Major League Volleyball (formerly known as the Pro Volleyball Federation) has announced that its third-ever draft will take place on Monday, November 24th. This year, there are only four rounds instead of five, and the league’s new team, the Dallas Pulse, will have the first overall pick. 

This news got me thinking, of course, about who each team will sign. Based on the current rosters each of the eight MLV teams have assembled through free agency signings, I’ve put together an analysis of the current rosters and where each squad stands to benefit most from the upcoming draft.

Note: It’s impossible for me to know which players have their sights set on going to a different league, whether that’s the USA’s League One Volleyball or somewhere overseas. For the purposes of this analysis, I’m mostly assuming that every player is fair game, but I’ll share thoughts on if I think a particular player is likely headed elsewhere.

Atlanta Vibe

– Outsides: Lexie Almodovar, Leah Edmond, Taylor Head, Maddie Isringhausen, Pia Timmer
– Opposites: Aiko Jones, May Pertofsky
– Middles: Taya Beller, Raven Colvin, Khori Louis, Kaley Rammelsberg
– Setters: Mac Podraza, Shannon Shields
– Liberos: Elli McKissock, Britt Rampelberg

Based on numbers alone, the Vibe already have themselves a complete team just from the free agency signing period. The fact that they already have more draft picks than any other team (thanks to the 2024 trade from Columbus) puts them in excellent shape.

It’s hard to imagine the team picking up significantly better middles or outsides than what they have now, but with the second overall pick, they have the opportunity to pick up a player like Flormarie Heredia Colon, who they could slot in on the right side if they wanted to keep most or all of their outsides in place. There’s also UCLA’s Cheridyn Leverette and Missouri’s Caylen Alexander, both of whom are from Georgia. The Vibe’s biggest need, in my opinion, is that right side position, and a player like Malaya Jones or Logan Lednicky would be ideal picks to fill it.

Columbus Fury

– Outsides: Anastasiia Bavykina, Megan Courtney Lush, Raina Terry
– Opposites: Taylor Fricano
– Middles: Rachel Gomez, Regan Pittman-Nelson, Abby Walker
– Setters: Ashley Evans, Audrey Pak
– Liberos: Aleksandra Jegdić

Oh, the Fury. Whether it’s in the standings, the number of free agents they sign, or the number of draft picks they have, they always do seem to be at the bottom. Looking at this breakdown, I feel strongly that the Fury needs a fourth outside, a second opposite, a fourth middle, and a backup libero—but that’s four players, and the Fury has only three draft picks (due to the aforementioned trade with Atlanta). Since teams like Atlanta and Omaha already have nearly full rosters, it’s likely there will be some dropped players after the draft that the Fury may be able to target, but as far as the draft is concerned, their biggest focuses should be on hitters, especially since Courtney Lush can fill in at libero if needed.

This team really needs another opposite, but without a first-round pick, it’s unlikely they’ll pick up a star like Jones or Lednicky. If she’s still on the board in the second round, Allie Szcech from Nebraska could be a great option. If they go for an outside with their first pick, I could see them picking up a player like Alexis Shelton from Oklahoma or Bailey Miller from Arizona State. In the middle, Lourdès Myers of Minnesota is from Ohio, so that could be another good choice to fill that need.

Dallas Pulse

– Outsides: Kaylee Cox, Geli Cyr, Sofia Maldonado Diaz, Isabel Martin, Caroline Meuth
– Opposites: Willow Johnson, Kelsie Payne
– Middles: Karson Bacon, Kaitlyn Hord, Layne Van Buskirk
– Setters: Celia Cullen, Natalia Valentin-Anderson
– Liberos: Kylie Murr

The newest team in the league has a more-than-serviceable lineup already, and they have the first overall draft pick to bolster the squad even further. With that first draft pick, I can’t envision it going for any player other than Malaya Jones, Flormarie Heredia Colon, Eva Hudson, Logan Lednicky, or Mimi Colyer—but again, it’s possible that many or all of these top prospects have their sights set on other leagues, so we’ll see.

With Valentin-Anderson as the likely starter, it’s unlikely they’ll need another setter, though geographically Averi Carlson from SMU would make sense (but, frankly, she’s too good to sit on the bench). To fill out their slate of middles, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla is another geographically sound choice, though if she isn’t Dallas’ first-round pick, she’ll likely be picked by another team by the time their second comes around. The Pulse will also need another libero, and based on draft priority I could see them getting someone like Karissa Kaminski of Dayton, Gillian Grimes of Penn State, or Gulce Guctekin of Tennessee. If they, again, want to pick someone in-state, they’ll likely need to swoop in for Emma Halter of Texas no later than their second pick.

Grand Rapids Rise

– Outsides: Paige Briggs-Romine, Allison Mayfield, Carli Snyder
– Opposites: Elizabet Inneh, Lauren Jardine-Clark
– Middles: Rhamat Alhassan, Alyssa Jensen, Leah Meyer
– Setters: Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres, Camryn Turner
– Liberos: Camila Gomez, Elena Oglivie

Looking at this current squad, the Rise has a really solid backbone in its setter and libero positions, so I imagine they’ll be setting their sights primarily on outsides and middles. With the fourth overall pick, the Rise should be able to get one of the solid choices I’ve already mentioned (Colyer, Heredia Colon, Hudson, etc.).

