ORLANDO, Florida, March 1, 2026.- An intense four-set defensive battle in Orlando was decided by Alyssa Jensen’s match-high fifth block Sunday afternoon as the Grand Rapids Rise defeated the defending MLV champion Valkyries, 3-1, inside Addition Financial Arena.
The match-ending rejection sealed the Rise’s second road win this season by set scores of 25-22, 26-24, 21-25, 25-18. The Rise finished with six blocks (15-9) while the pesky Valkyries had four more digs (90-86). The Rise were also more efficient with a .207 hitting percentage compared to Orlando at .130.
Grand Rapids opened the match by scoring the first four points, capitalizing on three Orlando attack errors before Rise outside hitter Carli Snyder recorded the team’s first kill. The Rise extended their lead to five points at 13-8 after an ace from setter Camryn Turner, who made her second consecutive start. The advantage grew to six at 20-14 on opposite hitter Elizabet Inneh’s first kill, as she returned to action after missing the previous five matches due to injury.
Out of a timely timeout, the Valkyries answered with a 5-0 run to pull within one, 20-19. Clinging to a 23-22 lead, Grand Rapids closed out the opening frame as MLV ace leader Natalie Foster committed a rare service error for Orlando, followed by a kill from middle blocker Leah Meyer.
Meyer finished with a season-high 13 kills while hitting .333. She did much of her damage in the second set, recording six kills on just eight swings (.750).
Rise libero Morgan Hentz recorded 11 of her 25 digs in the opening set. Her 25 digs marked the second-most in a four-set Rise match and ranked fifth all-time in franchise history.
A back-and-forth second set saw the Valkyries take an early 8-5 lead. The Rise responded to move in front, 16-15, and later built a 20-16 advantage before Orlando rallied to tie the score at 22-22 and eventually earned a set point at 24-23.
Grand Rapids scored the next three points on a Snyder kill, a Jensen block, and an Orlando attack error. The 26-24 second set victory marked just the third time in 14 occasions this season that the Rise have won a set decided by two points.
The Valkyries, determined not to be swept for the first time this season, won the third set 25-21 behind 29 digs, five blocks, and a .189 hitting percentage. Orlando setter Pornpun Guedpard had three kills on three attack attempts, eight digs, and 13 assists in the frame.
The four set was decided early with the Rise winning 11 out of the first 15 points, including a 6-0 run that featured multiple Orlando attack errors and more kills from Meyer.
Rise outside hitter Alexis Shelton then entered the match and made a significant impact with five kills (.444) and two blocks in just over half a set of action. Her two blocks bookended an Orlando timeout, helping push the Rise lead to a commanding 21-13 advantage.
Shelton scored five of the final seven Rise points to close out the set, 25-18, and match, 3-1.
Next, Grand Rapids (4-9) go up against Omaha Supernovas on Saturday March 7, while Orlando (7-7) play Columbus Fury on Thursday March 5.
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