Sunday Scroll: Serving – literally and figuratively

AU Volleyball is part of the broader Athletes Unlimited (AU) network, which includes softball, lacrosse, volleyball, and basketball events. AU launched in 2020 with softball as its debut sport, introducing an innovative player-centric format under which athletes compete fantasy-style to accrue individual points.

That’s right, AU (currently) operates outside of the traditional, city-based, team format. There are no fixed squads (teams generally change weekly), top-performing players become captains who draft their own teammates each week, and the winner is the individual player that accumulates the most points based on their performance at the end of the season

• AU plays a crucial role in the women’s sports landscape by giving athletes domestic pro opportunities that were previously unavailable. Quite literally game-changing.

And when it comes to volleyball, AU is already the longest-running pro indoor league in the US. Now in their fourth year of existence and following the renewal of their ESPN media deal, they’re poised to capitalize on the record-breaking college fandom and post-Olympic hype.

The AU Pro Volleyball season is a five-week, 44-player party in Mesa, Arizona, with 30 games scheduled between October 3rd and the November 4th grand finale.

While each game is team vs. team, the ultimate goal is to rack up as many individual points as possible. Players accumulate points if their team wins sets or matches, through individual stats like aces, kills, and digs, or by being voted a Top 3 game MVP by fellow players and members of the free-to-join Unlimited Club (aka volleyball fans like you).

• In the end, the top point-earner across all five weeks takes the title. Every moment counts.

After Week 1, every Friday marks the start of a new series of games, where the league’s top four point-getters are crowned captains and handpick new squads for the week ahead. Expect to see several recently graduated college standouts mixing it up with veterans and Olympic stars in what is AU’s most competitive roster to date.

Morgan Hentz, libero: This Stanford alum is so good at digging, she should have been cast in Holes. In her two seasons with AU, Hentz has racked up two Defensive Player of the Year awards, the league record for digs in a single match (25), and the longest win streak in the history of any AU sport (tied at 11 matches). Rumor has it, she’s never lost a game of The Floor is Lava.

Bethania de la Cruz, outside hitter: The 2022 AU champ would have contended for last year’s title too, but she missed four games to help her native Dominican Republic qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics. If you see this fourth-year vet lining up a hit, duck — she leads the league in career kills.

Brooke Nuneviller, outside hitter: A first-team All-American during her time at Oregon, Nuneviller’s a stone-cold killer who knows how to finish strong: She ended last season, her first with AU, on an eight-match streak of double-digit kills to snag the third spot on the leaderboard. If she can keep up that clip in her sophomore season, she’s a serious threat to take the crown.

Alisha Childress, setter: Setters run a team’s offense, and Childress is as steady as they come. From her three straight NCAA championships at Penn State to her 2016 Olympic bronze medal with Team USA, her resume is chock-full of accolades.

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This league isn’t just revolutionary for its fans — it’s also changed the game for the country’s best players. We chatted with the aforementioned Hentz to learn more about what it’s like to play for AU (her responses have been lightly edited for space and clarity).

Q: You’ve already found a lot of success in this league. What are you looking forward to most this season?

A: Every single year, there’s been an increase in the level of play, which has been super fun to see and be a part of…I really enjoy getting to know all of the players here, not just on the court, but off the court as well.

• The relationship aspect of AU is my favorite part about the league. You might be playing against someone one night…but then as soon as the game’s over, you might be in the locker room with them.

Q: The league’s set-up is so unique. What’s it like competing against your teammates?

A: Everyone is friends — I’m going into my third official season with AU, and I have never seen drama off the court. I think players here are just really excited and grateful for the opportunity to be in the U.S. You get players who have played [pro] all over the world, and AU has given them the opportunity to come back to the States and play in front of friends and family on U.S. soil.

Q: Volleyball is booming in the U.S. What changes have you seen in the game as part of this broader women’s sports movement?

A: I think volleyball has been getting more coverage with time, especially at the NCAA level. It’s amazing for the growth of the sport. It’s super fun to watch when it’s streamed on a broader network and given the coverage it deserves.

• I’m hoping that the fan base that the NCAA has created will transfer over to the professional side, especially when fantastic college players graduate and transition over to these pro leagues getting started here.

Q: Why should fans get invested in AU Pro Volleyball?

A: It’s fast-paced, it’s fun, and the talent level is off the charts. You’re not going to be bored for a single point, and just the unique format of it is fun to learn about. I think you get to know players on an individual level since teams are changing frequently.

• AU also gives athletes an amazing platform to use their voices, specifically with charitable causes they really care about. Whatever your win bonus is at the end of the season, AU matches that and gives it to the cause that you’re playing for.

It all starts with tomorrow’s season-opening draft, when the Series 1 captains — Hentz, de la Cruz, Nuneviller, and setter Natalia Valentín-Anderson — choose the teams they’ll go into battle with later this week.

• Then, the season tips off with a Thursday doubleheader starting at 8 p.m. ET on VBTV and Bally Sports RSNs. From there, anything can happen. ESPN networks will be your go-to for most of the season, so tune in and buckle TF up.

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