The Volleyball War: Battle of 4 Pro Leagues (for market domination)
Four leagues having raised hundreds of millions are set for an epic battle to take hold of the emerging volleyball market.
Something big is brewing in women’s professional volleyball.
A sport with millions of players and fans—but no viable pro league—has quietly been building toward a breakthrough.
We’re at a major inflection point:
Massive grassroots and collegiate interest
Zero successful pro volleyball product (until now)
Multiple leagues backed by real capital, top-tier athletes, and institutional LPs
There are a lot of implications at hand…not just directly in volleyball, but in other emerging sports (that could break through if volleyball goes well).
Let’s Dive In 👇
History of Volleyball
The University of Nebraska volleyball team set the world record for the largest attendance at a women's sporting event with 92,003 fans at Memorial Stadium.
The two takeaways we heard:
“this was 50 years in the making” and…
the next step is to “continue into the pro level.”
Before delving into the sport's future, I would like to provide a brief overview of its origins.
Volleyball has been around since 1895, when William Morgan invented it as a lower-contact alternative to basketball.
It became an Olympic sport in 1964 (indoor) and 1996 (beach).
But in the U.S., it’s starting to gain steam at the amateur level:
#2 most popular high school sport for girls
9.6% YoY growth in USA Volleyball membership
Female participation has increased by 15% since 2022 (male participation has grown by 40% since 2017, although starting with a smaller denominator)
And on top of all this…media demand is catching up too.
Volleyball now ranks as the 4th most-watched college sport on the Big Ten Network.
When you combine the surging high school participation with growing college viewership, it’s clear the foundation is set.
The pro tier is the logical next step.
And right on cue, multiple leagues have launched to meet the moment.
Pro Volleyball League Market Breakdown
In years past, international leagues were the only option for the US's best collegiate volleyball players who wanted to continue their playing careers.
And then came the U.S. Pro Volleyball rush (7 different leagues):