Grand Rapids Rises to the occasion in home opening win over Fury

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Rise didn't give up after trailing most of the night, and walked away with a home-opening win against the Columbus Fury at Van Andel Arena.

Early on, the Fury's front line proved too much for the Rise to overcome. Columbus took the opening set and also led 2 sets to 1. The Rise also trailed in the fifth set, 6-1, but rallied to win it, 15-12, and the match, three sets to two.

Grand Rapids took the final two sets, much to the delight of the partisan crowd of more than 6,000 fans.

The Rise rose to the occasion, capped off by Carli Snyder's bomb in the back corner to end the match. She led the team with 19 points. Rhamat Alhassan had a fantastic night, with 17 tallies.

"I really like the fact that we were even down in Game 5 and came to win, which is what you have to have if you want to be a championship team," Head Coach Cathy George said in a post-game radio interview on 96.1 The Game.

She credited the vocal home fans for firing up her team.

"It really was giving us the extra boost," she said.

Grand Rapids gets its first win of the season to improve to 1-2 after losing the first two games of the season on the road. The Fury fall to 1-2.

George and her Rise squad have nine days to rest up before their next match in nine days at San Diego on January 23, at 7 p.m.

[Photos by Steve Katerberg; written report by James Gemmell]

1st Set: The match gets underway at 7:06 p.m. Despite the 24mph winds and a wind chill of 3, a dent turnout at Van Andel Arena for the Grand Rapids Rise home opener against the Columbus Fury. Most of the lower bowel is filled.

The game is being called by Dan Hasty with Katie Olson on 96.1 The Game in G.R..

The Fury are 1-1 on the young season under head coach Angel Perez, and Grand Rapids (0-2) is looking for its first win. The Rise will be off for nine days before their next match at San Diego on January 23.

The Fury take an early 7-4 lead, but the Rise take a 9-7 lead after a series of quality sets and blocks. Rhamat Alhassan with a slam gave Grand Rapids its first lead of the year.

The middles playing well for GR. Raina Terry hits one out of bounds, and the Rise rally continues.

{7:16pm} Now, Abby Walker knocks one home for the Fury and it's 12-11 Grand Rapids, with Columbus now mounting a rally of its own with three straight points.

{7:18pm} A timeout now, with the Rise leading the opening set, 16-14.

{7:21} After timeout, Megan Lush makes her presence felt with a hammer fist tally. The first set is tied at 18-18.

{7:23} Columbus takes the lead swinging down the line, with Taylor Fricano leading the way. 21-19 for the Fury, which tends to play close contests. A timeout called by Columbus.

[7:27} A big block and a point for Grand Rapids, but the Fury are challenging the call. But they lose the challenge

{7:28} A high-jumping power spike by Carli Snyder brings the crowd to life and it's 21-21. Raina Terry tallied off an unforced error, and the Fury go up 24-22. But she's blocked on the next play. Snyder harkening memories of Air Claire Shaussee with her high leaps and spikes.

But the Fury take the opening set, 25-23, when a Grand Rapids hit by Snyder lands just past the end line. Simon led the way for GR with 5 points. Saige had 7 assists.

2nd Set: Saige Ka'aha'aina-Torres gets the second set off to a good start with a monster slam. Rhamat Alhassan continues to shine, scoring two straight points. GR with the early 6-2 lead.

For Rise player Ashley Evans scores for Columbus to pull the Fury to within three points at 9-6.

Rhamat Alhassan starting to take over for Grand Rapids in set number 2, and the Fury call time out trailing GR, 11-6. The 6'4" middle blocker is controlling the center, frustrating the Fury.

{7:47pm} Elizabet Inneh setting up several Rise points with precision passing from the back row. The Fury hit one out of bounds and Grand Rapids expands its lead to 16-8.

[7:50pm} Paige Briggs-Romine with a nice hit form the left boundary line to give GR a 17-8 lead: their largest lead of the match.

[7:51] Columbus wins a challenge by GR that a ball hit out of play hit Abby Walker's hand, but that is rejected after a video review. The Fury brings in Kashauna Williams off the bench in an effort to boost Columbus's serving game. It's 20-13 in GR's favor.

{7:55} Carli Snyder's return to Grand Rapids is paying dividends for the Rise. After she scores, Leah Meyer swings and tallies for the Rise to make it 21-13.

Grand Rapids expands its lead to 23-15 a moment later, but Meyer hits one into the net to give the Fury a point. Briggs-Romine counters with a score to make it 24-16. Elizabet Inneh with a big block and now it's set point.

{7:57pm] Grand Rapids gets it done, taking the second set 25-17. Briggs-Romine sets up the set winner. The match is tied at a set apiece.

