New Locations, New Stars, New Era - Introducing the AU Pro Volleyball Championship

May 1, 2025, New York – Athletes Unlimited today redefined its market position within the professional volleyball landscape, announcing a series of updates – including a fresh name and branding, the first wave of players named to a star-studded roster, and new host cities which are premier volleyball hotspots in the U.S. – signaling a powerful new chapter for AU Pro Volleyball. 

The 2025 Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball Championship will feature 44 of the world’s top volleyball players, who are invited to compete 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 (including LOVB and PVF in the U.S., Brazil’s Superliga and Turkey’s Sultanlar Ligi, among others), will face off in the nation’s premier volleyball hubs, as games will be held at Omaha, Nebraska’s Liberty First Credit Union Arena (October 1-15) and Madison, Wisconsin’s Alliant Energy Center (October 22 – November 3). 

Series ticket deposits for both locations are now available here. Fifteen of the 30 contests will air exclusively on ESPN platforms, with distribution for the remainder to be announced at a later date. The full schedule and additional information about the AU Pro Volleyball Championship will be released at a later date. 

Two-time Olympic medalists Micha Hancock, Jordan Thompson, Justine Wong-Orantes, and Natalia Zilio Pereira are among the world’s best who have already been invited and committed to compete, all competing for the first time in Athletes Unlimited. In addition, 2024 AU Pro Volleyball champion Brittany Abercrombie will return to defend her crown. Overall, among the first wave of player signings, 86% have National Team experience for their country, and 86% of those who competed in the NCAA were All-Americans. Additional roster highlights include

• Additional Olympians Lorenne Teixeira (bronze medalist for Brazil), Manami Kojima (Japan), Natalia Valentin-Anderson (Puerto Rico) and Betty De La Cruz (Dominican Republic), who won the 2022 AU Pro Volleyball Championship. 
• Multiple players with ties to Nebraska (including Wong-Orantes, Valentin-Anderson, and Brooke Nuneviller), as well as Madison (Sydney Hilley and Claire Chaussee). 
• Additional top U.S. stars, all former All-Americans, Madi Bugg, Tori Dixon, Dani Drews, Skylar Fields, Serena Gray, Morgan Hentz, Claire Hoffman, and Molly McCage.  
• Additional top international players Heydi Casanova (Cuba), Pornpun Guedpard (Thailand), and Piyanut Pannoy (Thailand). 

To reinforce its new position in the volleyball landscape, Athletes Unlimited also debuted a new logo for the AU Pro Volleyball Championship, designed in consultation with Doubleday & Cartwright. 

“As the first of the modern pro women’s volleyball leagues to launch in the U.S. back in 2021, Athletes Unlimited takes great pride in the role it has played in helping the sport grow, and we are now thrilled to unveil this iteration of our competition which will bring together the very best from the top domestic and international leagues,” said Cassidy Lichtman, Vice President of Volleyball for Athletes Unlimited. “We are especially excited to bring our unique brand of volleyball to Madison and Omaha, where we look forward to those vibrant volleyball communities enjoying the world’s best competing at the highest level.” 

“We are thrilled to see more volleyball in the Omaha area this fall,” said Lindsay Toussant Brown, Omaha Sports Commission Executive Director. “The Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball Championship provides an opportunity to continue highlighting women’s professional sports. With the AU Softball games slated for July in Omaha and now AU Volleyball in October, these events provide inspiration for the younger generations.”

“Madison is one of the most volleyball-passionate cities in the U.S. From developmental youth leagues to collegiate champions, our community supports the players and teams who leave it all on the court night after night,” said Jamie Patrick, Executive Vice President of Sales & Sports Strategy for the Madison Area Sports Commission. “We are excited to see what the Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball Championship will serve up in its Madison debut this fall.” 

The AU Pro Volleyball Championship will feature Athletes Unlimited’s innovative scoring system, with individual athletes earning points based on both team wins and individual performance, and the leaderboard changing 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 will be crowned the champion.

The AU Pro Volleyball Championship is part of Athletes Unlimited, which was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies and features an Advisory Board comprised of an illustrious group of high-profile contributors from the worlds of sports, business and entertainment, including volleyball legend Karch Kiraly, basketball legend Sheryl Swoopes, softball icons Jessica Mendoza and Cat Osterman, U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team superstar Abby Wambach; and two-time NBA champion and entrepreneur Kevin Durant, among many others.