PODCAST · sports
Ember's Nest
by Edward White
This is the official fan podcast of the Grand Rapids Rise, or the unofficial Grand Rapids Rise podcast depending on how you look at it! A lot of sports depend on how you look at it, and here we'll get a look at all things Grand Rapids Rise!
Episodes
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Breaking News on Coaching Search
Hey there Rise faithful, I just HAD to produce a podcast as the Rise announce that Cathy George is not returning as head coach and is transitioning to a front office role. I do have breaking news on when the new coach will be announced, so listen to hear that as well as my thoughts on who that...
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Eliminated: The Offseason Looms
The Grand Rapids Rise fell 2-3 to the Orlando Valkyries in their home finale and were eliminated from the playoffs later in the weekend. It's frustrating that a team playing much better ball down the stretch could not overcome early season losses and injuries. I begin to discuss my thoughts on…
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Playoff Scenarios and Team Performance: A Blitz!
The description should be short because so is the episode! The Rise would not be eliminated with a loss tomorrow but they need the win as far as this podcast is concerned. The playoff scenarios are confusing without the loss! What do you think about the Rise playing their best ball at this time…
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The Power of The Walking Taco
This episode has it all: Listener thoughts and feedback, volleyball terminology, match recaps, controversial selections for best food at the arena, and analysis on the Rise not owning their 1st round draft pick this year. Let me know what you think of this as always by writing the podcast...
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Your Guide to A Rise Game as The Slide Continues
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...
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Still Locked In?
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...
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Up and Down
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…
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EMERGENCY POD: Rise Trade Oglivie, 1st round pick for Morgan Hentz
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…
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The Rise Fall to Orlando and Omaha, Plus a State of the League Address
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...
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Back on Track: The Rise win in San Diego
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...
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The New Look Rise fall 3-2 In the Season Opener
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…
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Air Pressure: An Interview with Katie Olson
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…
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A New Beginning in MLV
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…
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Tears, The Off-season, and the Importance of Two Year Contracts
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...
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Eliminated: Who's Back Next Season?
Grand Rapids's slow starts continued, and this time it was fatal. The Rise fought hard to complete the reverse sweep but couldn't make it happen. That loss, plus the Indy win eliminated Grand Rapids from the playoffs. Do you think they were a team that was good enough to make it but just didn't...
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The Rise Keep the Hope Alive + A Big Announcement
Against the Ignite the Rise win to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Rise are 1.5 games back with 3 to play while Indy drops their 4th straight. Newcomer Holthaus provided a boost, Jensen seemed like she'd hit the ceiling of Van Andel, and seemingly all went right for the Rise as they answered...
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Overseas Reinforcements
Eleanor Holthaus made her impact immediately felt against Vegas after only joining the team earlier in the week from Germany! She was second on the team in points in a dominant Rise sweep over the Thrill. The Rise are desperate to get back in the playoff hunt, and have a chance to make things...
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Rise Split the Weekend 1-1, and the Detective Hunt for Shime
The Rise playoff hopes grow dimmer as they prevail in an exciting 3-2 match against Columbus, but then fall 3-1 to the Supernovas on the road. If that wasn't enough to discuss, the Rise added Devyn Robinson off waivers but may (or may not) have dropped Naya Shime from the roster entirely. What...
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Low on Time
The Grand Rapids Rise drop their latest match to the Vegas Thrill and have fallen out of the playoff race. If they want to get back into it, they've got to start winning at a clip we have not seen this season. They've got the practice time to work some things out, but will that be enough to make...
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Falling Out of Contention
Grand Rapids drops the first two games of their 4 game home stand in entirely different ways. A great defensive performance but sub par offense spelled doom against Atlanta, while an offensive resurgence wasn't nearly enough against Indy as the Ignite hit .405 against the Rise's vaunted defense.…
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Block Party
Grand Rapids finishes up their season series with the Mojo in San Diego by way of a 3-1 victory. Jensen and Briggs-Romine led the way in this one, but it required a total team effort to earn the victory as well as a PVF record 18 blocks (again)! This sets up a massive showdown against Atlanta and...
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Grand Rapids Reclaims Their Own Mojo
Ember's Nest is back! While some personal obligations prevented me from making episodes after the last 2 matches, I'm locked back in for a 3 match recap episode! It's interesting looking back at these matches together; I felt as if I was uncovering just how many clues were left behind regarding…
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Do the Rise Have the Yips? + All Star Game Discussion
The Rise drop a heartbreaker to Columbus 3-2 in Van Andel Arena despite several changes to the lineup. I thought most changes were positive, but the team seems to tense up in tight moments. Do they have the yips? Let me know by writing the show [email protected], or commenting on Spotify,...
