I sat everywhere there was to sit in Van Andel to let you know where the best and worst places are to take in a Grand Rapids Rise game! Unfortunately, though the team is playing much better than at earlier points in the season, it was not enough as the Rise fell to Dallas at home before going on the road to Omaha where they fell to the Supernovas. What keeps you watching as the Rise find themselves squarely out of the playoff conversation? I would love if we knew who was returning next season so we could get invested in their development down the stretch of the season, but that's just how it goes in a league which is still new on the scene. Sound off and let me know what you think!Affiliate Links:Get months FREE with Surfshark: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.club/friend/fFP9U5Sh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up with Rakuten (it's always free) and get money off the things you were buying anyway: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rakuten.com/r/EDWARD22078?eeid=28187⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join Google Fi to save on your phone bill while still getting the same great coverage as T-Mobile with code V0HRMT for $60 off your bill(s)

The Rise pull off a 3-1 stretch to make things slightly more interesting, but even if they continue at that pace, will it be enough? Listen to hear my thoughts about a 3rd offensive option and thoughts about the different lineups the Rise have been deploying. A special thank you to the best listeners around-- listener Tom predicted some changes! The Ember's Nest Podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.Affiliate Links:Get months FREE with Surfshark: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.club/friend/fFP9U5Sh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up with Rakuten (it's always free) and get money off the things you were buying anyway: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rakuten.com/r/EDWARD22078?eeid=28187⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join Google Fi to save on your phone bill while still getting the same great coverage as T-Mobile with code V0HRMT for $60 off your bill(s)

We're two games into the Morgan Hentz tenure on the Grand Rapids Rise, and we've got two lopsided results: on the front end there's a Rise sweep over Atlanta just a day after the trade, but a week later the Rise get swept in Dallas. What do you think about the recent results for the Rise? Listen to hear my thoughts! Let me know yours in the comments on social media or by writing the show, embersnest@gmail.com.Affiliate Links:Get months FREE with Surfshark: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.club/friend/fFP9U5Sh⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up with Rakuten (it's always free) and get money off the things you were buying anyway: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rakuten.com/r/EDWARD22078?eeid=28187⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Ember's Nest Podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The biggest trade of the season just took place, The Grand Rapids Rise traded standout Libero Elena Oglivie and their 1st round selection for 2026 to the Omaha Supernovas for 2 time MLV Libero of the year Morgan Hentz. I found this trade initially head scratching as Oglivie had what I thought was a great year and a half in Grand Rapids, but I'll never complain about adding an elite player to the team. The question is, was the price paid worth it? Will Morgan Hentz help the Rise rise (pun intended) to new heights as they look to move up in the standings? Only time will tell. One thing is for certain: Being an MLV fan sure is never boring! What did you think of the trade? Some feedback is shared here, but let me know what you think in comments on social platforms or by emailing the show, embersnest@gmail.com.The Ember's Nest podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Rise fall to Orlando by a more convincing margin than the first time and then follow it up with a Carli Snyder-less loss to Omaha. The postgame press conference was quite interesting and seemed to indicate to me that the team may not be firing on all cylinders. Am I making something out of nothing, or is there more to do, even when Carli Snyder returns to the lineup?Get months FREE with Surfshark: ⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.club/friend/fFP9U5Sh⁠⁠⁠Sign up with Rakuten (it's always free) and get money off the things you were buying anyway: ⁠⁠⁠www.rakuten.com/r/EDWARD22078?eeid=28187⁠⁠⁠Let me know what you think on Reddit, Instagram, Spotify, or by writing the show at embersnest@gmail.com. The Ember's Nest Podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Rise even up their season record at 2-2 after starting 0-2. The've proved that they can win in a multitude of ways, both spreading out the offense and concentrating the offensive power. What do you think about the Rise's start to the season and fresh win against San Diego?NOTE: I know the audio is not as good as usual here. This will be fixed by next episode.Get months FREE with Surfshark: ⁠⁠https://surfshark.club/friend/fFP9U5Sh⁠⁠Sign up with Rakuten (it's always free) and get money off the things you were buying anyway: ⁠⁠www.rakuten.com/r/EDWARD22078?eeid=28187⁠⁠Let me know what you think on Reddit, Instagram, Spotify, or by writing the show at embersnest@gmail.com. The Ember's Nest Podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Rise returned with players both new and familiar as the 2026 MLV season opened. Despite some back and forth action and strategic substitutions, Grand Rapids dropped the season opener to the defending champion Valkyries 3-2. What do you think of the Rise performance? Listen to hear my thoughts, but in short I wasn't going to overreact to a 1-0 or an 0-1 start. It will be interesting to see how the team gels over time.Get months FREE with Surfshark: ⁠https://surfshark.club/friend/fFP9U5Sh⁠Sign up with Rakuten (it's always free) and get money off the things you were buying anyway: ⁠www.rakuten.com/r/EDWARD22078?eeid=28187⁠Let me know what you think on Reddit, Instagram, Spotify, or by writing the show at embersnest@gmail.com. The Ember's Nest Podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey there Rise fans! I was really excited to record this episode as Katie was such a fantastic guest. In this episode we dive into Katie's journey from a standout volleyball player to a respected voice in sports broadcasting as color commentator for the Grand Rapids Rise. It was incredibly exciting to hear her thoughts on volleyball strategy, the MLV as a whole, the Rise team, and the vibrant volleyball culture in Grand Rapids. The number of variables in any given volleyball rally are astounding, not least of all air pressure!Get months FREE with Surfshark: https://surfshark.club/friend/fFP9U5ShSign up with Rakuten (it's always free) and get money off the things you were buying anyway: www.rakuten.com/r/EDWARD22078?eeid=28187Let me know what you think on Reddit, Instagram, Spotify, or by writing the show at embersnest@gmail.com. The Ember's Nest Podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Season 3 of the Rise has begun in Major League Volleyball (MLV). After a tumultuous offseason Omaha is back in the fold, Dallas is the new kid on the block, and Vegas is out. Beyond that there's a flurry of signings as Grand Rapids sees faces new and old join the ranks! What do you think about the MLV and the new Grand Rapids signings? Sound off on Reddit, Instagram, Spotify, or via email at embersnest@gmail.com

The Rise concluded their second season in emotional fashion, and I tried my hardest to find out what players and coaches are thinking about next season. I also get on my soapbox to stress my personal belief that the league needs less roster turnover year over year. Give this pod a listen to hear from me, coach Cathy George, Camryn Turner, Eleanor Holthaus, and Carli Snyder at the end of an up and down year for the Rise. What did you think of the episode? What did you think of this season? Sound off in the comments on social media or by writing the show embersnest@gmail.com! The stage is set for the PVF finals in Vegas-- got any good recs?Ember's Nest is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.