GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, April 22, 2026.- Keeping its playoff aspirations on the upswing, the Grand Rapids Rise outlasted the Atlanta Vibe in five sets Wednesday night at Van Andel Arena. The fifth straight victory — a franchise record — moved the Rise within one match of the final playoff spot with two matches remaining while eliminating Atlanta from playoff contention in the process.
Grand Rapids won by set scores of 21-25, 25-19, 25-17, 23-25, 15-10. The Rise improved to 12-14 overall and need to pass either the San Diego Mojo (13-11) or the Omaha Supernovas (13-13) to reach the four-team postseason for the second time in franchise history.
The Rise picked up their third five-set win of the season, all of which have come at home. For a fifth time this season — and fourth time at home — Grand Rapids turned a 0-1 deficit into a come-from-behind win.
Atlanta snapped a nine-set losing streak by claiming the opening set, 25-21. The Rise held a one-point lead at the media timeout following a kill from middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan, 16-15, but the Vibe pulled away with a 5-0 run after the score was tied at 17-17. Leah Edmond, the 2024 league MVP, recorded six kills for Atlanta as the Vibe hit .316 as a team and totaled 22 digs in the set.
Grand Rapids used its own 5-0 run late in the second set to even the match at one set apiece. Trailing 16-15, the Rise got everyone involved with a setter dump from Camryn Turner, an ace from reigning MLV Player of the Week Carli Snyder, the first block of the night by Elizabet Inneh, and a kill from Paige Briggs-Romine. Set point also belonged to Briggs-Romine, who finished the frame with her team-leading ninth kill of the contest, 25-19.
Briggs-Romine finished the match with her team-leading 18th double-double of the season with 16 kills (.156) and 11 digs.
The Rise controlled the third set with a .333 team attack efficiency. The offense was balanced, with four players recording three or more kills while hitting .333 or better. Inneh led the group with four kills at .444, while Alhassan posted three kills at .600. Berkeley Oblad, off the bench, added three more kills at .500, and Snyder picked up three at .333.
A fortunate dig off Turner’s foot on set point sent the ball back over the net for the winner, 25-17, drawing shocked reactions and a few incredulous laughs as the Rise moved ahead 2-1 after dropping the opening frame. Turner recorded a match-high 22 digs to go along with 50 assists.
Grand Rapids held a 17-14 lead in the fourth set after an ace from Briggs-Romine, but Atlanta responded with three straight points to take a 21-19 edge entering crunch time. Back-to-back kills from Alhassan, followed by another from Briggs-Romine, swung the lead back to the Rise at 22-21.
Still down 23-22, the Vibe closed out the set with another 3-0 spurt, aided by two Rise miscues and a set-winning block from Aiko Jones — her second block to end a set in the match. Jones and Edmond both finished with a team-high 17 kills for the Vibe. Jones also had four blocks.
The all-deciding fifth set was last tied at 5-5. Grand Rapids scored six of the next eight points to take control for good. Rise newcomer Danielle Harbin chipped in two kills in the frame, a block from Turner brought the Rise to match point, and Oblad closed it out with her seventh kill, 15-10.
Snyder paced the Rise with a team-high 19 points on 17 kills while hitting .333, including five kills in the fifth set alone at a .625 clip. She also collected 17 digs. Snyder’s former Florida teammate Alhassan match her season high with 13 kills (.500), while also contributing five digs, four blocks, an assist, and an ace.
On Saturday, Grand Rapids will face Orlando Valkyries at 7:00 p.m. Atlanta returns to Gas South Arena Sunday at 3 PM ET for the team’s final home match of the season against the Indy Ignite.
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