Game Preview: Grand Rapids at San Diego: March 9, 2025
PVF San Diego Mojo

Game Preview: Grand Rapids at San Diego: March 9, 2025

March 8, 2025 - Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF)
San Diego Mojo News Release


Game 15: Grand Rapids Rise (6-8) at San Diego Mojo (5-9)

San Diego and Grand Rapids will meet for the fourth and final time in the regular season and second time at Viejas Arena when they square off on Sunday, March 9 at 4:03 p.m. The Mojo won the previous matchup in San Diego, topping the Rise in four sets on February 27, while Grand Rapids swept both matches they hosted, most recently on March 5.

The Mojo and Rise will meet for the third time in the last four games with each match taking place over an 11-day period. San Diego lead the all-time series 4-3 with a 3-0 mark as the host. Each match in San Diego has taken at least four sets.

The matchup will feature two of the best blocking teams in the PVF with Grand Rapids topping the league at 2.98 blocks per set and San Diego ranking third at 2.35 per set.

In the last meeting in San Diego, the Mojo had a season-high 16 blocks in the win, equaling the fourth-most in franchise history, and held the Rise to a .086 hitting percentage.

Mojo Promotions and Giveaways

Sunday is Totally Taylor Day and the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a free Mojo Friendship Bracelet. Fans in attendance can also catch the T. Swift Lookalike Contest, in which contestants will have a chance to win a Taylor Swift Baby Taylor Guitar. Fans can enter the contest.

Tune-In

The game can be viewed locally on KUSI and will stream live on YouTube.

Tanner Collins (play-by-play) and Lori Thomas (analyst) will be on the call.

San Diego Mojo Outlook

San Diego fell in Grand Rapids on Wednesday, falling in three sets, 25-20, 26-24, 25-20, snapping a two-game winning streak for the Mojo. It marked the second time this season the Mojo were swept by the Rise on the road giving Grand Rapids a season series lead of 2-1.

Rookie outside hitter Maya Tabron led the Mojo with 10 points and nine kills, adding one block and eight digs. Fellow rookie outside Elise McGee had seven kills and six digs.

Middle blocker Regan Pittman collected a match-high five blocks, her third consecutive game with at least five, and middle blocker Ronika Stone tallied three. Setter Sarah Sponcil dished out 17 assists for the Mojo and libero Shara Venegas led San Diego with 13 digs.

Outside hitter Kendra Dahlke has been one of the top players in the Pro Volleyball Federation in 2025, ranking among the top 10 in Kills (177/7th), kills per set (3.69/6th), points (191/7th) and points per set (3.98/8th).

Setter Da Yeong Lee is fifth in the PVF in total assists with 503 total assists on the year and in assists per set averaging 10.27 per frame.

Stone remains a force among middle blockers in the league, ranking fifth in the league in total blocks (29) and sixth in blocks per set (0.57).

Pittman has also been among the best middles in the league, totaling 24 blocks, tied for seventh in the PVF, while averaging 0.86 blocks per set, the third-best average in the league. She has also collected six aces on the year and is averaging 0.21 aces per set, equaling the seventh-best mark in the league.

Venegas has come up huge in court coverage, averaging 3.98 digs per set with 187 total digs, the second-best mark in the PVF in both categories.

Grand Rapids Rise Outlook

The Rise led the match in hitting percentage (.215 to .122) and had more kills (47-35), digs (61-56), assists (44-33), blocks (13-9) and aces (4-1). Setter Camryn Turner had a season-high 25 assists, with three digs, two kills and one block. Former Mojo setter August Raskie added 13 assists for the Rise with eight digs, three blocks and one kill.

Grand Rapids lead the PVF with 161 total blocks and 2.98 blocks per set, guided by two of the top middles in the league as Ali Bastianelli ranks second in the PVF with 42 total blocks and Marin Grote is just outside of the top 10 with 22.

Raskie is among the top 10 in the league in assists (487/6th), assists per set (9.37/7th), hitting percentage (.353/3rd), digs (162/8th), digs per set (3.29/6th) and kill percentage (40.2/10th).

Mojo-Rise Connections

Mojo setter/libero Sarah Sponcil will face her former Grand Rapids Rise teammates for the fourth time and the second time in San Diego, while former Mojo middle blocker Ali Bastianelli and setter August Raskie are starters for the Rise.

San Diego middle blockers Ronika Stone (2016-18) and Lauren Page (2015-18) were teammates with Raskie while at Oregon, while Stone and Raskie both helped guide the Mojo to the 2024 PVF Championship semifinals.

Middle blocker Rainelle Jones and outside hitter Jenaisya Moore were teammates last season with Rise libero Valeria León when the trio were with the Columbus Fury.

Jones also played three seasons at Maryland (2018-20) with Rise outside hitter Erika Pritchard.

Outside hitter Kendra Dahlke was a teammate of León at Leonas de Ponce in Puerto Rico during the 2020-21 season.

Rookie outside hitter Maya Tabron played with Rise rookie opposite Naya Shime last season at SMU.



Pro Volleyball Federation Stories from March 8, 2025


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