Beyond some of those more obvious picks, someone from the state, like Michigan’s Serena Nyambio and/or Allison Jacobs, would be great selections to add depth in the middle and outside respectively. TCU’s Sarah Sylvester is also from Michigan and has been excellent for the Horned Frogs this season, so that’s another option for that fourth middle spot.

Indy Ignite

– Outsides: Anna DeBeer, Elise James (McGhee), Kayla Lund, Leketor Member-Meneh
– Opposites: Camryn Hannah, Azhani Tealer
– Middles: Alexandra Botezat, Lydia Martyn, Blake Mohler
– Setters: Ainise Havili, Mia Tuaniga
– Liberos: Elena Scott

Last season’s runners-up have a solid foundation, but there are some immediate areas of opportunity that I see in looking at this roster. While both Havili and Tuaniga are capable setters, they both can be somewhat streaky. I’d say that they should prioritize a setter in the first two rounds, though who that would be is a bit harder to pinpoint. Averi Carlson is the best choice if she’s available, but aside from her I don’t know that any of today’s seniors are starting setter material. Texas A&M’s Maddie Waak or Creighton’s Annalea Maeder could be solid options, but again, I’m not convinced they’d be better than the two current setters.

Beyond that, this team will need another middle and a backup libero (one who is comfortable being only a defensive specialist or otherwise warming the bench, as no one is going to unseat Scott) at minimum. If the Louisville-to-Indy Ignite pipeline remains intact, Cara Cresse is an obvious choice to be that fourth middle. For that backup libero, Colorado’s Sarah Morton is from Indiana, so she may be a slightly under-the-radar pick for the fourth round. I’d also probably encourage this team to find a third opposite, since Hannah can play on either pin. 

Omaha Supernovas

– Outsides: Brooke Nuneviller, Norah Sis, Reagan Cooper, Sarah Wilhite Parsons
– Opposites: Merritt Beason, Emily Londot
– Middles: Morgan Stout, Janice Leao, Elise Goetzinger, Leyla Blackwell
– Setters: Sydney Hilley
– Liberos: Morgan Hentz, Allison Holder (Whitten)

Talk about an embarrassment of riches. That list of outsides is, bar none, the best in the league, and the fact that Hentz will be playing next to Nuneviller in the back row is going to make it impossible for anyone to put a ball down on Omaha’s side of the court. Despite having such great outsides, it’s entirely possible that Ava Martin of Creighton could be a first-round pick for this squad given the Nebraska connection. Similarly, Rebekah Allick of Nebraska is a logical choice for this Husker- and Bluejay-heavy team, but I don’t know that they really need another middle.

The Supernovas’ obvious gap is in a backup setter for Hilley; while I’m not sure that they’ll prioritize that in the first few rounds, if they do, Brooke Mosher of Pitt isn’t a bad setter to have on the bench, since she could come in as an option for a serving sub or on the dub sub. Otherwise, I’d prioritize a right side hitter, since both Beason and Londot tend to be streaky. The Supernovas have the last pick of the first round, so nabbing someone like Malaya Jones or Logan Lednicky is unlikely, but they could leverage the Nebraska connection to get Allie Sczech.

Orlando Valkyries

– Outsides: Charitie Luper, Hannah Maddux, Courtney Schwan, Lindsey Vander Weide
– Opposites: Brittany Abercrombie, Naya Shime
– Middles: Kaz Brown, Natalie Foster, Paige Reagor
– Setters: Pornpun “Chompoo” Guedpard, Hannah Pukis
– Liberos: Emmy Klika, Teodora Pušić

The reigning champs have a pretty complete roster already, but the biggest area of opportunity that I see is in securing an outside with excellent ball control. Stanford’s Elia Rubin, Creighton’s Ava Martin, or Kentucky’s Eva Hudson would be my top choices for that, but whether they are available to this league or still around by the sixth pick is unclear. Additional good selections would be Arizona State’s Bailey Miller or Tennessee’s Hayden Kubik.

Other than that, a fourth middle is an obvious choice. I wouldn’t be surprised if Orlando uses their first-round pick for a middle, so Ifenna Cos-Okpalla or Bre Kelley may be around. Another good choice with an in-state connection is Miami’s Dalia Wilson.

San Diego Mojo

– Outsides: Kendra Dahlke, Grace Loberg, Shannon Scully, Maya Tabron
– Opposites: Jovana Brakočević, Morgan Lewis
– Middles: Kayla Caffey, Marin Grote, Taylor Sandbothe, McKenna Vicini, Karis Watson
– Setters: Carly Graham, Marlie Monserez, August Raskie
– Liberos: Kate Georgiades, Shara Venegas

While this is a pretty full roster in terms of numbers, there’s some definite opportunities for improvement, especially given that the Mojo has the third overall pick. While Brakočević has clout as a three-time Olympian, she is in her late 30s, which may not make her the most reliable option for each and every game. Again, one of the top senior opposites in the NCAA (Jones, Lednicky) would be a logical first-round pick.

If the Mojo wants some in-state picks, they have no shortage of talent to choose from. Indiana’s Avry Tatum, Auburn’s Liz Markovska, and Michigan’s Allison Jacobs are three heavy hitters from California, while nearby Arizona is home to Jordan Wilson and Oregon State’s Lauren Rumel.