Rise Host League-Leading Ignite on Wednesday Before MLV All-Star Match
MLV Grand Rapids Rise

Rise Host League-Leading Ignite on Wednesday Before MLV All-Star Match

Published on March 24, 2026 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
Grand Rapids Rise News Release


Grand Rapids Rise on the serve
Grand Rapids Rise on the serve
(Grand Rapids Rise, Credit: Nicolas Carrillo)

This Week's Matches

RISE (6-12) vs. Indy Ignite (15-3) // Wed., March 25 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena

Watch: CBS Sports Network at 7 p.m.

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

Season Series: 0-2 Overall, 0-0 Home. Third of four meetings overall, first of two at Van Andel Arena

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

Noteworthy: Indy won both four-set meetings earlier this season, with Grand Rapids taking a set in each (Feb. 6, second set; March 8, first set). The Ignite have won nine of their last 10 contests, with their only loss being a five-set road defeat in Omaha on March 14. Last season, the Rise dropped the first two matchups against Indy before winning the final two. Five of the six all-time meetings have gone past three sets.

AdventHealth MLV All-Star Match // Sat., March 28 // Noon // Addition Financial Arena (Orlando)

Watch: CBS and Paramount+ at Noon

Noteworthy: The second All-Star Match in the league's history features two 12-player squads led by a pair of volleyball coaching icons - Dan Meske of Louisville and Beth Launiere, longtime coach at the University of Utah. The All-Star selections were determined through a combination of fan voting, player input, and league selection, recognizing athletes who have delivered exceptional performances and made a significant impact this season.

Last Team to GR: The Ignite will be the last of MLV's seven other teams to visit Grand Rapids this season. The Rise are 2-4 against teams making their first trip to Michigan, with wins over Columbus in the home opener and Atlanta on Feb. 14. Indy is 8-2 on the road and has yet to be swept this season. The Ignite at 15-3 overall (.833) are chasing the league's best regular-season mark of 19-5 (.792), set by the Atlanta Vibe during their inaugural 2024 campaign.

Rise All-Stars: Rise libero Morgan Hentz and outside hitter Paige Briggs-Romine have been selected to play in the 2026 AdventHealth Major League Volleyball All-Star Match. The star-studded match will be played at noon on Saturday, March 28, at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida, and will be broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+.

Hentz and Briggs-Romine will compete on Team Launiere, led by longtime University of Utah head coach Beth Launiere. Team Launiere will face Team Meske, coached by University of Louisville head coach Dan Meske.

The selection marks Hentz's second MLV All-Star honor and the first for Briggs-Romine.

Hentz joined Grand Rapids on Feb. 13 in a trade with the Omaha Supernovas and has appeared in nine matches (32 sets) with the Rise. She has totaled 138 digs (4.31 per set) and 38 assists during that stretch. Grand Rapids is 4-5 since her arrival, including three wins against her former MLV teams - twice against Atlanta and once against Omaha.

Briggs-Romine leads Grand Rapids in points (245), kills (217) and double-doubles (12) this year. The 5-foot-10 outside hitter is averaging 13.6 kills and 13.3 digs per match while adding 20 blocks, nine assists and eight aces across 16 matches (61 sets). She has recorded double-digit kills in 18 consecutive matches dating back to the 2025 season. Briggs-Romine ranks among the Rise's all-time leaders in several categories, holding the franchise record with 22 double-doubles while sitting second in both points (505) and kills (443) and third in digs (451).

Locked In Alyssa: Rise middle blocker Alyssa Jensen has recorded 31 blocks over the last seven matches while stepping in for the injured Rhamat Alhassan. She set a career-high with eight blocks against Dallas on March 18 and followed that with a career-best .600 hitting percentage on seven kills in Omaha on March 20, adding four more blocks.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Images from this story

Grand Rapids Rise on the serve
Grand Rapids Rise on the serve
(Nicolas Carrillo)		   



Major League Volleyball Stories from March 24, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central