Vegas Thrill Snaps Season-Long Seven-Match Losing Streak with a Four-Set Triumph over the Grand Rapids Rise

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Vegas Thrill Snaps Season-Long Seven-Match Losing Streak with a Four-Set Triumph over the Grand Rapids Rise

March 21, 2025 - Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF)
Vegas Thrill News Release


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Vegas Thrill (8-9) snapped its season-long seven-match losing streak with a four-set triumph (29-31, 27-25, 25-22, 27-25) over the Grand Rapids Rise (7-11) on Thursday night at Van Andel Arena. Vegas has now matched its win total (8) from last season with 11 regular season matches remaining.

Set 1

The opening set saw both teams exchange points and leads, with Vegas taking a 16-13 lead entering the media timeout. The Thrill's three-point lead during the media timeout was their largest entering the timeout. Charitie Luper was firing on all cylinders, as was Hannah Maddux, as the duo collected numerous kills. A 3-0 run which saw a Maddux kill, a Grand Rapids setting error and a Luper block put Vegas up 22-18. Setter Alisha Childress of the Thrill put them up 24-19 with a kill of her own, however, the Rise went on a clutch 5-0 run to tie the set, 24-24. Both squads would go back-and-forth exchanging points in a battle for the set one win, with Grand Rapids coming away with a 31-29 win. Maddux garnered eight kills, Luper tallied six kills and four digs and Childress put up 19 assists on eight digs.

Set 2

The second set was yet another back-and-forth battle as Vegas went up 7-4, with Maddux recording her 10th kill of the match. Camryn Hannah put down a kill to add to the Vegas lead, 12-8, however, a Vegas error resulted in a tied set, 14-14. Grand Rapids earned their second lead of the set, 17-16, after a Carli Snyder kill, and looked as if they would run away with the set with a 22-19 cushion. The Thrill responded with kills from Luper and Willow Johnson to cut the deficit to one, 22-21. A 3-0 Thrill run put them up 24-23 thanks to a pair of Luper kills and a Johnson kill. A Maddux service error tied the set at 24-24, and with the set tied 25-25, Luper delivered with two kills for a 27-25 set two triumph. The rookie outside hitter posted six kills, while libero Mary Shroll tallied 12 digs.

Set 3

Luper carried her momentum from set two to set three as the Dallas, Texas native tied the set, 8-8, with her third kill of the set. A long rally that resulted in a Berkeley Oblad kill put the Thrill up 10-8. It looked as though the Rise would storm back after a couple of runs in the middle of the set, but Vegas came through with a 3-0 that put them up 18-14. That run saw Johnson and Morgan Stout capture kills and Luper earn a service ace. Maddux ended a long rally with a kill for a 21-17 advantage before Grand Rapids called a timeout. Just like Luper did to end the second set, she clinched the set three victory with a kill for a 25-22 win. Luper earned five kills, while Carly Graham stepped in and produced 10 assists.

Set 4

Grand Rapids stepped up to begin the fourth set with a 6-3 lead, but a Rise service and attack errors and an Oblad service ace tied it up. 6-6. The Rise went on a 3-0 run to up their lead to 14-10, but the Thrill went on a solid 3-0 run to cut the deficit to one, 14-13. Another Vegas 3-0 run tied the set at 16-16 thanks to a Rise service error, a Maddux kill and a Luper kill, her 19th of the match. The Rise made things interesting by attacking the Thrill often in the second half of the set as the home team earned a 21-19 advantage. A Paige Briggs-Romine kill put Grand Rapids up 23-21, but two straight Vegas points tied the set, 23-23, thanks to a couple of Rise attack errors. Grand Rapids' Ali Bastianelli captured a kill for a 24-23 lead, but Luper responded with a kill of her own to tie the set, 24-24. After both teams exchanged points for a 25-25 tie, Vegas scored the final two points off an unsuccessful Grand Rapids challenge and a Maddux kill for a 27-25 set four and match victory. Key Stats The Thrill were paced by Luper's career-high 23 kills with nine digs, one assist and one service ace on a .360 hitting percentage. Maddux added 18 kills, five digs and one block, Shroll put together a career-high 21 digs and six assists and Childress captured her team-leading 12th double-double of the season with 29 assists and 11 digs. The Rise were led by Briggs-Romine's 12 kills, 16 digs, one solo block and one service ace. Naya Shime added 12 kills of her own with eight digs and one solo block and setter August Raskie collected 32 assists, seven digs and two solo blocks.

NEXT FOR THE THRILL: Vegas will remain on the road where they will face the defending champion Omaha Supernovas on Friday, March 28 at 7 p.m. CT on YouTube.

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