AU Volleyball wraps up year one, plots year two

Athletes Unlimited’s inaugural volleyball season has come to an end, with Jordan Larson winning the season’s MVP award.

• Larson was a team captain for four out of five weeks of competition. She finished second in kills with 230, but her total player points (4,569) were 879 more than runner-up Bethania de la Cruz.
• Points were awarded for match wins, individual stats, and match MVP awards, with four captains re-drafting teams each week.

Running it back: Athletes Unlimited has already announced there will be a second season in 2022.

What they’re saying: for many players, getting to play professional volleyball in America was a dream come true. Most have spent their careers playing abroad.

• Aury Cruz: “It’s kind of sad that once you graduate college you either have to join the corporate world, get a job or play in another country. This is a dream come true, so I definitely knew I had to be a part of it.”
• Lindsay Stalzer: “It means the world to every girl playing volleyball or has played volleyball in the United States… To have a league of amazing volleyball athletes so visible to young kids, young females, young athletes, even males, I think it’s priceless to have more exposure.”

Go deeper: How volleyball veterans found a home with Athletes Unlimited (Forbes)

Up next: Athletes Unlimited’s inaugural lacrosse season is coming July 2021.