Women’s volleyball is booming in 2022. Teams — and investors — are taking notice.

Last year’s NCAA championship game drew 1.2 million viewers on ESPN2, making it the most-viewed women’s college volleyball match ever on ESPN’s networks. The total marked a 71 percent increase from the spring championship and a 119 percent uptick from 2019.

The championship benefited from the two contenders — Wisconsin and Nebraska, both traditionally strong programs — but momentum has continued this season.

At No. 1 Texas, which is headed to the NCAA Tournament semifinals for the 10th time in the last 15 years, senior outside hitter Logan Eggleston has noticed the change.

“I would kind of compare it to a Duke basketball game, if I’m being honest,” Eggleston told the Wall Street Journal. “The crowds are right on top of you. It’s super loud. You can’t even think when you’re in a game.”

The Longhorns will face No. 2 seed San Diego in their semifinal Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, while No. 1 seed in Louisville will go up against No. 2 seed Pittsburgh at 9:30 p.m. ET. Both matches will air on ESPN.

The national championship match is set for Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

This ➡️ Omaha#HookEm pic.twitter.com/mvXn3zu19R

— Texas Volleyball (@TexasVolleyball) December 13, 2022

In September, Florida took down Wisconsin on the Badgers’ home floor in front of 17,000 fans, the largest regular-season crowd in NCAA Division I history. The match broke a record that had been set just weeks earlier by Nebraska and Creighton.

The Big Ten noticed these trends and got ahead of them. In August, the conference announced new TV deals with ESPN and Big Ten Network during the first Big Ten volleyball media days. The Big Ten became the first conference to hold an in-person preseason volleyball media event.

Those investments paid off, as a rematch between Nebraska and Wisconsin on Black Friday drew 587,000 viewers on Big Ten Network. The most-watched volleyball match in the channel’s 15-year history, that total marked a 54 percent increase over the previous high.

Other schools and other conferences are getting in on the excitement as well. In April, Vanderbilt announced that it would be bringing back its volleyball program, which had been cut in 1980.

The rising popularity of college volleyball also has brought a rise in youth participation and professional leagues.

In February 2021, Athletes Unlimited launched a volleyball league that currently operates in five-week seasons each year. AU announced in November a spring tour, which will bring a roster of 15 players to compete against some of the top college programs in the country. During the 2023 regular season, at least 10 of the league’s 30 matches will air on ESPN’s networks.

The number of professional leagues in the United States is also slated to increase

Pro Volleyball Federation is scheduled to begin play in February 2024 with eight to 10 teams. They’ll aim to pay players anywhere from $60,000 to $100,000, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Then there’s League One Volleyball (LOVB), which aims to start after the 2024 Paris Olympics.

LOVB’s structure will look similar to European soccer clubs, with youth teams that will then connect to professional clubs. Right now, the league has 30 clubs across 18 states, with 769 total teams.

LOVB has brought in $24 million in investments, including from Billie Jean King and Kevin Durant. And on Tuesday, they announced their first two signings: Olympic gold medalists Kelsey Robinson and Justine Wong-Orantes.

“Kelsey and Justine are no strangers to being the face of women’s volleyball in the U.S.,” league CEO Katlyn Gao said. “They have led the US to victory in the Olympics, have been NCAA champions, and have made game-winning plays that still have fans buzzing today.

“Having them join LOVB as we build the United States’ first full-season professional league is nothing short of exhilarating and we look forward to not only putting these outstanding athletes on center court, but to giving their passionate fanbase an all new avenue in which to celebrate their love of the game.”

What a year. We spent the year working towards something great, and built a great community. We're accomplishing something BIG, BOLD & MEANINGFUL, & we’re doing it together. We move with unwavering discipline because we're building a legacy. And we’re just getting started. pic.twitter.com/l6X9tLr0ZE

— League One Volleyball (@leagueonevb) December 1, 2022

Robinson “jumped at the chance” to play with LOVB, she said. She league’s roots in the community made it stand out for her — and will make it more sustainable, she added.

“It’s thrilling to be part of a women-led professional volleyball league that will not only provide its players with endless opportunities, but will deliver exactly what this sport needs,” she said.

The league aims to provide competitive salaries that include marketing contracts, healthcare benefits, childcare and fertility services and more. Additionally, the league will look to help players advance in their professional careers for when they’re done playing.

“Working with a league that puts a premium on what its players want is crucial for our sport,” Wong-Orantes said. “LOVB has brought together eight of the most recognized players to meet regularly and discuss everything from our big picture needs to the most nuanced details.

“As an athlete, it’s rare to have the opportunity to shape the face of a sports league, and I’m thrilled to be getting in on the ground floor of building what is bound to be a revolutionary offering.”

With recent transfers Talia von Oelhoffen and Kiki Iriafen joining first-team All-American JuJu Watkins and the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class at USC next season, the Trojans look to transition from an up-and-coming squad to a legitimate title contender. 

Former Oregon State graduate student von Oelhoffen is the latest collegiate talent to commit to the program, announcing her transfer Monday via ESPN. She follows ex-Stanford leading-scorer Iriafen in the jump to the pair’s one-time Pac-12 rival.

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The 5-foot-11 Washington native was a two-time All-Pac-12 guard during her time at Oregon State. But after the recent dissolution of the Pac-12, the Corvallis side found themselves without a permanent home conference going forward. Many big name players opted to take their skill elsewhere as a result, with von Oelhoffen’s fellow ex-Beaver Raegan Beers announcing her own departure to Oklahoma on Monday.