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Offensive Woes Continue as Grand Rapids Falls to Orlando in 3 Sets
Grand Rapids journey from the cold winter to the sunny skies of Orlando did not go as planned as the Rise get swept. Orlando had great performances from Ambercrombie, Foster, and others, while the Rise just could not get going offensively in this one. They held Orlando to a .207 hitting…
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All Out of Sorts
In this one the Rise and I are all out of sorts! The Rise cruise to victory in set 1 but cannot overcome Atlanta's adjustments and fall 3-1 to the Vibe. Meanwhile, I left all my notes and post game questions in the press box! When I sat down to record the podcast, I used the wrong mic! I fixed as...
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Fury of Points Proves Too Much for Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids visited Columbus fresh off their four game winning streak and fell to the Fury, earning Columbus their first victory of the season, while the Rise fall to 4-4. The Rise were out blocked, out dug, and out hit in this 5 setter. The attack errors in sets 4 and 5 really stuck out to me…
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Monster Block
I am finally recovered from the Flu, but I still needed assistance in this one from the wife, friends, and listeners like you! You'll have to listen to this one but I think it's safe to say: the wife knows ball! Listen for her thoughts, my thoughts, and post game interviews! Monster Blocks were…
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Grand Rapids Rise to 2-3 (Pun Intended)
Unbeknownst to me at the time of this recording I was coming down with a hard case of Influenza A, so forgive my less coherent thoughts than usual! In this episode I discuss both Grand Rapids vs Atlanta and Grand Rapids vs Columbus. It was interesting to me how very little carried over from the...
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Rise Fall to 0-3, and the Omaha Thing
The Rise falling to 0-3 were somehow not the biggest story of the night for the team as what is in my mind the bell-weather franchise of the PVF, the Omaha Supernovas, announced their departure. I have many thoughts on this, some of which you can hear here, but most of which I'll share when I…
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Grand Rapids Rise Start 0-2: Mad as Hell
The opening weekend of the PVF is here! Attendance is up, matches are competitive, and all is well for the league... just not the Rise! After getting reverse swept in Vegas, the Rise return home to a record crowd only to be swept by the defending champs. Despite the results I see encouraging…
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Marin Grote Interview Ahead of The 2025 Season
In an Ember's Nest first, here I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Marin Grote who is entering her second season as Middle Blocker for the Rise. Marin had a strong season last year as she was #3 in the PVF in blocks, but it's clear in my time with Marin that the focus is squarely on next...
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Season 2 Starts off with a Bang! Coaching Hires and Drafting Galore!
There's plenty to cover for the Rise in this one-- in 48 hours the Rise not only sign 3 coaches for this season but potentially draft their future as well. It's a flurry of moves and there's no better place to hear about it and voice your opinion than the Ember's Nest podcast. Write the show at...
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The Divination of Instagram + Crazy Free Agency
Hello Grand Rapids Rise fans! The dust has settled on the free agency period for now and I’m excited to start thinking volleyball again. This episode dives into the Grand Rapids Rise newest (and oldest!) members alongside my enthusiasm and questions for this upcoming season. More to come on PVF…
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The Agony of Defeat
Live from Omaha, I discuss my impressions of Omaha the town, discuss how well they pulled this event off (even if there are areas of improvement) and of course talk about the Grand Rapids Rise falling 3-0 to the Omaha Supernovas in the PVF Championship. Ultimately, the ability to be here was a...
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The Rise are Championship Bound and So Am I!
Grand Rapids comes away with the upset victory behind fantastic defense and key contributions from Marin Grote, Kayla Caffey, and Ashley Evans alongside the usual stalwarts of Dimitrova and Chaussee! This rollercoaster of a match was back and forth, but in the words of Ashley Evans, the pressure...
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A Swan Song W for Dimitrova and a Playoff Preview
Grand Rapids Rise prevail over Omaha for the first time this season in Dimitrova's final match as a member of the Grand Rapids Rise. With the win, Grand Rapids has at least one victory over every playoff team. What lessons can be learned from this one and what does Grand Rapids need to score the...
