Should 2 U.S. pro volleyball leagues merge? LOVB star backs the idea

Skinner, a Katy, Texas native, grew up playing club volleyball won three NCAA national championships. The first came in 2020 with Kentucky. Skinner won two more titles, in 2022 and 2023, after transferring to Texas and was named the 2023 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player.

Skinner said after college, the only option was to go overseas. And, while the overseas leagues are competitive, they didn’t appeal to her. Skinner wanted to play domestically. In December 2024, she joined LOVB Pro Volleyball, one of two major pro leagues in the U.S., ahead of its inaugural season.

Skinner won a championship with LOVB Austin and earned 2025 Finals MVP Honors. She sat down with USA TODAY Sports to share the reasoning behind her joining the league and what she hopes professional volleyball will become.

‘One of the bigger ones was just the opportunity to be in the States and play in front of my friends and family and stay connected with the people that I love and I care about most,’ Skinner said.

‘Also, knowing the girls that were in the league, how talented they were, how amazing of people that they were, especially in Austin, was what drew me to wanna stay. And to just want to be a part of something that’s super special ― the first season of having this opportunity to play in the States and try to build the foundation for what we want this league to look like in the future.’

Skinner’s loyalty to LOVB has become part of a growing national conversation. She could have chosen the other pro league, Major League Volleyball (MLV). The MLV, originally launching as the Pro Volleyball Federation in 2024, with seven teams across the country. However, like LOVB, which started with six teams and has plans to add three more in 2027, MLV has expansion plans. In 2027, MLV will add three new teams to the current list of eight franchises.

The two leagues and growing number of teams appear to be splitting fans and players across the volleyball landscape. Skinner recently addressed the topic during a podcast appearance with soccer Olympians Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy earlier this year. ‘I’m going to try and keep my filter here, but I just think it’s dumb,’ Skinner said in January. The LOVB Austin star explained her thoughts to USA TODAY.

‘I have had numerous conversations of people being so confused with the fact that there’s two leagues,’ Skinner said. ‘Most people don’t even know that there’s professional volleyball in the [United] States, but to add that other layer of, you can watch here, and you can watch there ― what they’re trying to accomplish in and of themselves are completely different. The foundation that they’ve set is completely different.’

During Skinner’s podcast appearance, Wambach suggested there should be a match between champions of LOVB and MLV, a volleyball Super Bowl of sorts. Skinner agreed with the idea of an LOVB-MLV ‘crossover’ to get everyone ‘on the same page.’ However, the idea of both leagues merging is something she would also support.

‘It would draw in fans more first and foremost, but I think of the player side, being able to have so much talent concentrated in one league,’ Skinner said. ‘… I can only think of how much more competitive, how much more engaging and exciting it would be to have so many talented players in one league competing against each other.’

‘It would make the league and the market less saturated. There’s so many players, and again, a lot of really talented [players], but I think if we can get the best of the best coming here and keep it united, I think it would draw international players … just upping the level of competition.’

Skinner described having two leagues as an lost opportunity to further connect with the community and interact with fans in person or via social media. In her opinion, the more college volleyball stars there are, the more connection to fans. Additionally, fans will be more willing to follow their favorite players to the pro level.

For Skinner, it’s important to provide those opportunities in a singular touchpoint. The volleyball star said she understands the influence it can have on a young player contemplating their future as a pro.

‘To be able to have girls be able to watch our practices … to have those opportunities, where they can physically be like, ‘This could be my life, and this is something that I can work toward,” Skinner said.

‘And maybe they even have a team that’s in their own home city, and they’ve been dying to be close to family ― whatever that may look like ― it gives them a chance to see themselves and us. I think that’s something that, again, very unique and very special, and something that I wish I would have had coming out of college and especially in high school.’