Bittersweet 'W' for Thrill
PVF: Vegas team fails to stay alive in playoff race; Novas deal Rise damaging loss
The Vegas Thrill won the war on Thursday night against the Indy Ignite, but lost the battle that mattered most in the big picture.
The visiting Thrill needed a four-set victory to remain alive in the Pro Volleyball Federation postseason hunt — and they appeared on the verge of doing just that. They held a 17-10 advantage in the fourth and served for match point four times but couldn’t score the clincher.
The Ignite ate into the mid-set deficit with a five-point surge that brought the count to 18-17. Finally, two unforced errors — a miscommunication by the Thrill that allowed a dug ball to fall untouched in the middle of the court and Adora Anae’s errant spike — handed the set to the Ignite 31-29.
Having been eliminated from the playoffs, the Thrill (9-14) played with nothing to lose in the tiebreaker … and won it 15-12 after building a 13-7 cushion. Hannah Maddux closed out the match with a booming first-ball-sideout kill, one of her 13 on the night after entering as a sub at the start of the second set.
The Ignite (12-11), sitting in fourth place, absorbed a loss they didn’t need, mitigated somewhat when their closest pursuer, the Grand Rapids Rise, fell to 10-14 after being swept by the first-place Omaha Supernovas on Thursday night. The Ignite and Rise clash in a Saturday matinee in Grand Rapids (CBS Sports Network, noon). In their last meeting on April 12, the visiting Rise won a five-setter.
Thrill Coach “Monchito” Hernandez Cruz made lineup changes that gave his club a lift, particularly the insertion of rookie Lauren Jardine at opposite during the first set. The high-flying Jardine had not gotten regular court time since the early season, but was unstoppable at times on Thursday, racking up 19 kills from all angles — being particularly effective from the back-row middle — on 44 attempts against five errors (.318). She added an ace, three blocks and six digs.
Middle blocker Layne Van Buskirk was activated from the practice squad on April 12 and got the start — and 24 swings — against the Ignite. The 6-foot-4 veteran registered 14 kills on .500 efficiency, an ace, three blocks and three digs. Setter Carly Graham came in for Alisha Childress during the opening set and had five kills on six option attacks, a block and 11 digs.
Ignite star opposite Azhani Tealer was in an error-filled hitting funk (six miscues against three kills, minus-.150) and was yanked by Coach George Padgen after three sets. Recent pickup Catie Baird continued to help her new team, going 28-for-65 with five errors (.354) with two blocks and eight digs. Rookie middle Lydia Martyn notched 11 kills on .500 hitting, two blocks and three digs. Lightly used Ainise Havili replaced Sydney Hilley at setter for long stretches in the last three sets, making 10 digs.
Despite this latest setback, Havili told the media that the Ignite are “in a good spot. I don’t think anybody feels like we’re on our heels or we’re scratching away for a win.”
The official PVF stats summary did not record an attendance for the match at Fishers Event Center.
Novas win the blocking battle
The Omaha Supernovas (17-6) held serve on their home court ahead of their showdown with the red-hot Atlanta Vibe (16-8) on Saturday night that should go a long way toward determining the top seed in the PVF playoffs.
The Novas took a businesslike sweep of the Grand Rapids Rise (10-14) on Thursday night before a crowd of 8,577 at the CHI Health Center, holding the visitors to .089 hitting.
Only the final set proved contentious, with the Novas closing it out 26-24 on an option attack by setter Mac Podraza and a kill by rookie opposite Emily Londot, both culminating lengthy rallies.
The Novas enjoyed a 12-8 advantage in blocks against the PVF’s best blocking team statistically. Coach Bird Kuhn gave undrafted rookie free agent Phoebe Awoleye her first start and the 6-foot-2 MB got five kills and two blocks. Superstar OH Brooke Nuneviller posted 10 kills, two aces, two blocks and six digs. OH Reagan Cooper had 10 kills, a block and eight digs, while opposite Kelsie Payne chipped in eight kills, two blocks and 14 digs.
No Rise hitter cracked double-digit kills, with Eleanor Holthaus’ seven topping their list. The Grand Rapids squad is 2 1/2 games out of the fourth and final playoff spot with four matches left.
NOTE: Ahead of the road match on Friday night against the Columbus Fury (streaming Roku Channel, 7 p.m. Eastern), Orlando Valkyries Coach Amy Pauly called up rookie liberos Elli McKissock and Emmy Klika from the practice squad and sent down rookie opposite Lydia Grote and rookie libero Nalani Iosia. The Valkyries (13-10) are in third place, one game ahead of the Ignite.
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