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Rise Split 24 Hour Series with Mojo, Clinch Playoff Berth
The Rise started sharp and then came back to Earth with a 1-3 loss to the Mojo but find a way to flip the script and clinch a playoff berth the next day with a 3-0 sweep of the Mojo. The Rise briefly lost control of their playoff destiny before Columbus fell to Omaha. That granted the Rise…
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Grand Rapids Rise Worst Effort of the Season + Does the PVF Want Anyone to Cover the Championship?
The Rise nearly fail to show up in this one, falling to Columbus in a 3-0 sweep. What is the reason for the poor performance? Feel free to sound off! Beyond that, the PVF inexplicably is not allotting any tickets for the PVF championship to media. Why?
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Rise Show a Lot of Grit, but fall to Omaha 3-2
Ember’s Nest is on the road for this one! I’ll be back to my usual recording setup by the next pod! Here I talk a bit about LOVB vs PVF, (more to come there in the offseason), the rumors over players already deciding to leave after the year, and the match against Omaha yesterday. Great play by...
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The Dimitrova Episode
The Grand Rapids Rise prevail against the Vegas Thrill, but lose star player Emiliya Dimitrova to injury. What did you think about the performance? If you're on Spotify you can sound off and might get your feedback read on the pod! This podcast is family friendly, but I also encourage you to…
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Rise Beat Orlando, But Fall to Atlanta
In a bit of a 2 for 1 special here the Rise lose to Atlanta (who isn't losing to Atlanta these days?!) before emerging victorious in what is proving to be a series of matches at breakneck speed for the Rise.
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Grand Rapids Rise Avoid the Second Reverse Sweep Against Vegas and Prevail 3-2
Big shout out to the Rise who stayed together as a team and avoided their second reverse sweep against Vegas and came out on top 3-2. With the win the Rise move to 3rd place in the PVF as the playoff race heats up! This podcast is family friendly, but I also encourage you to check out my other…
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An Ode to Joy: The Grand Rapids Rise End the Losing Streak!
The Grand Rapids Rise snap their 3 game losing streak against the Orlando Valkyries and get revenge against Orlando! This was a total team effort to get the W, with big contributions from Erika Pritchard! Track: Ode to Joy Music by https://www.fiftysounds.com
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Grand Rapids Rise Fall to Orlando, 3-2
Grand Rapids Rise played a thriller at home in front of over 5000 fans-- the most attended game outside of the home opener! Unfortunately, they weren't able to come out on top. Big thanks to the Grand Rapids Rise for allowing me to attend a game as a member of the press. Please rate and share…
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A Controversial Atlanta Loss and a look ahead to National TV!
The Grand Rapids Rise this week reignited my true sports passion-- crusading against unreviewable calls! The team played pretty well all things considered, and I am bouncing-off-the-wall excited for Saturday's nationally televised game against Orlando! This podcast is family friendly, but I also...
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To Be the Best You've Got to Beat the Best
A non-triumphant post-game recap here as the Grand Rapids Rise lose 3-1 to the dominant Omaha Supernovas. A boatload of assists from Ashley were not enough to propel the Rise to 5 sets or a win. What can the team do to win close sets? This podcast is family friendly, but I also encourage you to...
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The Rise Get Revenge Against Vegas
The Grand Rapids Rise get revenge after previously becoming victim to the first ever reverse sweep in Professional Volleyball Federation history! It was a great showing from the Rise, Sarah Sponcil and Emilya Dimitrova led the way! What did you think about the performance? If you're on Spotify…
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Rise of the Pod
Welcome to the inaugural podcast of Ember's Nest, a fan podcast covering the Grand Rapids Rise Professional Volleyball team! Here I set some expectations for the podcast, and also discuss the last 2 games that the Rise played against the Vegas Thrill and Columbus Fury! Join the fun! This podcast…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
This is the official fan podcast of the Grand Rapids Rise, or the unofficial Grand Rapids Rise podcast depending on how you look at it! A lot of sports depend on how you look at it, and here we'll get a look at all things Grand Rapids Rise!
HOSTED BY
Edward White
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Ember's Nest have?
Ember's Nest currently has 48 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Ember's Nest about?
This is the official fan podcast of the Grand Rapids Rise, or the unofficial Grand Rapids Rise podcast depending on how you look at it! A lot of sports depend on how you look at it, and here we'll get a look at all things Grand Rapids Rise!
How often does Ember's Nest release new episodes?
Ember's Nest has 48 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Ember's Nest?
You can listen to Ember's Nest on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Ember's Nest?
Ember's Nest is created and hosted by Edward White.
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