Top Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball Players to Watch (2025 Season)
- AWSN Editor
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
As Athletes Unlimited Volleyball returns for its 2025 season, the spotlight shines on a mix of seasoned champions, Olympic medalists, and exciting newcomers ready to shake up the leaderboard.
Last year’s title winner, Brittany Abercrombie, will be back to defend her crown, while U.S. standouts like Micha Hancock and Jordan Thompson bring Olympic firepower to the court.
Defensive anchor Morgan Hentz and setter Gabby Blossom return as fan favorites, known for their consistency and grit.
International stars including Canada’s Alexa Gray, Brazil’s Natalia Pereira, and Thailand’s Piyanut Pannoy add global flair to the competition.
And with fresh faces like Serena Gray, Temi Thomas-Ailara, and Anna DeBeer stepping onto the AU stage for the first time, the season promises a captivating mix of veteran dominance and breakthrough performances.
Get to know some of the Standouts
1. Morgan Hentz – Libero
A Stanford alum and three-time NCAA champion, Hentz holds career records at Stanford for digs (2,310) and is a three-time AVCA First Team All-American. She is a three-time AU Defensive Player of the Year, and she also leads in digs for single-season totals. She’s a two-time Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) Libero of the Year, a U.S. Women’s National Team member, and was selected for the 2025 Volleyball Nations League roster.
Hentz has broken league records—she’s one of just two players to surpass 500 career digs in AU, joining record-holder Nomaris Vélez Agosto.
2. Brittany Abercrombie – Opposite/Outside Hitter
Brittany Abercrombie is a 6’2” opposite hitter who starred at USC from 2014–2017, earning All-Pac-12 and AVCA All-American honors in her senior year.
Internationally, she represents Puerto Rico, playing in major tournaments such as the 2022 World Championship.
In 2024, Abercrombie made history in Athletes Unlimited by becoming the first non-outside hitter to win the AU Pro Volleyball Championship, topping the leaderboard with 4,521 points and setting a single-season record for win points. She carried that success into the Pro Volleyball Federation in 2025, where she was named Opposite Hitter of the Year and earned All-League First Team honors.
3. Betty de la Cruz – Outside/Opposite Hitter
Bethania de la Cruz de Peña, known as “Betty,” is a 6'2" Dominican outside hitter renowned for her powerful attacking and leadership on the court. She began her professional career in 2006 and has since played for top clubs across Japan, Turkey, Russia, South Korea, and the Dominican Republic.
Internationally, she has been a cornerstone of the Dominican Republic women's national team, contributing to gold medals at the 2009 NORCECA Championship and the 2010 Pan-American Cup. In addition to her international success, she plays for the Omaha Supernovas in the Pro Volleyball Federation, where she earned All-League First Team honors in 2024.
In 2021, de la Cruz joined the inaugural season of Athletes Unlimited, where she quickly became a fan favorite, leading the league in efficiency during the opening week of the 2024 season.
4. Leketor Member-Meneh – Outside Hitter
Leketor Member-Meneh is a standout 5′8″ outside hitter who starred collegiately at Missouri before transferring to Pittsburgh in 2021, where she earned AVCA All-America Second Team, NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team, and NCAA Regional MVP honors.
After college, she played professionally in Italy with Futura Volley Giovani, then returned stateside to join the Atlanta Vibe in the Pro Volleyball Federation’s inaugural season, helping them to a league-best regular-season record.
In 2025, she suited up for the Indy Ignite, earning PVF Player of the Week honors in Week 1 and being named to the league’s All-Star team. In her 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball debut, she finished fifth on the leaderboard with 3,252 points—racking up 164 kills, 120 digs, 16 solo blocks, and tying for third all-time in AU service aces.
5. Manami Kojima – Libero
Manami Kojima is a 1.58 m (about 5′2″) Japanese libero known for her elite defensive skills and exceptional consistency. After a standout career with NEC Red Rockets—where she won multiple V.League titles, two Empress’s Cups, and an Asian Club Championship—she debuted in Athletes Unlimited in 2024 and quickly became one of the top defensive performers.
In her first AU season, Kojima tallied 196 digs (6th all-time in AU single-season history), averaged double-digit digs in 12 of 15 matches, logged 1,780 win points (T-9th in AU history), and earned All-Position Team honors.
On the professional front, she was named League One Volleyball’s inaugural Libero of the Year in 2025, leading the league with 225 digs, ranking among the best in passing efficiency, and earning Second Team Honors on the LOVB Icons list.
Internationally, Kojima has excelled with the Japanese national team—earning Best Libero recognition at both the 2023 Asian Championships and the 2024 Volleyball Nations League, and was part of Japan’s squad at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
6. Jordan Thompson
Jordan Thompson is a 6′4″ opposite hitter from Edina, Minnesota, who played collegiate volleyball at the University of Cincinnati, where she set a school record with 827 kills in the 2018 season and was a two-time All-American.
Thompson has been a key member of the U.S. Women's National Team since 2019, contributing to their gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In 2025, she joined League One Volleyball's Houston team, where she ranked second in the league with 282 points and 248 kills. It was just announced that she will be joining fellow Olympic gold medalist Micha Hancock in the AU 2025 season.
7. Lorenne Teixeira
Lorenne Teixeira, born on January 8, 1996, in Conselheiro Lafaiete, Brazil, is a 6'2" opposite hitter renowned for her powerful attacking and blocking abilities. She began her professional career in Brazil with clubs such as Mackenzie, ADC Bradesco, and Esporte Clube Pinheiros, before joining Rio de Janeiro Vôlei Clube, where she won the Superliga and the South American Club Championship in 2016.
Internationally, Lorenne has been a key member of the Brazilian national team since 2015, earning MVP honors at the 2019 South American Championship and contributing to silver medals at the 2019 and 2021 Volleyball Nations League tournaments.
She also represented Brazil at the 2024 Paris Olympics, helping secure a bronze medal.
8. Natália Zilio
Natália Zilio Pereira, born on April 4, 1989, in Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil, is a distinguished Brazilian professional volleyball player recognized for her exceptional skills as an outside hitter.
Her international career includes significant achievements such as winning the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Domestically, she has secured multiple Brazilian Superliga titles and South American Club Championships, showcasing her consistent excellence in club competitions.
Throughout her career, Natália has earned numerous individual accolades, including the MVP and Best Outside Spiker awards at the 2017 FIVB World Grand Prix, and the Best Outside Spiker award in the 2016–17 Turkish League . Her club journey has taken her across various countries, playing for esteemed teams such as Fenerbahçe and Eczacıbaşı in Turkey, Dinamo Moscow in Russia, and Savino del Bene Scandicci in Italy, Tianjin Bohai Bank in China, and now AU.
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