3rd Set: The Fury get off to a 4-2 lead in the third set. Regan Pittman-Nelson blocks a Rise shot. Leah Meyer with a quick block at the net takes Columbus by surprise. 6-6 is the score

[8:14pm] Oglivie sets one up for Meyer, but it's a tad off and Columbus goes up, 10-8. Paige Briggs-Romine scores for GR and Rhamat Alhassan returns to the court. The Furty's Regan Pittman-Nelson having success with the slide play for the Fury, who go up 13-8. Alhassan with a very high jump to tap the ball over the Fury's front line. Kashauna Williams with a big block - just moments after coming off the bench - for Columbus and it's 14-9 Fury.

[8:20} After the timeout, Grand Rapids is trying to get the momentum back. But Raina Terry with a slam for the Fury and it's 15-12. Back-to-back aces by Eliabet Inneh pulls GR to with 16-13.

{8:25} Coming out of a timeout, the Rise and Fury trade scores and it's Columbus leading 17-15. The Fury have been strong on the front line, and score another point off a net-front block. Megan Lush adds a point and the lead is 19-15 with GR needing to rally. Rise head coach Cathy George calls a timeout to talk it over. The 1985 Illinois State graduate has to motivate her troops to rally to prevent the Rise from starting the season 0-3.

The Fury hit one out and Meyer knocks one out of bounds. A double substitution for the Rise with setter Camryn Turner coming in off the bench as a setter for the Rise.

It seems to help. Lauren Jardine-Clark scores for Grand Rapids but it's match point for the Fury, 24-19. After a minute-long back and forth with some sliding saves by Grand Rapids, the Fury's net-front strength proves the difference, giving Columbus the set, 25-19. The Fury lead two sets to one. Carli Snyder has 13 points through three sets - including 11 kills - and Elizabt Inneh has 9 points.

4th Set: The crowd gets into it, as Grand Rapids. Ashley Evans with a brilliant defense play for the Fury off a pancake play that had to be video-reviewed on a challenge. It's 11-10 Grand Rapids. Rhamat Alhassan gives Grand Rapids the lead with a hit inside the line. The Rise showing some grit with their backs to the wall, down 2 sets to 1.

{8:46pm} Inneh and Alhassan leading the Rise resurgence. A timeout with GR up 16-12 moments after the set was tied at 10-10. Another double-substitutions by the Fury so they have three front-line hitters. Leah Myer with a terrific first game for the Rise.

{8:53} The Fury have made a lot of unforced errors in this set; something they didn't do earlier. Grand Rapids takes a commanding 24-16 lead with Carli Snyder making her presence felt from the back row. Paige Briggs-Romine with some clutch plays, and the Rise have taken it to set point, 24-17.

[8:56} The Fury rally to make it 24-21, and the crowd starts chanting, "Let's Go Rise!" Grand Rapids responds for a 25-21 fourth-set win on a power hit by Rhamat Alhassen. The match is tied at two sets apiece. Carli Snyder has 14 points to lead the Rise while Leah Meyer and Alhassan have 13.

5th Set: The Grand Rapids Rise had been behind all night, trailing 1 set to none and then 2 sets to 1. But now it's tied at two sets apiece and the deciding fifth set is underway at 9 p.m.

{9:04} The Fury take a 4-0 lead and that's a big hole, considering the first team to 15 points win the set and match Raina Terry has come to life, setting up the middle and relieving pressure for Columbus. A big block for Grand Rapids, but the Fury respond and now it's 7-3.

{9:06} Grand Rapids brings in Camila Gomez as a substitute on defense. She's back in GR after playing for Omaha last year. Carli Snyder with a great service point, but she hits the next serve into the net. A timeout with Columbus leading 8-5.

[9:10} The Fury were up four points, but Grand Rapids with a "fury-ous" rally to take a 12-11 lead. A slam in the back corner of the court and the crowd is getting very loud at Van Andel Arena. A great slide save and, after some bac-and-forth over the net, the Rise make it 13-12. The Fury score but make a major mistake on a communication error. A moment later, it's 14-12 a Rhamat Alhassen with a slam and now it's nd set and match point for Grand Rapids. The Rise win, 15-12 - a stunning comeback to win their first match of the season. Carli Snyder with the deciding score with a power strike to the back corner of the court.

--------------Game Notes

On January 25, 2025, the Grand Rapids Rise won their inaugural match against the Columbus Fury by set scores of 25-17, 25-23, 25-19. The game was a sellout, with an attendance of 7,805. The Rise lost to Omaha in the Pro VolleyBall Federation's first championship match at the end of that first season.

Winning Wednesday: Every time the Rise win at home on Wednesday, each fan in attendance can redeem a free ticket to the next Wednesday match. On the last Winning Wednesday on April 22, fans in attendance will have the chance to win prizes throughout the match.

The Rise lost their home opener last year, 3-0, to Omaha.

It was two years ago this month that Grand Rapids launched its inaugural season as a founding member of the Pro Volleyball Federation. On December 5, 2022, Grand Rapids was announced as the first city to get a franchise in the new league.