5 Major Roster Updates for AU Stars Entering the 2026 LOVB Season
Report day has arrived for League One Volleyball athletes, which means a busy winter is already underway.
As LOVB teams begin to gather ahead of the 2026 season, 27 athletes from this fall’s Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball Championship are springing right back into action. Most are sticking with their original teams, but five AU standouts will take the court with brand-new squads after three signed their first LOVB contracts, and two stars made moves following the league’s inaugural season.
Below is a full breakdown of the players joining LOVB for the first time and the returning athletes who will be putting on new uniforms for the upcoming season.
New Faces in LOVB
Bella Bergmark Signs with Austin
Bella Bergmark is set for her first LOVB season after a strong debut in Athletes Unlimited. She came to AU with two NCAA titles at Texas and early professional stops in Puerto Rico and France. She finished her U.S. collegiate career as a highly efficient middle at California before winning back-to-back national championships in Austin. Her pro experience includes Pinkin de Corozal and Vandœuvre Nancy Volley-Ball, where she helped the club place fourth in France’s Power 6 league.
Bergmark made the most of her opportunities during her AU debut this fall and ranked fifth in the league in blocks per set. Her move to LOVB Austin puts her alongside familiar faces, including Khat Bell and Molly McCage.
Alexa Gray Signs with Salt Lake
Alexa Gray heads into the winter with one of the most decorated resumes in the player pool. She has earned five international medals with Team Canada, including gold at the NORCECA Championship. She is a two-time Club World Champion, a five-time Canadian National Team medalist, and a record-setting All-American at BYU, where she graduated as the program leader in kills, points, and attempts. Her pro journey has taken her through South Korea, Turkey, Italy, and beyond.
Gray played 11 matches during AU’s 2025 season and delivered 77 kills, 2.85 kills per set, 53 digs, and 1.96 digs per set. She’ll now add her firepower to a Salt Lake roster filled with AU talent, as 10 of her new teammates also competed in the championship this fall.
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Annayka Legros Signs with Madison
Annayka Legros brings nearly a decade of international experience into her first season in LOVB. Her career includes long stints in Switzerland and France, highlighted by a 2025 French Cup championship with Mulhouse and multiple Best Spiker honors in France’s Power 6. Before going pro, she was a three-time First Team All-Conference honoree at Coastal Carolina and an AVCA All-South Region selection.
Legros made her AU debut this fall, appearing in eight matches and finishing with 26 kills, 1.13 kills per set, four aces, 13 blocks, and 0.57 blocks per set. She now joins a Madison team that finished third in LOVB’s inaugural season. The roster also includes AU teammates Claire Chaussee and Temi Thomas-Ailara.
Roster Switches
Madi Bugg Moves from Atlanta to Salt Lake
Madi Bugg has shifted to Salt Lake after a standout 2025 season with Atlanta. She ranked fifth in both assists and setting efficiency across the league and ran an offense that posted the highest hitting efficiency, highest hitting percentage, and highest scoring output of the season. She appeared in all 24 matches and totaled 397 assists and 125 digs, including a season-high 49 assists against Salt Lake in March.
Bugg carried that consistency into AU this fall, finishing with 274 assists, 85 digs, and a top-five ranking in assists per set. Her move to Salt Lake places her on a roster loaded with AU talent, where she’ll be one of 11 AU athletes suiting up for the squad.
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Justine Wong-Orantes Moves from Omaha to Houston
Justine Wong-Orantes made the move to Houston after competing with Omaha during LOVB’s inaugural season. She anchored a serve-receive that ranked second in the league in efficiency and collected 200 digs and 53 assists across the season. Omaha struggled in the standings, but Wong-Orantes remained a steady defensive force for the team.
She played every AU match this fall and tallied 106 digs, averaging 2.86 per set. She joins fellow AU standouts Jordan Thompson, Micha Hancock, and Madi Kingdon Rishel on the Houston squad that finished second in the league standings in 2025. Wong-Orantes announced her pregnancy during the final week of the AU season, so her playing status may shift as the season progresses, but she remains under contract and is currently training with the team.
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Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
