AU Pro Volleyball Stars to Watch in the 2026 MLV Season
Thirteen Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball Championship standouts will take the court when the 2026 Major League Volleyball season tips off on January 8.
From reigning league champions to rising rookies, AU stars are spread across four MLV franchises and ready to make an impact. Here’s your team-by-team guide to the AU athletes competing in MLV this winter.
Dallas Pulse (1)
Natalia Valentin-Anderson joins the first-year franchise Dallas Pulse after spending the last two seasons with Omaha. The Puerto Rico native finished sixth on the AU leaderboard this fall with 2,502 points and earned a spot on the 2025 All-Position Team for the second time in her career after leading the league with 436 assists.
Omaha Supernovas (6)
View this post on Instagram
Morgan Hentz made the move to the Omaha Supernovas after two seasons with the Atlanta Vibe. The four-time AU Pro Volleyball Defensive Player of the Year won back-to-back MLV Libero of the Year awards with Atlanta and holds the league’s single-season records for total digs (508) and digs per set (4.50).
Sarah Parsons signed with the Supernovas for her first MLV season after making her AU debut this fall in her first competition since welcoming her son in January. The 2016 AVCA National Player of the Year and U.S. Women’s National Team member finished 18th on the AU leaderboard with 1,750 points.
Reagan Cooper is making her return to the Supernovas after claiming second place in her AU rookie campaign this fall with 3,015 points. She ranked second on the Supernovas last season with 265 kills over 25 matches (3.49 per set) while adding 165 digs and 13 aces.
Elise Goetzinger signed her first MLV contract with the Supernovas after a standout college career at Creighton and Kentucky. The middle blocker played a pivotal role in Kentucky’s 2020 NCAA championship run and led the BIG EAST in hitting percentage (.376) as a graduate transfer at Creighton in 2024.
Brooke Nuneviller is returning to the Supernovas after finishing 11th on the AU leaderboard this fall with 2,163 points. She led the Supernovas last season with 381 kills (3.77 per set) over 28 matches while adding 348 digs and 24 blocks.
Sydney Hilley is returning to Omaha after spending the 2025 season with the Indy Ignite. The Wisconsin graduate earned Playoff MVP honors for the Supernovas when they won the inaugural Pro Volleyball Championship in 2024 and finished 10th on the AU leaderboard this fall with 2,226 points.
Orlando Valkyries (1)
Brittany Abercrombie is entering her second season with the Valkyries after leading the team to the 2025 league championship. In 2025, she was named PVF Most Valuable Player after setting league records for kills, kills per set, attacks, and points, and earned All-League and Opposite Hitter of the Year honors.
View this post on Instagram
San Diego Mojo (5)
McKenna Vicini signed with the San Diego Mojo after two seasons with Atlanta. The middle blocker previously played for Mojo head coach Alisha Glass Childress at Stanford, where she won the 2019 NCAA Championship, and finished 15th on the AU leaderboard this fall with 2,036 points.
Taylor Sandbothe will take the court with the Mojo for her first MLV season after playing for LOVB Madison last year. The 11-year pro finished 13th on the AU leaderboard this fall with 2,107 points while recording 74 kills, seven aces, 88 digs, and 23 blocks.
Carly Graham has joined the Mojo after spending last season with the Vegas Thrill. The setter recorded 369 assists over 77 sets for Vegas last season and finished 24th on the AU leaderboard this fall with 1,631 points.
Kayla Caffey signed with the Mojo after appearing in 25 matches with the Omaha Supernovas last season. She helped the Supernovas to a league-best 21-7 record and posted career highs with 111 kills, 44 blocks, and 18 service aces.
Marlie Monserez has joined San Diego after helping lead the Atlanta Vibe offense for the last two seasons. The setter earned All-League Second Team honors last year while ranking third in the league with 998 assists (10.62 per game), the fifth-most in a season in league history.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
