GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Vibes were off at Van Andel Arena—and that’s alright with us.
The Grand Rapids Rise handed the Atlanta Vibe a loss for the second time Sunday— this time at home while adding a few match-highs to their already storied first season.
Taking the #1 spot in the league, the Rise took the first, second, and fifth sets.
Rise matched their longest points run of the season twice, setting match-highs with 72 kills, 64 assists, and 86 digs.
Marin Grote’s season-high 8 kills and 7 blocks plus Claire Chaussee’s 3 kills, a kill from Emiliya Dimitrova, and a block from Kayla Caffey effectively silenced the Vibe’s attempt to gain momentum in the first set.
The second set was a back-and-forth slug-fest—
The Rise set the pace going up 6-1, followed by a run by the Vibe that brought on two mid-game ties; 12-12 and 16-16. Symone Abbott’s ace and Dimitrova’s 10th kill upset the Vibe—heading into another 5-point run and a block from Dimitrova which closed the frame.
The Vibe stopped The Rise’s hopes of a sweep and fought their way back through the 3rd and 4th sets.
Dimitrova ended with a match-high of 26 kills and 22 digs, with only 3 attack errors, Chaussee walked away with a double-double, with 16 kills and 19 digs. Anna Lazareva’s Pro Volleyball Federation debut shined with 25 kills and 17 digs. Ashley Evans swapped in for Mac Podraza and finished the 4th set with 49 assists, 9 digs, and a block.
In their first-ever fifth set, the Rise brought in Camila Gomez who quickly helped the Rise go from being down 9-8 to leading 11-9. Dimitrova nabbed 3 of their final 4 points, ending the match 3-2.
The Rise now prep to face a 3-game, cross-country volley, taking on the San Diego Mojo on February 23 and March 4, with a trip to Orlando to face the Valkyries on March 1.
The Rise are now 3 and 1, while the Vibe are 4 and 2; both of their losses coming at the hands of the Grand Rapids Rise.
