Quick Facts:
- Two pro women's volleyball leagues kick off in January 2026: Major League Volleyball (8 teams) and LOVB (6 teams) feature the world's brightest stars with expanded national TV coverage
- MLV expands to 50 matches broadcast on national TV – the most ever for the league – with expansion teams coming to Northern California, Washington DC, and St. Paul in 2027
- LOVB adds 3 new markets in 2027 (Los Angeles, Minnesota, San Francisco) and crowns reigning MVP Kelsey Cook and Team USA libero Justine Wong-Orantes as they prepare to return post-maternity leave
Source: LOVB
It’s a new year, which means there are trends to be tried, resolutions to set and a fresh new set of dates on the calendar. And, girl? Get out your pen because there are sparkling seasons of women’s sports ready to be inked in on the blank space. January 2026 is kicking off the women’s sports calendar with a bang, as two thrilling domestic volleyball leagues open their seasons this week. Major League Volleyball and LOVB are home to some of the world’s brightest and strongest stars who will dig, block and kill their way to championship glory.
New to the scene? We’re here to break down the basics and introduce you to some players you won’t want to miss:
MLV
Source: MLV
The Basics: 8 Teams (Atlanta Vibe; Columbus Fury; Dallas Pulse; Grand Rapids Rise; Indy Ignite; Omaha Supernovas; Orlando Valkyries; San Diego Mojo) will play 14 home matches and 14 away matches, with a record 50 matches broadcast on national TV. 4 teams make the postseason and will vie for the championship.
How to Watch: Coverage for matches can be found here: MLV Broadcast Schedule, and all matches not available to watch will be available on the MLV YouTube channel. Live near a team? Buy tickets to watch in person! First matches are on Thursday, January 8th.
Coming Soon: Look out for expansion teams coming to the league in Northern California, Washington DC and St. Paul, Minnesota in 2027.
Here’s who we’ve got our eyes on this MLV season:
Team: Atlanta Vibe
Position: Middle Blocker
Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida
While the Vibe earned a strong second place finish in the regular season standings, they will be looking to upset defending champs Orlando at the end of the season this year. And if your team sets high goals, you want someone with a 10 foot 8 inch touch to help you grab them. Fresh off a Rookie of the Year campaign in 2025, Khori Louis was the league leader in efficiency and second in the league in kill percentage last year. She’s bringing beautiful confidence to the Vibe, and we can’t wait to watch her shine.
Team: Orlando Valkyries
Position: Setter
Hometown: Nakhon Phanom, Thailand
A good setter is like a good conductor, and Guespard knows how to orchestrate a killer offense. A 16 year pro who’s had a storied career across Asia and Europe, Guespard was second in league in assists in 2025 while leading Orlando to the highest team hitting efficiency in league history (.248). She was named finals MVP after helping her team clinch the ‘25 championship, and we know she’s hungry for the repeat this season.
Team: Orlando Valkyries
Position: Middle Blocker
Hometown: Waterloo, Iowa
Where would the famous conductor be without her elite pianist? While Guespard is setting up the plays for the Valkyries, Kaz Brown is cleaning up and shutting down. She finished top 10 for the 2025 season in points, blocks, service aces, efficiency and kill percentage. Brown also holds all of the records at her alma mater, the University of Kentucky, for total blocks, solo blocks and block assists. Consistency is the key to greatness, especially when you are consistently great.
Team: Omaha Supernovas
Position: Libero
Hometown: Lakeside Park, Kentucky
It’s not an overstatement to call Morgan Hentz the libero of the league. She won Libero of the Year in both 2024 and 2025, and is the only player in league history to average more than 4.00 digs per set over a whole season twice. She has a full Team USA resume, international experience and three NCAA championships under her belt. She holds the record for digs in every category with Athletes Unlimited, and she has no intention of slowing down. If you want to see how this key volleyball position is played, get out a notebook and watch Hentz and the Supernovas.
Team: Dallas Pulse
Position: Outside Hitter
Hometown: Lincoln, California
With the number 1 pick in the 2026 MLV draft, the Dallas Pulse select… Mimi Colyer! Colyer rose through the collegiate ranks first at Oregon, then at Wisconsin, and now she will take her slicing kill to Dallas. Mimi’s favorite food is sandwiches, and apparently her hidden talent is that she can juggle! Tune in to see how this rook balances a new life, a new team and new competition.
