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.”

UConn might be the lowest seed left standing, but their championship pedigree looms largest of all, as the Huskies gear up to face No. 1 seed UCLA tonight in their quest to end a nine-year NCAA title drought.

“Before you even get here, you kind of know the pressures that exist by committing to UConn,” star guard Paige Bueckers said ahead of the Huskies’ 24th Final Four appearance. “It’s a decision you have to make even before you step on campus.”

Facing the Final Four with a healthy UConn roster

Reaching four of the last five tournament semifinals despite battling years of injury and availability concerns, UConn’s senior class is hell-bent on proving themselves once and for all on college basketball’s biggest stage.

This year’s run has benefitted greatly from backcourt duo Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, reunited in the postseason for the first time in over two years.

Freshman All-American Sarah Strong and key transfer Kaitlyn Chen round out the team's backbone.

"Sarah impacts the game in so many ways, that you just have so much confidence in her, so much belief in her," UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said of Strong. "I don't know. Can't explain it."

Paige Bueckers powers the Huskies offense

Already UConn’s third all-time leading scorer, Bueckers has been on a scoring tear en route to the Final Four, dropping 30 points in her last three outings as she gears up to enter the 2025 WNBA Draft.

“When I say unique, I think she’s closer to one or two or three of most unique players I’ve ever coached,” Auriemma said. “And I’m really going to miss her.”

This Huskies squad has navigated both long-term adversity and recent hurdles with skill and confidence. But will they be the team that gets UConn back on the trophy-winning track?

March Madness isn’t the only game in town this weekend, as Saturday’s College All-Star Game provides WNBA hopefuls one last showcase before April 14th’s draft.

Voted on by members of the media and former coaches, this year’s roster features four All-Americans — Izzy Higginbottom (Arkansas), Shyanne Sellers (Maryland), Makayla Timpson (Florida State), and Harmoni Turner (Harvard) — alongside 16 All-Conference honorees.

All-Star Game showcases WNBA-bound talent

Saturday's matchup returned to Final Four Weekend in 2024 after an 18-year hiatus. The game gives seniors no longer playing in the NCAA tournament a chance to show off their skills in front of pro scouts and a sold-out crowd.

WNBA legends Nancy Lieberman and Cheryl Miller will coach two 10-player teams on Saturday. Longtime college coach Terri Mitchell serving as Game Ambassador.

An additional nine prospects are joining in for today’s All-Star Combine. Invitees include tournament standouts Michigan’s Jordan Hobbs and NC State’s Madison Hayes.

As college basketball grows more competitive, the game plays an important role in keeping the NCAA-to-WNBA pipeline moving.

How to watch the Women's College All-Star Game at the NCAA Final Four

The College All-Star Game tips off on Saturday at 3 PM ET, live on ESPN2.

UCLA, UConn, Texas, and South Carolina have touched down in Tampa, each team laser-focused on tonight’s NCAA Final Four with a trip to Sunday’s national championship game on the line.

SEC titans Texas and South Carolina will square off for the fourth time this season, with the Longhorns looking to upset the reigning champs in their first Final Four appearance since 2003.

UCLA and UConn will later link up for the first time since 2023, with the Bruins fighting for a ticket to their first-ever championship game against a tournament-tested — but title-less — Huskies class.

Top-ranked teams square off in tonight's Final Four

Three of tonight’s teams entered the tournament as No. 1 seeds — Texas, South Carolina, and UCLA — while all four ranked among the AP’s Top 10 throughout the regular season.

“Not only is every team different in terms of their talent base and strengths and weaknesses, but their makeup internally is different,” UCLA head coach Cori Close said on Thursday.

“Whoever gets through this semifinal and final will have done it against the best of the best,” said Texas head coach Vic Schaefer. “We all understand it. It’s hard to do.”

"It’s going to come down to heart, effort, and controlling the things that we can control, which is attitude and effort,” echoed South Carolina senior Te-Hina PaoPao.

After a year of unparalleled parity at the top, there can still only be one winner — and whoever cuts the nets down on Sunday will surely be worthy.

How to watch the Women's Final Four and NCAA Championship this weekend

The Final Four tips off tonight at 7 PM ET on ESPN, with Sunday’s NCAA championship game starting at 3 PM ET on ABC.

Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.

Every week on Sports Are Fun!, co-hosts soccer legend Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, retired NWSL great Merritt Mathias, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes on the biggest women's sports headlines.

This week, Just Women’s Sports brought Sports Are Fun! to Tampa for a live recording ahead of the NCCA Final Four.

Taped in front of a live audience, O’Hara and the crew were joined by some extra special guests. Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, WNBA stars Aaliyah Edwards and Kelsey Mitchell, and UCLA standout Gabriela Jaquez all showed up to talk through the biggest weekend in college basketball.

'Sports Are Fun!' guests give their takes on the NCAA Final Four

Lisa Leslie on why UConn star Paige Bueckers doesn’t need a championship to secure her legacy

• “There's a whole career beyond college… She’s about to be the No. 1 draft pick in the WNBA. Now, if she gets there and she doesn't have a stellar career in the W, then maybe we don't talk about her anymore. But I don't really see that happening.”

Aaliyah Edwards on what UConn needs to do to stop UCLA in the Final Four

• “The first thing is, we just need to set the tone, play our game, focus on us. Because we've been doing great things. Second thing would be to limit the touches inside… And the third thing, which is like a UConn motto, is just play hard, play smart, and have fun.”
• “Obviously respect to UCLA, but I think we got it in the bag.”

Kelsey Mitchell on NIL pressure and Olivia Miles entering the NCAA transfer portal

• “I grew to respect people like Caitlin [Clark] because she handled it so gracefully… With Olivia, I'm sure whatever she decides to do, I'm going to say it was for her and what she needed for her career. But I hope consciously that they make decisions based on what they need for themselves.”
• “Not all money is good money. Hopefully whatever she decides to do is for her and she goes where she’s loved and where she’s celebrated, not tolerated.”

Gabriela Jaquez on how UCLA is preparing for their Final Four matchup against UConn

• “We're feeling great. We're feeling very confident, excited. I think coming here in the Final Four, it's such an extravagant experience, and I'm so thankful for it and these opportunities. But yeah, we all are here to play basketball and win games, and we're excited and we're really confident.”

About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara

'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place.

Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.

From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"

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