From None to a Ton

The popularity of women’s college volleyball has grown exponentially, as exhibited by increased attendance and viewership: in the 2024 national championship match between Louisville and Penn State, the previous indoor attendance record of 19,727 was broken with 21,860 people in the building. Additionally, a 2023 exhibition match between Nebraska and Omaha broke the attendance world record at any women’s sporting event, with 92,003 fans in Memorial Stadium. Across both 2024 NCAA national semifinals, there was an average of 1.1 million viewers, 50 percent higher than any year before 2023. The ways in which women’s college volleyball is gaining momentum are becoming clearer, although the bigger challenge of whether this success will translate into the professional world still looms. 

Five years ago, no professional women’s volleyball league existed in the United States; if female athletes wanted to go pro, they went overseas. That’s not to say that there weren’t attempts to create women’s leagues. Rather, those efforts had limited success. Attempted leagues, like Major League Volleyball (MLV) and the United States Professional Volleyball League, faced financial problems, including a lack of proper investors, that caused them to fizzle out, barely reaching three seasons. However, with more prevalent media coverage, matches are now being broadcasted on mainstream channels like ESPN and FOX, increasing public demand. Women’s sports in general have also begun to rise. With interest in women’s college volleyball soaring, there has also been a resurgence in the professional leagues. With four new leagues created, including Athletes Unlimited Volleyball (AUV), Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF), League One Volleyball (LOVB), and MLV—all of which claim they are the best—the competition between them raises many questions about long-term stability and growth for the sport. The first of these leagues, AUV, was one of the first signs of the rise of women’s volleyball in the professional world. 

In the fall of 2021, AUV had its inaugural season. Each AUV season consists of 44 players, five weeks of play, and different teams competing each week. Players play and score points individually, which are then added and subtracted from their tally. At the end of the season, there’s a single champion: the player that racked up the most points. This league’s format starkly contrasts more traditional leagues, with its short five-week season making it harder to build a true lasting presence in the world of professional volleyball. 

In November 2022, co-founders David Whinham and Stephen Evans announced that there would be another league: PVF. The league debuted on January 24, 2024, immediately setting the attendance record for women’s professional volleyball in the U.S. with a crowd of 11,624. They would break their own record just a mere week later, and once again during the 2025 season opener with an audience of 13,486. The season lasts from January to May, with special features like the all-star game, in which fans vote on participating players. The PVF has a draft, which many former college standouts, such as middle blocker Asjia O’Neal, outside hitter Anna Debeer, and outside hitter Charitie Luper, have been a part of. Currently, PVF consists of eight teams, which they hope to increase to 10 for the 2026 season. 

LOVB was founded in 2020. The league debuted this year and will have a 14-week season, including a mid-season tournament. Currently, the league has six teams, with each team playing every week, and its season will conclude with finals in April. Founded with a vision of longevity, LOVB emphasizes youth development. They have collaborated with youth programs in hopes of creating a genuine community and nurturing young talent. LOVB aims to build a sustainable line for talent, and positions itself as a league that prioritizes both the present and future success of volleyball. 

While LOVB and AUV continue to establish themselves, PVF is encountering issues within its league. The current PVF champion, the Omaha Supernovas, recently revealed that they will be departing from PVF for a MLV, a new league, next year. The reason for this decision remains uncertain, but it can be interpreted as the misalignment of Omaha’s and PVF’s goals. Omaha has long been the center of attention in PVF, being the league’s first champion and attracting more fans than any other team. In the top 10 of U.S pro volleyball attendance numbers, the Omaha Supernovas are involved in nine out of 10 games, with the top eight all being at Omaha’s home arena. PVF stated that this departure won’t impact their current campaign or their growth, but they will be losing their main attraction. It remains to be seen if they can survive without Omaha. Additionally, both LOVB and PVF had well over a year of planning their first season before their debuts, but with MLV planning to debut in 2026, they will have less than one year to plan for theirs. There are many questions surrounding how they will be organized and who will play for them, especially considering that the signing window for Europe, where many players are, is still open. For now, there’s no public concrete plan for the league.

In a post, MLV stated that many competing leagues aren’t “ideal long-term for this sport.” Yet, they’re joining three other leagues in a competition to assert themselves as the best. There’s been heated conversation over this, even amongst the players, with some taking it to social media. LOVB Atlanta outside hitter and libero Kelsey Robinson-Cook made a TikTok about MLV, and later said in the comments that the United States Volleyball Federation “supporting this is actually so disappointing as a player who has been a part of the organization.” LOVB Salt Lake middle blocker Haleigh Washington also made a post on Instagram mocking the creation of so many new leagues following the debut of the MLV. Players worry about oversaturation and how it might lead to a lack of stability. Unfortunately, the public’s engagement with one league often correlates to less engagement with other leagues, making it harder for any leagues to have a lasting impact. For these players, the proliferation of leagues directly impacts their careers and their success. The uncertainty created by these leagues makes it more difficult for them to plan their careers and secure consistent opportunities. Players want a stable league with the opportunity to grow both on and off the court, as well as to be offered a living wage, but instead, they are presented with conditions that undermine their ability to thrive long term. 

With the rise of so many competing leagues, one must question which one will be the one to last and sustain itself. This situation provides an opportunity for leagues to rise to the needs of the players and curate a long-term vision, but it remains to be seen if they will take the chance to do so. The future of professional volleyball in the U.S. ultimately rests on stability and providing meaningful opportunities to the players. While it’s too early to determine anything yet, only time will be able to tell which league will come out on top.