Rise Host Orlando and Omaha in Two-Match Homestand
MLV Grand Rapids Rise

Rise Host Orlando and Omaha in Two-Match Homestand

Published on January 28, 2026 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
Grand Rapids Rise News Release


Grand Rapids Rise celebrate vs. the San Diego Mojo
Grand Rapids Rise celebrate vs. the San Diego Mojo
(Grand Rapids Rise, Credit: Ryan Young/San Diego Mojo)

This Week's Matches

RISE (2-2) vs. Orlando Valkyries (3-2) // Thu., Jan. 29 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena

Watch: MLV YouTube Channel at 7 p.m.

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

Season Series: 0-1 Overall, 0-0 Home. Second of four meetings overall, first of two at Van Andel Arena

All-Time Regular Season Series: 3-6 Overall, 2-2 Home

Noteworthy: It's a rematch of the season opener, when the Orlando Valkyries outlasted the Grand Rapids Rise in five sets (25-20, 21-25, 20-25, 25-23, 15-4). The Rise enter on a two-match win streak, while Orlando has dropped two straight to the Indy Ignite and Dallas Pulse after opening the season 3-0. The Valkyries have won the last four meetings between the teams, although the last two required a fifth-set tiebreaker.

RISE vs. Omaha Supernovas (3-3) // Sun., Feb. 1 // 4 p.m. // Van Andel Arena

Watch: CBS Sports Network at 4 p.m.

Listen: 96.1 The Game at 3:45 p.m.

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

All-Time Regular Season Series: 1-7 Overall, 1-3 Home

Noteworthy: Omaha swept the four-match season series against the Rise last year. Grand Rapids has yet to win in Omaha but did claim a five-set home victory over the Supernovas to close out the 2024 regular season. Omaha responded by defeating the Rise in the 2024 championship match just six days later. This season, the Supernovas started 2-0 before dropping three straight, then evened their record with a 3-1 win at Indy on Saturday, Jan. 24. Omaha hosts the San Diego Mojo on Friday, Jan. 30, before traveling to Grand Rapids.

Last Time in Orlando: The Rise took the second and third sets in the season opener against the defending champion Valkyries, but Orlando responded by winning the final two sets for a home-opening victory on championship banner unveiling night. Reigning league MVP Brittany Abercrombie led all players with 27 points (24 kills, two aces, one block). The Rise were paced by newcomer opposite hitter Elizabet Inneh, who finished with 21 points (19 kills, two blocks).

Orlando held the edge in kills (64-59), assists (61-52), digs (107-85), and aces (7-1), while the Rise outblocked the Valkyries, 19-15.

PBR Player of the Week: Outside hitter Paige Briggs-Romine earned MLV Player of the Week honors after delivering the best performance of her three-year professional career in the Rise's 3-1 road win over San Diego on Jan. 23. She finished with a match-high 23 points and a career-best 22 kills while hitting .327. Briggs-Romine added 18 digs and recorded near-flawless passing numbers with 28 receptions and just one error (86% positive, 46% perfect), along with one service ace. On the season, Briggs-Romine leads the Rise in points (66) and kills (55), ranks second on the team in digs (54), and sits third in blocks (9).

It marked Briggs-Romine's second career Player of the Week honor, presented by Franklin Sports, and the sixth in Rise franchise history. She becomes the first Rise player to win the award twice and just the fifth player in league history to do so, joining Alisha Childress, Leah Edmond, Natalia Valentin-Anderson, and Sydney Hilley.

Ace Hat Trick: Fourth-round rookie middle blocker Hattie Bray recorded the seventh occurrence in Rise history with three or more aces against the Mojo on Jan. 23. Outside hitter Carli Snyder accounts for five of those performances, with the other coming from former setter Ashley Evans, now with the Columbus Fury. All previous occurrences happened in five-set matches, while Bray accomplished the feat in four sets.




Images from this story

Grand Rapids Rise celebrate vs. the San Diego Mojo
Grand Rapids Rise celebrate vs. the San Diego Mojo

(Ryan Young/San Diego Mojo)
  



Major League Volleyball Stories from January 28, 2026


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