Volleyball moves to Phoenix area for Season 3 this Fall

March 14, 2023, New York, N.Y. – Athletes Unlimited will bring the only professional women’s volleyball league in the U.S. to the Phoenix area this fall, as Bell Bank Park in Mesa will host the third championship season of Athletes Unlimited in October and November.

Featuring 44 of the world’s top players, the full 30-match championship season will air live, exclusively on ESPN Platforms, marking an expansion of Athletes Unlimited’s relationship with ESPN, which also exclusively carries its softball and lacrosse competitions.

Eight returning athletes have signed for the fall season: Morgan Hentz, Erin Fairs, Amanda Benson, Alisha Childress, Ali Bastianelli, Molly McCage, Deja McClendon, and Taylor Bruns Tegenrot.

Season ticket deposits are now available. The full schedule and additional information about the championship season will be released at a later date. 

“We are thrilled to bring the excitement of the Athletes Unlimited Volleyball championship season to Arizona at this pivotal moment for the sport, with participation as well as fan interest at all levels on the rise,” said Cassidy Lichtman, Director of Sport for Athletes Unlimited Volleyball.

“Our partnership with Athletes Unlimited presents an incredible opportunity for Arizona,” said Nikki Balich, Executive Director of the Arizona Sports and Entertainment Commission. “By showcasing women’s sports at a national level, their events have the potential to not only generate significant economic benefits for our state, but also inspire the next generation of female athletes. It’s truly exhilarating to witness these talented women compete at the highest level, and we’re fully committed to working closely with Athletes Unlimited to promote women’s sports and empower young athletes across the country.”

Earlier this week, the league announced it would host the Athletes Unlimited Volleyball College Draft on Monday, March 20 on the Athletes Unlimited YouTube channel. 

In addition, next week the Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Exhibition Tour will get underway, featuring a team of its professional athletes traveling across the U.S. to play a series of exhibition matches against top college programs. All four matches against Big Ten teams will be streamed live on BTN+, while Longhorn Network will air the match against Texas, the match at Kentucky will stream on SEC+ and the match at Howard will stream on HUBison.com. 

Like its other leagues, Athletes Unlimited Volleyball’s championship season features a range of scoring innovations to bring athletes and fans a unique and intense version of the sport. Individual athletes earn points based on both team wins and individual performance and become the champions in team sports. Points are earned on every play and the leaderboard will change constantly. 

In addition, teams change each week, with the top four athletes in the standings serving as captains and drafting their teams. At the end of the five-week season, the player with the most points is crowned as individual champion.