Vibe Stumble at Home, Fall to Grand Rapids Rise in Straight Sets

The Atlanta Vibe (2-2) suffered a tough (3-0)loss at home Sunday evening, dropping a three-set match to the Grand Rapids Rise (1-3) at Gas South Arena. Despite their efforts, the Vibe were unable to close out crucial moments in each set, falling by scores of 23-25, 23-25, and 21-25.

Grand Rapids’ balanced attack and consistent service pressure proved decisive, as the Rise posted a team-hitting percentage of .245, outpacing the Vibe’s .194. Atlanta struggled to find rhythm, but middle blocker Khori Louis provided a bright spot, delivering five kills on ten attempts with zero errors. Louis’ .500 hitting efficiency was the highest on either side, demonstrating her ability to capitalize on opportunities at the net.

Setter Mia Tuaniga made her highly anticipated season debut for the Vibe, recording 12 assists and adding a well-timed kill in the third set. In the post-game press conference, Tuaniga reflected on her debut, expressing her admiration for the strong support from the Vibe’s fan base both on and off the court.

Despite moments of strong play, Atlanta was unable to counter the Rise’s service game, which kept the Vibe out of system and limited their good pass percentage to 44%, compared to Grand Rapids’ 53%. This edge in serve-and-pass allowed the Rise to control the tempo and close out the match in three competitive sets.

The Vibe will aim to regroup and bounce back on Thursday, January 23, when they face the Vegas Thrill at 7:00 p.m. ET at Gas South Arena. Tickets for this match and the remainder of the season are available now.

Will Atlanta respond with a stronger showing and capitalize on home-court advantage? Be there Thursday night to find out!