LOVB
Source: LOVB
The Basics: LOVB is a volleyball family, supporting kids all the way through to professionals. LOVB has pro presence in Atlanta, Houston, Austin, Madison, Nebraska and Salt Lake, all cities with huge love for the beautiful game. Each team will play 10 home and 10 away matches, with the championship played tournament style between all 6 teams in April. Will any team be able to unseat defending champions LOVB Austin?
How to Watch: Coverage for matches will be live across ESPN, WSN and DAZN. Learn more about how to watch here! Better yet, buy tickets to watch in person! First matches will be played on Thursday, January 8th.
Coming Soon: Los Angeles, Minnesota and San Francisco will be joining the league in 2027!
Here’s who we can’t wait to watch take the court for LOVB in 2026:
Team: LOVB Houston
Position: Opposite Hitter
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
With the most points and kills in the league last year, Jordan Thompson was an easy pick for 2025 LOVB Opposite Hitter of the Year. Where to stash the award? Just add it to the trophy case with her 2 Olympic medals and her shiny new engagement ring! You can’t trust everything, but you can definitely trust that Thompson will put on a show this year.
Team: LOVB Salt Lake
Position: Libero
Hometown: Miyagi, Japan
#1 in digs and #1 in our hearts, Manami Kojima is the people’s libero. With an infectious smile and a bubbly personality, she is the glue on every team she’s been on, from the Higashi Kanamachi Beavers to the NEC Red Rockets all the way up to the Japanese Olympic squad. Step into Kojima’s shoes and see what it’s really like to be a libero. However, don’t let her friendly exterior lull you into a false sense of security. When she’s locked in, there is no one like her.
Team: LOVB Austin
Position: Opposite Hitter
Hometown: Katy, Texas
Madisen Skinner has had a busy past 5 years. After winning NCAA titles with Texas in 2020, 2022 and 2023, she helped LOVB Austin to the top of the podium last year, bagging finals MVP along the way. Famous for her kills, she can hit it from anywhere. When she’s not playing volleyball you can probably catch her hanging out with incredibly famous people, posing with her pup or going to the ESPY’s. You know, casual stuff.
Team: LOVB Salt Lake
Position: Middle Blocker
Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado
As befits one of LOVB pro’s founding members, Haleigh Washington’s resume will simply not fit in this article. To make a long story short, she’s been blocking shots like a rocket since helping Penn win the natty in 2014. She was a gold medallist and Team USA’s best middle blocker in 2021, then a silver medallist in 2024, to go along with her two Volleyball Nations League gold medals. Washington is not only a force on the court, but she always makes time to connect with fans off the court, winning her the league’s inaugural “Woman of the Year” award. This award honors an athlete who makes a significant impact on the next generation, which Washington continues to do daily.
Team: LOVB Madison
Position: Setter
Hometown: Aurora, IL
Everyone loves to see a kill highlight reel, but what about the girl who sets up the spike? Lauren Carlini is the best in the game, leading the league in assists in 2025 and coming in third in the league in setting efficiency at .257. Last year LOVB Madison finished in the middle of the standings and couldn’t make it out of the quarterfinals, so Carlini will be trying to set her team up for a flashier finish this year. Lauren is also here to remind us, no matter the stage or our age, we are never too old to get good luck texts from our dads.
Honorable mentions go out to Kelsey Cook, LOVB Atlanta and 2025 season MVP, and Justine Wong-Orantes, LOVB Houston and Team USA libero extraordinaire, who are both expecting babies in March! Wong-Orantes played a whole Athletes Unlimited season while pregnant, proving, yet again, that women are superheroes. We can’t wait to watch them once they’re back on the court with little ones in tow.
About Parity, a Group 1001 Company
Parity is the leading platform for professional women athlete partnerships. With a mission to close the gender income gap in sports and beyond, Parity connects brands with a diverse network of more than 1,100 women athletes from 85 sports. Through sponsorship activations, content collaborations, and strategic advisory, Parity helps brands authentically engage the most trusted voices in sports today. For more information, visit www.paritynow.co, or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.
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