By Alexandria Webb
On Thursday, Feb. 12, I had the opportunity to experience professional volleyball. This was a night that I will not forget.
Grand Rapids Rise is entering its third season and has been established since 2024. Sadly, I hadn’t heard about the team until I discovered College Thursdays. After learning this, I was really excited and wanted to see their games to report on the experience. Meanwhile, the athlete inside of me was thrilled to have the chance to see professionals in their environment, especially in a sport I love.
Entering Van Andel Arena filled me with excitement as I saw the court set up and Rise staff preparing for the game against the San Diego Mojo. Soon, the players were on the court warming up, and their energy filled the arena. You could tell it spread to the audience as well.
The atmosphere was full of hype and smiles from every corner. I think what surprised me the most was how family-friendly the event was. There was a wide variety of ages in the crowd, including many kids. Rise definitely engaged with the crowd with dance cams, games, t-shirt tosses, and at one point, they launched volleyballs into the stands.
Despite the sparse numbers, the small crowd energy carried throughout the stadium. They cheered and clapped for their team, and I learned a few things from them, too. The appropriate cheer for a Rise point is exclaiming a loud, “WHOOP! WHOOP!”
Whereas if Rise gets a block and earns a point from that block, the speakers blare a saying that goes, “MONSTER BLOCK! MONSTER MONSTER BLOCK!” and the crowd follows with waving their hands up in the air and repeating the words.
Sadly, the night I attended, the student section was not that full, which made me wonder how many students actually knew about the fun and entertaining night that awaited them?
From watching the team, I learned a lot, and there were lessons found within the professionalism of volleyball. These women have trained and trained for this sport, even practicing the basics of volleyball before the game. Reminding me that going back to the roots of what you are learning is significant in going forward.
Another aspect was how the players handled their mistakes. Both teams struggled at some points with communication, missed serves, or had some wonky passes. Instead of being frustrated or letting those mistakes affect their performance, they took a deep breath acknowledging the mistake, and then smiled it off. The teammates took it as a moment to encourage each other and then focused on the next point.
The players displayed one more lesson that I personally took to heart, even though they are seasoned volleyball players, they still made mistakes. This shows that they are still human, they still make mistakes, and no matter how long you’ve been doing something, you are going to make mistakes. People will eventually forget your mistakes, but how you handle them is what people will remember.
In the end, the teams went to five sets, with San Diego Mojo taking the win with a final score of 11-15. Both teams displayed determined grit, strength, and teamwork while playing. The crowd showed up and cheered on their home team, keeping the energy alive within the stadium.
For me, this night was more than just a College Thursday. It was a dream come true. In high school, I had wondered about what would happen to all those college volleyball players after it was all over. Where would they go?
Volleyball, now having its own professional league, offers a chance for aspiring athletes to continue playing a sport that they love after their education. It gives them a space to continue pushing themselves to be better as an athlete, to have a team to be a part of as the crowd cheers.
College students can look forward to enjoying the next College Thursday on Feb 26, at 7pm, at Van Andel Arena. Tickets can be purchased on their website by using their student email to sign in. If you are interested in attending a regular season game check out their schedule. Let’s fill the stands and cheer on our hometown team, “WHOOP! WHOOP!”
