If nothing else, the Professional Volleyball Federation has change into unpredictable on the finish of its first season, and Wednesday’s semifinals punctuated that.
And now the Grand Rapids Rise and Omaha Supernovas will play Saturday, not just for the inaugural league title, however for the $1 million prize that goes with it.
The fourth-seeded Rise knocked out the top-seeded Atlanta Vibe within the first semifinal in 5 units Omaha’s CHI Middle after which the second-seeded Supernovas pulled off a reverse sweep to beat the third-seeded San Diego Mojo.
Grand Rapids rises to title match
Claire Chaussee, as she has executed all season, led Grand Rapids with 22 kills to go together with 10 digs and 4 block assists in its 25-20, 19-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-8.
“This topped all of the birthdays I’ve ever had,” stated Chaussee, who turned 24 on Wednesday. “It was the most effective birthday and my want got here true.”
Emiliya Dimitrova had 19 kills, three assists, 12 digs and 4 block assists. Erika Pritchard added 15 kills, 9 digs and two blocks, one solo. Kayla Caffey had 10 kills with two errors in 21 assaults, 5 digs and 7 blocks, one solo. Marin Grote had 4 kills, three digs and 7 blocks, 4 solo.
Setter Ashley Evans had 54 assists, a kill, 16 digs and 6 blocks, two solo. Camila Gomez added 13 digs and three assists.
“I’m so pleased with how arduous we fought. We knew all of the stress was on them, having the most effective document within the league, and so they hadn’t had a sport in two weeks,” Evans stated. “They have been extraordinarily rested, however all of the stress was on them to get the job executed andwe knew we might get the job executed if we performed freely and that’s precisely what we did.”
The Rise had no aces and 14 serving errors as they improved to 13-12. Grand Rapids is 4-4 in five-setters and have become the one staff to have a profitable document towards the Vibe (3-2).
“That was an amazing match and two nice groups needed to battle it out with a purpose to advance,” Rise coach Cathy George stated. “I believed our staff did a terrific job with composure. There have been occasions we obtained slightly out of that, however got here proper again into it and it actually paid off. And we caught collectively.”
Atlanta completed 19-6 after profitable the common season by three video games over Omaha.
Anna Lazerava led the Vibe with 17 kills, 9 digs, an help and 5 blocks, one solo. Leah Edmond added 13 kills, 13 digs and three blocks, two solo. Marlie Monserez had 42 assists, a kill, eight digs and 5 block assists. Morgan Hentz had 16 digs and 5 assists. Atlanta had one ace, by Member Leketor-Meneh, who had 5 kills, 9 digs and three blocks, two solo.
Omaha advances the arduous manner
The Supernovas could also be 17-8, however they’re 1-0 in reverse sweeps after their 20-25, 16-25, 25-18, 25-8, 15-11 victory on their dwelling court docket.
“You might inform once we got here out within the third set we sort of forgot concerning the first two,” Omaha setter Sydney Hilley stated. “We performed with much more freedom and pleasure.”
Stephanie Samedy tied the league finest with 30 kills and hit .410. Samedy had an ace, 5 digs and 6 blocks, two solo. Bethania De La Cruz, who had the earlier Omaha finest with 26 kills, had 11 kills, two aces, 19 digs and three block assists.
Brooke Nuneviller had 15 kills, an ace, an help, 20 digs and 4 blocks, one solo. Tori Dixon added seven kills, an ace, a dig and 6 blocks, three solo. Hristina Vuchkova had 4 kills, a dig and 7 blocks, three solo.
Hilley had 46 assists, 9 digs, a block help and a kill. Kendall White had 11 digs and three assists.
“I’m so pleased with this staff and their resilience,” Omaha coach Chook Kuhn stated. “I do know I’ve stated it rather a lot through the press conferences, however they like wrote the definition of it tonight in the way in which they fought, the modifications they make and the way they’re seamless after they are available for one another.”
San Diego (13-12) shocked the league the previous few weeks with its late-season surge to not solely make the playoffs, however get the No. 3 seed. Temi Thomas-Ailara and Lindsay Vander Weide had 11 kills apiece. Vander Weide, final week’s PVF participant of the week, had an help, 14 digs, an ace and a block help. Thomas-Ailara additionally had an ace to go together with 9 digs and eight blocks, three solo.
Setter Nootsara Tomkom had 39 assists, 18 digs and three block assists.
PVF season awards
The league will title its participant of the 12 months and coach of the 12 months Thursday night time, but it surely has introduced its all-league staff and winner of varied awards. Among the many winners have been Edmond, Tomkom, Hentz, Dimitrova and De La Cruz.
Click on right here for the entire checklist.
