Rise survives top-seeded Atlanta in five-set thriller to advance to PVF championship match

OMAHA — Seeds are just a number, right?

In the first-ever semifinal in Pro Volleyball Federation history, four-seeded Grand Rapids Rise upset No. 1-seeded Atlanta Vibe in five sets (25-20, 19-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-8) to advance to the championship match.

“It was a great game,” said head coach Cathy George after the victory. “Two great teams had to compete to advance. Really excited about this opportunity for our team, worked really hard all year to get to this position and had continued growth throughout the year despite some failures and some adversity, we just kept bouncing back.

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The Rise fell behind early in the first set, giving up the first three points, and trailed 14-10 later. However, an 8-1 run gave Grand Rapids its first lead of the game. The Rise scored four consecutive points to widen the gap at the end of the set and went on a 4-1 run to close the set, with GR winning 25-20.

The start of the second set was much more even, although the Vibe gained a small advantage by scoring three consecutive points to take an 11-8 lead. Grand Rapids came to tie the score, but a 5-2 run put Atlanta up 18-14. The Vibe kept their foot on the gas and pulled away to win the set, 25-19.

The Rise soared to start set 3, scoring five of the first six points. It looked like they were about to go up 6-1, but a video gave the Vibe the point. Grand Rapids did its best to keep the distance between them and Atlanta, but a 5-0 run by the Vibe tied the score at 11. Another run for the Rise gave them a 17-13 lead, and although Atlanta fought to keep it. Close, a 4-1 run helped GR win the match, 25-20.

The fourth set was as back and forth as it gets. The teams traded the first 28 points, with the Rise eventually taking a two-point lead at 16-14. The Vibe rebounded and took a 22-20 lead, and while the Rise came back to tie the set, Atlanta took the match, 25-23.

Similar to the third set, The Rise took control early in the fifth and deciding frame, taking a 7-2 lead. As the Vibe slowly got back into the set, Grand Rapids kept their distance and eventually took the match with a 15-8 victory.

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Captain Emiliya Dimitrova also had an excellent performance, despite a slow start, collecting 19 kills and 11 digs. She says this playoffs are the most important to her, because it’s the last one.

“This team, these girls, these coaches,” Dimitrova said. “All of this pushed me to get more involved in volleyball. The atmosphere (in Omaha), there is no other country that loves volleyball as much.

Claire Chaussee, who turned 24 on Wednesday, led the Rise with 22 kills, reaching the 20 kill mark for the ninth time this season. The second-year pro recorded a double-double with 10 digs.

Ashley Evans was the third Rise player to record a double-double with 54 assists and 16 digs. She said the team’s aggression and composure were key to defeating the Vibe.

“We knew it was going to be a battle,” Evans said. “We didn’t expect to come out of here, 3-0. We have a mindset…take it one point at a time. I’m so proud of the way we fought and we knew all the pressure was on (Atlanta). We knew we could play freely, and that’s what we did today.

Anna Lazareva led the Vibe with 17 kills, while Leah Edmond had just 13.

While players across the roster made big plays throughout the game, the Bolt6 video review system was instrumental for the Rise, as a number of reviews went in favor of Grand Rapids, including a few points in the final set. George admitted that these moments were essential to Rise’s victory.

“It was great for us,” George said. “Especially in pivotal moments. Really, it switched 2-3 times in the last set, and it worked for us. It definitely made a difference.”

The Rise are the first Western Michigan team to play for a championship since the Grand Rapids Griffins won the AHL Calder Cup in 2017.

Grand Rapids will face the winner of the second semifinal, while the second-seeded Omaha Supernovas will face the No. 1. 3rd seed San Diego Mojo. First serve of the Million-Dollar Match is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET.

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Find the PVF rankings and results here