Our Season 1 Volleyball Athletes and their Causes

Here are the organizations our volleyball athletes are playing for during the inaugural season.

&Mother: &Mother is dedicated to breaking the barriers that limit a woman’s choice to pursue and thrive in both career and motherhood 

• Katie Carter – Gutierrez
• Bethania De La Cruz
• Sheilla Castro

1% for the Planet: 1% for the Planet is a global organization that exists to ensure our planet and future generations thrive. We inspire businesses and individuals to support environmental nonprofits through membership and everyday actions. 

• Amanda Peterson
• Lindsay Stalzer
• Molly Lohman
• Molly McCage

4MOM : 4MOM’s mission is to unite professional athletes, coaches, patients, caregivers, and the community in the fight for the world’s first survivor of Alzheimer’s, by advancing awareness, supporting caregivers, and funding research. 

• Kaylee Manns
• Lianna Sybeldon

Ally Global Foundation: Ally helps survivors of human trafficking find healing through safe housing, education and aftercare in Asia and Canada. 

• Brie King
• Taylor Sandbothe

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. 

• Taylor Bruns

Baby2Baby: Baby2Baby, a non-profit organization led by Co-CEOs Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein, provides children living in poverty with diapers, clothing and all the basic necessities that every child deserves. In the last 10 years, Baby2Baby has distributed over 150 million items — more than any organization of its kind — to children in homeless shelters, domestic violence programs, foster care, hospitals and underserved schools as well as children who have lost everything in the wake of disaster. Since the COVID-19 crisis began, Baby2Baby has served over one million children across the country impacted by the pandemic. 

• Odina Aliyeva

Bald Girls Do Lunch: Bald Girls Do Lunch® improves the self-esteem of women and teens with the autoimmune skin disease, alopecia areata. Our goal is to see women confidently back in the driver’s seat of their lives! Losing their hair, eyebrows and eyelashes is quite a shock. Often, it leads to anxiety and depression. We aim to stop the social stigma and personal shame of having no hair in a world obsessed with hair. Bald Girls promotes public awareness, women-centric, healing talks and workshops online and off. We envision a future where nobody feels isolated living with alopecia areata. 

• Deja McClendon

Baller Dream Foundation: The Baller Dream Foundation exists to lift the spirits of brave young warriors and their families affected by cancer. 

• Sherridan Atkinson

Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation (CCF): Founded in 2006, the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation is a global 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, our mission is to find a cure and improve the quality of life for those affected by cholangiocarcinoma. 

• Leah Edmond

Earthjustice: Earthjustice is a national, legal nonprofit defending the planet and its people for nearly 50 years. Earthjustice has 150 full-time lawyers fighting in court for our planet’s future – and representing all clients free of charge. We’re here because the Earth needs a good lawyer. Until justice stands for all, Earthjustice will never rest. 

• Tiffany Clark

Furball Farm Pet Sanctuary: Furball Farm Pet Sanctuary is a sanctuary for cats who are deemed unadoptable due to behavior. We make every effort to rehabilitate each cat and we hope to be able to find them a forever home if possible. If not, we are their forever family! 

• Erica Handley

Hour Generation Foundation: We empower and inspire youth to explore their talents by providing information, advocacy and service allowing them to maximize their potential and realize their special gifts. 

• Alex Holston

InterAction: Led by young Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC), InterAction educates and uplifts young BIPOC to heal from racial trauma, re-write dominant narratives, and build a future free from oppression. 

• Briana Holman
• Erin Fairs

Itech: STEM program providing resources to underrepresented cities to help gain exposure to technology. 

• Erica Wilson

King Wolf Animal Sanctuary: The King Wolf Animal Sanctuary is a family-run, 501c3 non-profit animal sanctuary located in Ramona, CA. We provide a forever home for animals who have been neglected, severely abused, or need a safe home. 

• Holly Toliver

Kurumbuka Leadership Solutions: Kurumbuka Leadership Solutions develops and empowers local leaders across Africa who have the passion and vision to transform their communities. 

• Samantha Seliger-Swenson

Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation: The Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating positive impact for underserved athletes and young women in sports. Founded through the vision and loving memory of Kobe and Gianna “Gigi” Bryant. 

• Sareea Freeman

NAACP Legal Defense Fund: Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans. 

• Ciara Michel

National Domestic Violence Hotline: With nearly 25 years at the front lines of the effort to end domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is the nation’s leading resource for those impacted by relationship abuse. 

• Nomaris Vélez Agosto

Open Arms of Minnesota: Open Arms of Minnesota is a nonprofit that cooks and delivers free, nutritious meals to people living with life-threatening illnesses in the Twin Cities. 

• Taylor Morgan

Operation Underground Railroad: Operation Underground Railroad exists to rescue children from sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. 

• Kylie Pickrell

P/ATH: By using engaging stories from influential role models, P/ATH unlocks the full potential of sports programs to increase empathy, equity, and empowerment in the rising generation. 

• Cassidy Lichtman

Phoenix Police Foundation: The Phoenix Police Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that addresses unmet capital needs of the City of Phoenix Police Department, provides financial assistance in crisis situations and recognizes those who protect our communities. Fund, Assist, Honor. 

• Willow Johnson

Play Like a Girl!®: Play Like a Girl!® leverages the skills gained from sport to propel young women into competitive, male-dominated careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). 

• Dalianliz Rosado

Starlings Volleyball, USA: The Mission of Starlings Volleyball, USA is to positively impact the lives of at-risk girls through the sport of volleyball. Starlings believes the sport of volleyball is ideal for the inner cities and rural areas of America — inexpensive, noncontact and inherently a social game requiring communication and cooperation. 

• Cori Crocker

Step Up For Mental Health®: Step Up For Mental Health® is a peer-to-peer advocacy group providing support, assistance, and educational services to empower families living with the challenges of mental health-related issues and its impact on families. 

• Ebony Nwanebu
• Karsta Lowe
• Kelly Hunter
• Kristy Wieser

Susan G. Komen: Susan G. Komen®’s mission is to save lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer. 

• Aury Cruz

The Humane Society of the United States: The Humane Society of the United States fights all forms of animal cruelty to achieve the vision behind our name: A humane society—for all animals. 

• Lauren Gibbemeyer
• Valerie Nichol

The Montrose Center: The Montrose Center empowers our community—primarily lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals and their families—to live healthier, more fulfilling lives. We envision a healthier society marked by permanent, positive changes in attitudes and behaviors toward the LGBTQ communities, and the ability of all LGBTQ individuals to realize their fullest potential. 

• Symone Abbott

The Pink Fund: The Pink Fund provides financial support to help meet basic needs, decrease stress levels, and allow breast cancer patients in active treatment to focus on healing while improving survivorship outcomes. Our 90-day grant program allows us to meet their critical expenses for housing, transportation, utilities and insurance. 

• Jordan Larson

The Rainbow Connection: The Rainbow Connection grants wishes to Michigan children battling life-threatening medical conditions and offers support services to Wish Families in need. 

• Ali Bastianelli

The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. 

• Kristen Tupac

Trumbull Family Fitness: A Wellness organization that supports families’ and youth to improve their quality of life through physical activity and educational programming. 

• Nia Grant