AU Pro Volleyball 2025 Championship Preview
For the first time, the Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball Championship will split its action between two locations, Omaha and Madison, bringing the competition to two of the nation’s volleyball hotbeds. Over four weeks, 44 of the world’s best players will compete in a high-stakes format that crowns a single champion. With a mix of Olympians, national team standouts, and stars from top pro leagues, the 2025 field is loaded with talent.
Here’s a look at the competition breakdown and the players likely to break into the top ten on the leaderboard.
Pro and National Team Representation
This year’s field is stacked with experience across every level of the game. Eight Olympians are on the roster, including six who competed in Paris last summer. A total of 26 athletes have represented their national teams, spanning the United States, Canada, Thailand, Japan, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic. The group also includes 25 players who earned AVCA All-America recognition during their college careers.
When it comes to pro leagues, domestic and abroad, Athletes Unlimited brings together 27 players from League One Volleyball (LOVB), 13 from Major League Volleyball, and four who compete internationally. It’s a mix that blends established AU veterans with newcomers from some of the most competitive leagues in the world.
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Newcomers to Watch
Jordan Thompson
Thompson is the 2025 LOVB Opposite Hitter of the Year, and enters AU as one of the world’s premier scoring threats. She’s a two-time Olympian, owns gold (Tokyo 2020) and silver (Paris 2024) medals with Team USA, and has club titles in Turkey and Italy.
Justine Wong-Orantes
Wong-Orantes has been a staple for the U.S. National Team in the libero position for nearly a decade. She is a two-time Olympian, earning a gold medal in Tokyo and silver in Paris. She’s also an NCAA Champion from her time at Nebraska. She brings both international accolades and hometown ties to Omaha.
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Micha Hancock
Known for her aggressive lefty serve, Hancock is a two-time Olympian setter (gold in 2020, silver in 2024) and three-time Best Server in Italy’s Serie A1. She was also a two-time NCAA Champion and 2014 AVCA Player of the Year at Penn State.
Natalia Zilio Pereira
Outside hitter Natalia Zilio Pereira is a two-time Olympian for Brazil who captured gold in London 2012 and silver in Tokyo 2021. Her decorated résumé includes multiple Brazilian league titles, a Turkish League MVP season with Fenerbahce, and a Russian Super League crown with Dynamo Moscow.
Pornpun “Chompoo” Guedpard
Guedpard comes to AU after guiding the Orlando Valkyries to the PVF title, where she was named 2025 Championship MVP. She’s a nine-year pro setter, has competed in leagues across Asia and Europe, and ranked second in the PVF with 1,082 assists last season.
Returners to Watch
Brittany Abercrombie, Betty De La Cruz-Mejía, Madi Kingdon Rishel, Morgan Hentz
The top four finishers from last season return as Week One captains. Abercrombie, the reigning AU Champion, set the single-season record for win points, while De La Cruz-Mejía (2022 Champion) remains a perennial contender. Kingdon Rishel finished third last year, and Hentz is the three-time AU Defensive Player of the Year.
Dani Drews
Drews was sixth on last year’s leaderboard and has international titles in Japan and Poland on her résumé. The 6-foot outside hitter was a four-time All-American at Utah and became the Utes’ career leader in kills.
Manami Kojima
Kojima made waves in her first AU season by placing seventh on the leaderboard in 2024. She is the 2025 LOVB Libero of the Year and made her Olympic debut in Paris with Japan. Her defensive dominance has also earned Best Libero honors in both international and domestic play.
Brooke Nuneviller
The 2025 MLV Outside Hitter of the Year brings balance as a six-rotation threat. She’s a former Oregon star and three-time All-American, and could prove to be one of the league’s most versatile players.
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Sydney Hilley
The 2025 MLV Setter of the Year returns after leading the league’s assist category for the Indy Ignite one year after leading the Omaha Supernovas to the PVF Championship in 2024. She’ll be a crowd favorite in Madison as a Wisconsin alum, where she was selected as a five-time All-American and became one of the program’s all-time greats.
Week One Schedule
- Friday, Oct. 3 – 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. CT
Liberty First Credit Union Arena, Ralston, NE — Watch on ESPN+ (Match 1) and AWSN & more (Match 2) - Sunday, Oct. 5 – 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. CT
Liberty First Credit Union Arena, Ralston, NE — Watch on ESPNU - Monday, Oct. 6 – 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. CT
Liberty First Credit Union Arena, Ralston, NE — Watch on ESPNU
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Plan Your Championship Experience
Tickets for the 2025 Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball Championship are on sale now. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the action in Omaha and Madison.
Need help planning your trip? Check out our AU Travel Guide with things to do, places to eat, and ways to make the most of your championship weekend.
Enter to Win a Trip for Two to the AU Pro Volleyball Championship
Want to be there in person when the 2025 AU Pro Volleyball Champion is crowned? Enter the AU Pro Volleyball x The Gist Fly Away Sweepstakes for your chance to win a grand prize trip for two (2) to the Championship on Sunday, November 2, in Madison, Wisconsin.
Grand Prize Includes:
- $1,500 cash for travel and accommodations
- Two (2) VIP tickets to the 11/02/25 game
- VIP hospitality package
- Athlete meet & greet with Micha Hancock
- AU Pro Volleyball gear
Enter the Fly Away Sweepstakes (runs 9/22 – 10/16)
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
