#FromtheArchives: Remembering Major League Volleyball

Let's revisit the women's pro league, which ran from 1987-1989.

Hi, friends. So, in this week’s check-in, we talked about the the launch of the new women’s hockey league, the PWHL, which will begin on New Year’s Day. But did you know that’s not the only pro women’s sports league launching in 2024?

Next year, we actually have two pro volleyball leagues launching! On January 24, the Pro Volleyball Federation will tip off with six teams — the Atlanta Vibe, Omaha Supernovas, Columbus Fury, Grand Rapids Rise, Orlando Valkyries, and San Diego Mojo. And next November, preseason play is slated to begin in League One Volleyball, which will have six teams that are slated to be revealed over the next week.

Both of these leagues will be trying to establish a successful, long-lasting, full-season volleyball league in the United States, something that has never been done before. (Athletes Unlimited does have a volleyball league, but it has a non-traditional format, where teams compete at one site in abbreviated seasons and teams change configurations each week.)

But just because it’s never been done before doesn’t mean it has never been tried before.

So in today’s subscriber-only newsletter, we’re diving into the newspaper and YouTube archives to look at the rise and fall of Major League Volleyball, a women’s professional volleyball league that lasted from 1987-1989. I really think you’re going to enjoy this one.

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