GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Rise started mini camp this week head of their inaugural season that will start in January. The pro volleyball team hosted fans at Van Andel Arena on Thursday for a youth camp and open practice.
Girls from across west Michigan were welcomed in to learn from the team. They spent two hours on the court with the Rise before it was the teams time to practice.
Head Coach Cathy George talked through the team drills and spoke about the talent that they have on their roster this year.
"The talent is very good. We have to work on some things and get a little rust off here and there but they really did, from day one, showed great improvement. I'm just excited to see how far some of them have come and where they're at," said George.
Cathy was the volleyball coach at Michigan State for 17 years and also coached at Western Michigan University from 1994 until 2004.
Holland native, Alyssa Garvelink-Jensen, never thought that she would play for Cathy again after finishing her college career at MSU.
"Honestly it's dream come true. Just playing with them again. I loved playing under Cathy. Holly and I are the same age so we played all four years together at Michigan State and had a great time. We went through a lot of great experiences together so it's awesome," said Jensen.
Holly Toliver was her teammate in East Lansing and grew up in Berrien Springs. She has played pro for a few seasons but now is getting to do it in the U.S.
"I think everybody that she picked is very cohesive. Everyone is easy going. It's still early, tensions can run high in the season but I think everyone is great and she (Cathy) did a great job at picking the team," said Toliver.
The Rise's first game will be on January 25th, 2024.
