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PVF Grand Rapids Rise

Rise Advance to Championship Match, Defeat Top-Seeded Vibe in Five Sets

May 16, 2024 - Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF)
Grand Rapids Rise News Release


Grand Rapids Rise celebrate win
Grand Rapids Rise celebrate win
(Grand Rapids Rise, Credit: Matt Bills/Omaha Supernovas for Pro Volleyball Federation)

OMAHA, Neb. - The Grand Rapids Rise will be playing for the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation Championship. The No. 4-seeded Rise upset the top-seeded Atlanta Vibe, 3-2, on Wednesday evening inside the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. Grand Rapids won by set scores of 25-20, 19-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-8.

Rise setter Ashley Evans tied her season high with 54 assists to lead a potent Grand Rapids' attack that put down 71 kills (.243). Four Rise attackers finished with double-digit kills led by outside hitter Claire Chaussee (22, .226), who set a team record with 62 attack attempts. The Pro Volleyball Federation Opposite Hitter of the Year, Emiliya Dimitrova, chipped in with 19 kills (.208) after only having three through the first two sets. Outside hitter Erika Pritchard (15, .324) and middle blocker Kayla Caffey (10, .381) also reached double figures.

A nervous start for the Rise saw the Vibe score the first three points of the semifinal match. Grand Rapids quickly regrouped and tied the score at 5-5 following Chaussee's first kill. A powerful Caffey spike from close range after a Vibe overpass put Grand Rapids up 16-15 going into the second media timeout. That was part of a 4-0 Rise run that gave the No. 4 seed the cushion needed to comfortably close out the first set. Back-to-back kills from Dimitrova made it 23-19, and Chaussee ricocheted a ball off the Atlanta block to end the frame, 25-20.

The Rise improved to 18-7 in the first set this season, even though the Vibe put up six blocks. Atlanta's offense, however, was held to .073 hitting percentage. Evans had nine out of the 25 digs the Rise collected in the opening frame.

Knocking off the rust of not playing a competitive match in 13 days, the Vibe battled back to take the second set, 25-19. Down 18-14, Rise head coach Cathy George changed her rotation to give setter Mac Podraza and opposite hitter Morgahn Fingall an opportunity and gave a brief rest to Evans and Dimitrova. The change couldn't slow down Anna Lazareva and Leah Edmond, as they had 11 of the Vibe's 14 kills in the second set. A kill from Leketor Member-Meneh and a Rise attack error ended the set, 25-19, and tied the match at one set apiece.

Grand Rapids jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the third set. The Vibe then used a 5-0 spurt to take the lead 11-10. The Rise swung momentum back with a 5-1 run. Following a kill from Dimitrova to take a 19-15, Atlanta lost starting middle blocker Magda Jehlárová for the rest of the match because of a lower-body injury. Despite the setback, the Vibe got within two points at 21-19. Rise captain Dimitrova then took over, scoring three out of the final five Rise points. Both Dimitrova and Chaussee had a team-high six kills in the middle frame.

Neither team led by more than two points in the fourth set. Dimitrova, playing her final season after a 17-year career, showed up again late in the frame with multiple clutch kills. But the Vibe pulled through in a must-win situation. Tied at 23-23, Lazareva notched a kill, and the Rise had an attack error on set point to set the match to a fifth-set tiebreaker. Lazareva ended with a team-high 17 kills for the Vibe.

Nerves then got the better of top-seeded Atlanta, as the Vibe committed three serving errors and two attack errors in the fifth set. The Rise raced out to a 6-1 lead, capped by a full-swing setter kill from Evans. Assistant coach Denis Dimitrov and the Rise correctly challenged and won three points in the final set to stay in total control. Chaussee, on her birthday, added the finishing touch with her 21st kill to end the match, 15-8.

Chaussee also had 10 digs for her team-leading 16th double-double this season. Evans (54 assists, 16 digs) and Dimitrova (19 kills, 12 digs) also finished with double-doubles. Middle blocker Marin Grote had a team-high four blocks.

Notes

*Grand Rapids is now 4-4 in five-set affairs this season after winning two consecutive marathon matches during this current three-match win streak. *The Rise are the only team to finish with a winning record against the Vibe this season (3-2). Atlanta entered the match 15-2 since the start of March, losing only 11 sets. *Shannon Scully, Sarah Sponcil, and Molly Lohman also featured for the Rise off the bench at various points in the match. Scully ended with seven digs. *First time two DP Fox Sports teams have won playoff games on the same day, as the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) defeated the Milwaukee Admirals on Wednesday, 4-2, in Game 1 of the Central Division Finals. *In the other Pro Volleyball Federation playoff semifinal, the No. 2-seeded Omaha Supernovas reverse swept the No. 3-seeded San Diego Mojo by set scores of 20-25, 16-25, 25-18, 25-8, 15-11.

Post-Match Interviews

Photo Gallery

Box Score

GR 25 19 25 23 15 - 3

ATL 20 25 20 25 8 - 2

Team Leaders

GR: Kills - Claire Chaussee 22, Emiliya Dimitrova 19, Erika Pritchard 15; Assists - Ashley Evans 54, Camila Gómez 3, Dimitrova 3; Aces - None; Blocks - Marin Grote 4, Kayla Caffey 3, Evans 2; Digs - Evans 16, Gómez 13, Dimitrova 12, Chaussee 10.

ATL: Kills - Anna Lazareva 17, Leah Edmond 13, Shelly Fanning 7, Alli Linnehan 7; Assists - Marlie Monserez 42, Morgan Hentz 5; Aces - Fanning 1; Blocks - Fanning 6, Leketor Member-Meneh 2, Edmond 2; Digs - Hentz 16, Edmond 13, Member-Meneh 9, Lazareva 9.

Record / Next Match

Grand Rapids: 13-12 / Sat., May 18 vs. Omaha Supernovas, 4:30 p.m. ET (Pro Volleyball Federation Championship Match)

Atlanta: 19-6 / End of 2024 season




Images from this story

Grand Rapids Rise celebrate win
Grand Rapids Rise celebrate win
(Matt Bills/Omaha Supernovas for Pro Volleyball Federation)		   



Pro Volleyball Federation Stories from May 16, 2024


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