PVF Grand Rapids Rise

Rise Road Trip Moves on to Vegas, Omaha

March 25, 2024 - Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF)
Grand Rapids Rise News Release


Grand Rapids Rise setter Ashley Evans
Grand Rapids Rise setter Ashley Evans
(Grand Rapids Rise, Credit: Nicolas Carrillo)

This Week's Matches

RISE (5-5) at Vegas Thrill (5-8) // Tue., March 26 // 10 p.m. EST // Dollar Loan Arena

Watch: YouTube at 10 p.m.

Season Series: 0-1 Overall, 0-0 Away. Second of four meetings overall, first of two at Dollar Loan Arena

Noteworthy: Grand Rapids is aiming to avenge a 3-2 home loss against Vegas on March 20. The Rise won the first two sets 25-21 before dropping the last three: 21-25, 16-25, and 12-15. The Thrill are also looking to bounce back after getting swept at home by the San Diego Mojo on Sunday, March 24.

RISE at Omaha Supernovas (8-4) // Thu., March 28 // 8 p.m. EST // CHI Health Center

Watch: YouTube at 8 p.m.

Season Series: 0-1 Overall, 0-0 Away. Second of four meetings overall, first of two at CHI Health Center

Noteworthy: Grand Rapids concludes a stretch of three consecutive road matches. Omaha defeated the Rise at Van Andel Arena on Feb. 12 in four sets by scores of 21-25, 33-31, 30-28, 25-21. The Supernovas have won four of their last five matches with three wins over Orlando and a road sweep in Atlanta.

What Happens in Vegas...: The Rise's sibling team in the DP Fox Sports organization, the Grand Rapids Griffins, play in the American Hockey League's Western Conference along with the Henderson Silver Knights, who share a home with the Vegas Thrill at Dollar Loan Center. Despite the Silver Knights having joined the AHL in 2020, the Griffins have never faced Henderson on the ice, making the Rise the first of the two franchises to play at the Dollar Loan Center. The arena is also home to the G League Ignite, rivals of the Grand Rapids Gold, who like the Rise and Griffins call Van Andel Arena their home.

Reversing the Reverse: The Vegas Thrill turned the tables against the Rise on March 17 by becoming the first Pro Volleyball Federation team to complete a reverse sweep - losing the first two sets before winning the next three. Grand Rapids looked in control after taking the first two frames by the same score of 25-21, with the Rise hitting .357 across the two sets. Vegas scored the first four points of the third set and never looked back.

The Thrill locked in defensively and held the Rise to a .174 hitting percentage across the last three sets. Vegas had 12 of its 17 blocks in sets three, four, and five. Vegas middle blocker Layne Van Buskirk registered six blocks alone for the most rejections any opposing player has had against the Rise this season.

Beware of Late-Match Sets: Jumping out to early set leads has been the standard for the Rise this season, while closing matches out has been a challenge at times. Here is how Grand Rapids has fared across the different sets:

*First Set: 8-2 with a +44 point differential (254-210); *Second Set: 6-4 with a +2 point differential (236-234); *Third Set: 3-7 with a -9 point differential (236-245); *Fourth Set: 4-5 with a -9 point differential (215-224); *Fifth Set: 1-2 with a -5 point differential (36-41).

The Rise have won their last four opening sets and, opposite to the trend, have claimed three out of their last four sets in the fourth frame. For the season, Grand Rapids has a +23 point differential (977-954) and is 22-20 across all sets played.

Rising to the Occasion: Reliable Rise opposite hitter Emiliya Dimitrova took over the fourth set against the Columbus Fury on March 20 with seven kills, six digs, and a block in the final frame. Dimitrova finished with 28 points (23 kills, four blocks, and an ace) for the third-most points by a Rise player in a single match this season. Dimitrova also holds the top two spots with 30 points at Orlando on March 1 and 29 points against Atlanta on Feb. 18.

The 17-year veteran continues to shine when Grand Rapids needs her the most. Dimitrova has converted the most Rise set points this season, closing out seven different frames. Marin Grote and Claire Chaussee are tied for second with three set-point conversions.




Images from this story

Grand Rapids Rise setter Ashley Evans
Grand Rapids Rise setter Ashley Evans
(Nicolas Carrillo)		   



Pro Volleyball Federation Stories from March 25, 2024


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