According to DraftKings, USC is now tied with UConn for the second-best betting odds to win the 2025 NCAA women’s tournament. Dawn Staley’s tested South Carolina side, poised for a repeat performance, holds down the number one spot.

Last year, LSU loaded up in the transfer portal after beating Iowa to win the 2023 national championship. The Tigers were clear favorites coming into the 2023-24 season, but were bounced in the Elite Eight by Caitlin Clark’s Hawkeyes. Shortly thereafter, star transfer Hailey Van Lith opted to transfer a second time, this time signing with TCU. 

Yet while history proves that an excess of star power doesn’t always translate to on-court chemistry, on paper, USC sure looks ready to hold their own — in 2025 and beyond.

The United States and Mexico have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, per a Monday afternoon release from U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation.

According to the statement, they will instead focus on developing a "more equitable" bid for the 2031 tournament, with the ultimate goal of "eliminating investment disparities" between the men’s and women’s tournaments.

The federations went on to cite the upcoming 2026 Men’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico as an opportunity to build support for local infrastructure, improve audience engagement, and scale up media and partnership deals in preparation to "host a record-breaking tournament in 2031."

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"Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking — and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximize its impact across the globe," said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. "Shifting our bid will enable us to host a record-breaking Women’s World Cup in 2031 that will help to grow and raise the level of the women’s game both here at home as well as across the globe."

The decision leaves just Brazil and a joint bid from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands in the running for the 2027 host spot. Brazil — the rumored frontrunner — has never hosted a Women’s World Cup, while Germany hosted the 2011 tournament as a solo venture. 

Furthermore, this postponement doesn’t mean the U.S. is a shoo-in for 2031, as it's been previously reported that 2022 UEFA Women's EURO host England is considering their own Women's World Cup bid. FIFA is scheduled to confirm the winning bid after the FIFA Congress votes on May 17th.

Former Stanford leading-scorer Kiki Iriafen is set to join star rising sophomore JuJu Watkins at USC next year, reported ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday. 

The 6-foot-3 forward is coming off a breakout season with the Cardinal, where the then-junior led Stanford to the Sweet 16 with an average of 19.4 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Walking away with the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player award and a spot on the All-Pac-12 team, Iriafen entered the portal at the close of last season and was subsequently ranked second on ESPN’s 2024-2025 transfer ranking list.

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At USC, Iriafen will play out her senior year alongside the Women's Basketball Coaches Association’s 2024 National Freshman of the Year JuJu Watkins, forming what could be an explosive partnership for the Trojans as they look to build momentum going into next season. The Southern California side advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994 this year, ultimately falling to UConn in a heated 80-73 battle.

Iriafen wasn’t the only one making choices this past week. LSU guard Hailey Van Lith officially announced her own transfer to TCU on Friday, while Princeton standout Kaitlyn Chen committed to UConn for her final year of college eligibility. Other big names still weighing their options are Oregon State's Talia Von Oelhoffen and Raegan Beers, as well as UNC's Deja Kelly.

With conference realignment on the horizon and team fit a contending factor, the NCAA women's basketball transfer portal has been busier than ever. And while transfers can bolster many types of college programs, this particular offseason has seen talent-rich programs growing even richer.

Legendary WNBA superstar Candace Parker announced her retirement from professional basketball on Sunday, effective immediately.

"I promised I'd never cheat the game & that I'd leave it in a better place than I came into it," she wrote in an Instagram post. "The competitor in me always wants 1 more, but it's time. My HEART & body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it."

The Las Vegas Aces forward was in the midst of rehabbing a right ankle injury and a left foot fracture after missing part of the 2023 season.

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One of women's basketball's most prominent trailblazers, Parker popularized the play of a "big guard." A back-to-back NCAA National Championship winner with Tennessee, she was drafted No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008. She was named both WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year in her debut season with the league. 

Parker exits the pros a three-time WNBA champion, a two-time league MVP, seven-time WNBA All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and two-time NCAA champion, in addition to many more individual accolades. Throughout her 16-year career, she averaged 16 points, 8.5 rebounds, and four assists per game. She remains the only player in WNBA history to earn three WNBA titles with three different teams: LA in 2016, Chicago in 2021, and Las Vegas in 2023. 

In her announcement, the 38-year-old implied the physical toll of league play was a driving factor in her ultimate decision to walk away from the game, despite recently signing a one-year deal with Las Vegas.

"This offseason hasn’t been fun on a foot that isn’t cooperating," she wrote. "It’s no fun playing in pain (10 surgeries in my career) it’s no fun knowing what you could do, if only…it’s no fun hearing 'she isn’t the same' when I know why, it’s no fun accepting the fact you need surgery AGAIN.

"I’m grateful that for 16 years I PLAYED A GAME for a living & DESPITE all the injuries, I hooped," she continued. "I’m grateful for family, friends, teammates, coaches, doctors, trainers & fans who made this journey so special."

Fans weren’t the only ones shocked by Parker’s surprise retirement. In a reaction captured on video, Liberty forward Breanna Stewart responded to the news with a jaw-dropped, eyebrow-raised "What? Wow." 

Yet while the Naperville, Illinois native’s time on the court might be over, Parker says she isn't leaving the world of basketball anytime soon.

"This is the beginning," she wrote. "I’m attacking business, private equity, ownership (I will own both a NBA & WNBA team), broadcasting, production, boardrooms, beach volleyball, dominoes (sorry babe it’s going to get more real) with the same intensity & focus I did basketball."