Rise Welcome Vegas to Van Andel Arena for First Time this Season

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PVF Grand Rapids Rise

Rise Welcome Vegas to Van Andel Arena for First Time this Season

March 20, 2025 - Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF)
Grand Rapids Rise News Release


Grand Rapids Rise huddle after a point
Grand Rapids Rise huddle after a point
(Grand Rapids Rise, Credit: Nicolas Carrillo)

This Week's Match

RISE (7-10) vs. Vegas Thrill (7-9) // Thu., March 20 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena

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

Watch: WXSP-TV and VBTV at 7 p.m.

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

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

Noteworthy: Grand Rapids is in the middle of a four-match homestand as it hosts the Thrill for the first time this season. In the two matches played in Vegas, the results were split, with the Thrill winning the season-opener on Jan. 10 with a reverse sweep and the Rise avenged the loss with a 3-0 road win on March 2. Vegas has lost seven straight matches after starting the season 7-2, while the Rise enter on a two-match losing streak.

What Happens in Vegas: As both matches in Vegas have already been played this season, here's a quick recap of the two action-packed affairs:

Jan. 10: The Rise lost to the Thrill in a dramatic 3-2 reverse sweep during their season opener. Leading 2-0, Grand Rapids was overtaken as Vegas rallied behind Alisha Childress, who set a PVF single-match record with 72 assists. Carli Snyder had 16 kills for the Rise, while Charitie Luper (18 kills), Hannah Maddux (13), and Lauren Jardine (13) led Vegas.

March 2: The Rise bounced back with a dominant 3-0 win, snapping a five-match losing streak. Grand Rapids set a new PVF record with 18 blocks in a three-set match. Erika Pritchard, playing as an opposite hitter, led the Rise with 16 points, and Ali Bastianelli added five blocks. The Rise hit .257 and held Vegas to just .085. With set scores of 25-18, 25-17, 25-23, Grand Rapids earned its third sweep of the season.

Grand Rapids is 3-1 all-time in Vegas and holds a 16-10 edge in sets won and a 590-557 advantage in total points across all matchups. This season, the Rise lead 5-3 in sets won and 182-164 in points scored.

Otec to Active Roster: On Wednesday evening, the Rise activated libero Jena Otec to the active roster and sent Valeria León to the team's practice squad. Otec started the first three matches of the season before spending two stints on the practice squad. Otec last played on Feb. 15 at Orlando. She had a season-high 12 digs in the Rise season-opener against Vegas on Jan. 10. León has featured in seven matches (13 sets) this season, recording eight digs and an assist.

Snyder Breaks Rise Ace Record: With two aces against the Indy Ignite on March 15, Snyder set a franchise record for most aces in a single season, reaching 18. She surpassed teammate Marin Grote, who had 17 aces in the 2024 inaugural season. Grote still holds the Rise career record with 21 aces, while Snyder is now four behind. Snyder currently ranks third in the league with 18 aces, trailing Orlando's Natalie Foster (38) and Atlanta's Leah Edmond (33).




Images from this story

Grand Rapids Rise huddle after a point
Grand Rapids Rise huddle after a point
(Nicolas Carrillo)		   

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