You Asked for It! AWSN Bringing You Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball
- AWSN Editor
- Sep 11
- 2 min read
After many of you emailed, texted, messaged, and commented, we are happy to say we heard you loud and clear and will be airing Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball live starting in October 2025!
Athletes Unlimited (AU) is redefining professional sports with its innovative, player-centric model. Since its 2021 launch, AU Volleyball has stood out for its unique format, where:
Players form new teams weekly, chosen by the top four point-earners who become captains in a live fantasy-style draft.
Players accumulate points weekly, based on individual stats (like kills, digs, assists), team success, and MVP voting. The season champion is the player with the highest total points at the end.
This high-stakes, ever-changing team dynamic keeps the competition fresh and strategic each week.
The 2025 season unfolds across Madison, Wisconsin, and Omaha, Nebraska, spotlighting 44 top-tier athletes across roughly four weeks of intense competition.
Season Duration: October 1 to November 2, 2025
Key Locations:
Omaha: early October (Oct 1–15)
Madison: late October into early November (Oct 22–Nov 3)
Star Players & Notable Talent
Repeat Champions & Standouts
Brittany Abercrombie, the 2024 champion, continues to be a formidable presence.
Olympic medalists Micha Hancock, Jordan Thompson, Justine Wong-Orantes, and Natalia Zilio Pereira are set to compete in the 2025 Championship, adding elite pedigree.
Morgan Hentz (libero) and Gabby Blossom (setter) return with their strong reputations intact.
Betty De La Cruz-Mejía, Leketor Member-Meneh, Khat Bell, Kayla Caffey, Madi Kingdon-Rishel—all returning faces with high-impact playmaking ability.
Alexa Gray, a world champion, is another marquee addition to the 2025 roster.
Newcomers and International Talent
Temi Thomas-Ailara, Parsons, Cooper, and Chaussee join as fresh faces to watch.
Thai stars Piyanut Pannoy and Pornpun Guedpard cross the Pacific to compete in AU for 2025.
Manami Kojima marks her return for AU in 2025.
Serena Gray is set to make her Athletes Unlimited debut.
Rivalries & Intrigue
Due to the weekly team-draft structure, traditional rivalries don’t exist in the usual sense. Instead, intrigue and tension come through:
Head-to-head battles between high-performing players, especially when they're in different teams.
MVP and scoring races—players chasing the leaderboard create narrative arcs that build week-to-week.
As one fan put it, this format is "utter chaos… kind of fun", with a fantasy sports edge that keeps things unpredictable.
Let’s Recap
Format: A bold departure from traditional leagues—weekly drafts, individual point race, no stable teams.
Top Talent: Mix of returning champions, Olympic medalists, international stars, and newcomers ensures high competition.
Rivalries: Earned through real-time matchups and leaderboard battles rather than geography or fan bases.
Narrative Focus: Individual arcs and MVP races, with each week telling a new chapter.
Make sure you’re getting important league updates and airtime via our free Weekly Watchlist newsletter here!
Bookmark the schedule for local times!
