finally broke through for the Fury. Columbus totaled just four kills in the frame, as the Rise held the Fury to a -.088 hitting percentage - the lowest by a Rise opponent in a single set this season.

Terry's lone first-set kill proved only to be a slow start for the All-Star, as she rebounded to post a match-high 25 kills on a .234 hitting clip, adding two blocks and eight digs. Terry had seven or more kills in the second, third, and fourth sets.

The Rise used a 5-0 run in the middle of the second set to take a 18-17 lead. Rookie middle blocker Hattie Bray, seeing extended playing time for the first time this season, provided a key kill and timely block in the sequence. Bray stayed in the Rise rotation for the rest of the match, finishing with a season-high seven kills (.353) and four blocks.

The second set was last tied at 21-21 before Grand Rapids closed on a 4-1 run, aided by two Columbus attack errors and a pair of kills from Paige Briggs-Romine, who recorded five of her team-high 17 kills in the frame. She added 10 digs for her 14th double-double of the season and has now reached double-digit kills in 21 consecutive matches dating back to last season.

Grand Rapids and Columbus traded points up to 11-11 in the third set before the Fury created separation with a 7-1 run out of the second media timeout after holding just a 16-15 lead. MLV total blocks leader Regan Pittman-Nelson then sealed the set with a rejection on set point, giving Columbus a 25-17 win to extend the match.

The Fury posted a .429 hitting percentage in the third set with no attack errors, paced by Terry's eight kills on 16 attempts (.500).

Rise libero Morgan Hentz was all over the floor throughout the match, recording nine digs in both the second and fourth sets en route to a season-high 28 digs - just two shy of the franchise record. Fury libero Kamaile Hiapo matched the effort on the other side with 23 digs, consistently keeping long rallies alive.

Tied at 22-22 in a tightly contested fourth set, Columbus leaned on its league-leading block, getting back-to-back rejections from Audrey Pak and then a second set-winning block from Pittman-Nelson, sending the match to a fifth frame.

Grand Rapids opened the tiebreaker set with a kill from Briggs-Romine, but quickly fell behind, trailing 7-3 before the deficit grew to 10-4 and 12-6. Unlike the five-point fifth-set comeback they managed in the first meeting this season, recovering from a six-point gap proved too much.

The Rise rallied to get within two at 14-12, with rookie outside hitter Alexis Shelton sparking the effort off the bench with two kills, but Columbus closed out the contest on their third match point as Pittman-Nelson notched her 10th kill.

Notes

Both teams finished with 59 kills with Columbus being more efficient (.188 to .153). The Fury also had four more blocks (12-8) while the Rise had five more digs (83-78).

Rise team captain Carli Snyder didn't travel and missed a second consecutive match due to injury. Her former college teammate at Florida, middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan, also missed her 10th straight match recovering from an injury.

Five Rise players scored double figures in points: Briggs-Romine (20), Allison Mayfield (13), Inneh (12), Bray (11), and Berkeley Oblad (10).

Rise setter Camryn Turner set a season high with 49 assists and added 16 digs, marking her eighth double-double in the past nine matches.

Grand Rapids is 1-3 in five-set matches this season (9-12 all time).

The Rise will meet Columbus two more times this season, with both matchups scheduled for the upcoming Sundays.

GR 25 25 17 22 12 - 2

CLB 14 22 25 25 15 - 3

Team Leaders

GR: Kills - Paige Briggs-Romine 17, Allison Mayfield 11, Elizabet Inneh 10; Assists - Camryn Turner 49, Morgan Hentz 4; Aces - Briggs-Romine 2, Inneh 2; Blocks - Hattie Bray 4, Mayfield 2; Digs - Hentz 28, Turner 16, Inneh 14, Briggs-Romine 10.

CLB: Kills - Raina Terry 25, Regan Pittman-Nelson 10, Megan Lush 6; Assists - Audrey Pak 42, Kamaile Hiapo 6; Aces - Brianna Ford 2; Blocks - Rachel Gomez 3, Pak 2, Terry 2, Pittman-Nelson 2; Digs - Hiapo 23, Pak 16, Terry 8, Lush 8.

A - 1,653

Record / Next Match

Grand Rapids: 7-14 / Fri., April 10 at Omaha Supernovas, 9 p.m.

Columbus: 5-15 / Fri., April 10 vs. Atlanta Vibe, 7 p.m.

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Images from this story

Grand Rapids Rise middle blocker Hattie Bray
Grand Rapids Rise middle blocker Hattie Bray
(Columbus Fury)		   



Major League Volleyball Stories from April 5, 2026


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