Rise Conclude Second Season at Home against Orlando and Omaha
PVF Grand Rapids Rise

Rise Conclude Second Season at Home against Orlando and Omaha

April 28, 2025 - Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF)
Grand Rapids Rise News Release


Grand Rapids Rise middle blocker Ali Bastianelli (right)
Grand Rapids Rise middle blocker Ali Bastianelli (right)
(Grand Rapids Rise, Credit: Nicolas Carrillo)

This Week's Matches

RISE (11-15) vs. Orlando Valkyries (16-10) // Wed., April 30 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena

Radio: 96.1 The Game at 6:45 p.m.

Watch: The Roku Channel at 7 p.m.

Season Series: 1-2 Overall, 1-0 Home. Fourth of four meetings overall, second of two at Van Andel Arena

All-Time Regular Season Series: 3-4 Overall, 2-1 Home

Noteworthy: After the Rise won the first contest in the season series with a five-set home win on Jan. 30, the Valkyries bounced back with a pair of victories in Orlando on Feb. 15 (3-0) and April 10 (3-1). This season, the Valkyries have outscored the Rise, 265-247, in total points. All time, Orlando has only scored one more point than Grand Rapids, 613-612, and has won two more sets, 15-13.

RISE vs. Omaha Supernovas (19-7) // Fri., May 2 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena

Radio: 96.1 The Game at 6:45 p.m.

Watch: FS2 at 7 p.m.

Season Series: 0-3 Overall, 0-1 Home. Fourth of four meetings overall, second of two at Van Andel Arena

All-Time Regular Season Series: 1-6 Overall, 1-2 Home

Noteworthy: Omaha has won all three matchups against Grand Rapids this season, taking nine of a possible 10 sets. Five of those sets were decided by three points or fewer. The Rise have defeated Omaha just once in team history, winning on May 12, 2024 to close out the 2024 regular season.

Playing for Pride: The Rise were eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday when the Indy Ignite defeated the San Diego Mojo in four sets to clinch the fourth and final postseason spot. Grand Rapids had been pushed to the brink the night before, falling in a heartbreaking five-set thriller against the red-hot Atlanta Vibe. The Rise rallied from a 2-0 deficit to force a decisive fifth set but ultimately fell 15-13 in the final frame. Despite the loss, Grand Rapids set a franchise record with 103 digs in the gritty affair.

Meanwhile, Orlando is chasing Atlanta for the No. 2 seed but will need to win its final two matches and have the Vibe lose their last two to make it happen. The Rise currently sit fifth in the standings but could slip to sixth or seventh depending on how the final results unfold. One win would secure fifth place for Grand Rapids.

Ups and Downs: Grand Rapids has alternated between wins and losses over its last eight matches. Earlier in the season, the Rise swung between winning and losing streaks, starting 0-3 before rattling off four straight wins, then dropping five in a row, winning three straight, and losing three more.

Monster Blockers: Through 26 matches, the Rise lead the League in both total blocks (323) and blocks per set (3.14), thanks in large part to standout middle blocker Ali Bastianelli. She currently leads the League with 84 blocks this season. Alyssa Jensen has also made a huge leap at the net, tallying 58 blocks after recording just 19 last season. Grand Rapids tied the PVF record for most blocks in a match with 24 during 3-2 road win April 12 over the Ignite. The next week, the Rise blocked Indy 21 times in a four-set home win on April 19. Grand Rapids is limiting its opponents to a .199 hitting percentage for the season, the lowest in the League.




Images from this story

Grand Rapids Rise middle blocker Ali Bastianelli (right)
Grand Rapids Rise middle blocker Ali Bastianelli (right)
(Nicolas Carrillo)		   



Pro Volleyball Federation Stories from April 28, 2025


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