The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union reports volleyball as the fastest-growing girls’ sport in the state, with over 11,000 girls participating each season. Volleyball is also growing nationally, as the most attended women’s sports game occurred in 2023, when Nebraska Volleyball played an exhibition match that drew in 92,003 fans to Memorial Stadium.

The US now has three major professional volleyball leagues: Athletes Unlimited (AU), Major League Volleyball (MLV), and League One Volleyball (LOVB), each of which presents unique opportunities for athletes and fans alike.

Athletes Unlimited (AU)

AU has three different women’s sports leagues: volleyball, softball, and basketball, with a unique format. Rather than crowning a team champion, over the course of four weeks, players accumulate points, and the player with the most points is crowned the AU champion.

The teams in AU change every week, with the top four point scorers from the previous week getting to draft their teams. Players can earn points from winning sets and matches, and from their own individual stats. Players and fans can vote for their MVP after each match, which can also earn athletes points.

AU occurs at a different time than LOVB and MLV, allowing athletes to compete in multiple leagues. Notable AU champions include four-time Olympian and Nebraska graduate Jordan Larson, who also competes with LOVB Nebraska, and Kentucky alum Leah Edmond, who is a member of the Atlanta Vibe with MLV.

Major League Volleyball (MLV)

MLV began in 2024 as the Professional Volleyball Federation, before combining with startup MLV to become one cohesive league. The MLV features eight teams with expansion plans for three more teams in the next few years.

The MLV has crowned two champions so far in league history, with the Omaha Supernovas winning in year one and the Orlando Valkyries taking it home in year two. Some notable players for the league include Louisville graduates Anna DeBeer and Elena Scott, who play for the Indy Ignite.

League One Volleyball (LOVB)

LOVB is the most recent league startup in the US, beginning their first season in 2025. LOVB currently has six teams in major cities across the US, but has plans to expand to nine teams in the following years.

LOVB is also heavily involved at the youth club level. LOVB is partnered with 86 youth volleyball clubs across the country, including three in the state of Iowa. LOVB provides benefits to its partner clubs, including discounted pro match tickets, recruiting assistance, and financial aid to bring volleyball to more athletes. One of the most notable partnerships LOVB has recently added is with Chase Financial to help athletes with financial education for both its professional and youth teams.

Two LOVB athletes competed in central Iowa through their high school careers: Madi Kubik-Banks from LOVB Austin played at Valley High School in West Des Moines, and Jaali Winters from LOVB Nebraska played at Ankeny Centennial. Other standouts from LOVB include former Nebraska libero Lexi Rodriguez and Texas national champion Madisen Skinner.

The benefits of one unified league

Bringing professional volleyball to the United States is a great opportunity for athletes to progress their careers past college without having to play internationally. Professional volleyball is also more accessible to fans who want to continue to follow their favorite players from the NCAA level. All leagues also have unique business models, offering different experiences for both athletes and fans to choose what they want to support.

However, having three leagues in the same sport is not sustainable. By having three leagues, revenue is divided among different teams. Merchandise, ticket sales, and other income are divided amongst the three leagues as they are in constant competition with each other, especially as MLV and LOVB occur at the same time of year. MLV and LOVB also stream on different platforms, with MLV on sites like YouTube or Roku Sports, and LOVB on ESPN channels and LOVB.com.

Another issue with three leagues is the division of talent. Pro sports like basketball and football have all of the best players in one league, ensuring the best competition for fans and athletes. By combining into one league, volleyball can also expand into more cities instead of having multiple league teams in one city.

One unified league would allow all the best players in the US to compete against one another, increasing the level of competition. It would also be less confusing for fans to follow, only needing to keep up with one league or favorite team instead of multiple. Volleyball is increasing in popularity, and the best way to keep that momentum is to create a unified league that all fans and players alike can enjoy.