2025 AU Pro Volleyball Championship: Movers of Week 1
Expectations were high for the opening week of Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball in Omaha, and the stars delivered in every single stage of Week One. The diverse mix of returners and newcomers has officially filled into their spots on the leaderboard for the competition’s opening week, and set the bar for the weeks to come.
While no squad went winless, Morgan Hentz’s squad in purple made the biggest statement after going 3-0, and naturally, her Team Hentz teammates made some of the biggest moves toward the top of the leaderboard.
Natalia Valentin-Anderson proved to be the highest-scoring setter with 885 points — good for second-best among the field of 44. She racked up 116 assists, 33 digs, and stunned her opponents at the net with three big-time blocks. She added 80 points to her tally with two MVP 2 nods.
But the veteran setter isn’t the only player from Hentz’s Week One team that will be taking on captain’s duties for Week Two.
Outside hitter Claire Hoffman became the only outside hitter to climb into the top four after a trio of solid performances, just above her teammate Reagan Cooper. Hoffman tallied 26 kills, with her highest offensive production coming in a 13-kill outing versus Team Kingdon Rishel.
And of course, Hentz made her mark in the opening stage of competition with 37 digs over the three matches, as well as MVP 2- and MVP 3-worthy performances. Hentz is the only repeat captain for Week Two and will get a shot at piecing together another undefeated team.
Mover of the Week: Jordan Thompson
Jordan Thompson came out swinging in her AU debut, and she handily secured the top spot on the leaderboard. Not only did she help Team Hentz become the only team to win all three of its Week One matches, she also finished the week with 1,023 points–leading the rest of the field by 159 points (the second-greatest Week One lead in AU history behind Jordan Larson’s 2021 start).
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She earned two MVP 1 nods and one MVP 3 honor while tallying 20 kills in each of her first two matches, followed by an errorless 12-kill match versus Team Kingdon Rishel to finish the week.
Outside Hitters on the Outskirts
Although their teams didn’t claim the win points necessary to help them break into the top four spots, outside hitters Brooke Nuneviller and Dani Drews turned heads with their performances during the opening week of play and were on the cusp of breaking up Team Hentz’s sweep of places 2-6.
The two AU returners tallied the highest stat point numbers for their position category, with Nuneviller finishing seventh on the leaderboard with 335 stat points and Drews landing in eighth with 345.
Nuneviller’s stat line included 27 kills, 27 digs, and three service aces, and she took home an MVP 3 honor. Drews closed the week with 46 kills and 22 digs, and earned MVP 3 credit twice, along with one MVP 2 nod.
Up Next
Week Two play will begin Thursday, October 9, in Omaha, Nebraska, at Liberty First Credit Union Arena, where Team Hentz will take on Team Valentin-Anderson, and Team Thompson will face Team Hoffman.
The 2025 AU Pro Volleyball Championship features 44 of the world’s top volleyball players in an exclusive, high-stakes tournament to determine the ultimate champion of the sport. These elite athletes, handpicked from the best domestic and international pro leagues, will face off in the nation’s premier volleyball hubs in Omaha, Nebraska, at the Liberty First Credit Union Arena (October 1-15) and in Madison, Wisconsin, at the Alliant Energy Center (October 22 – November 3). Tickets for both locations are now available here.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
