Pro volleyball is booming—but the pro game hasn’t caught up.

College matches are drawing millions of viewers, participation is surging, and cities like Omaha are packing stadiums. But until recently, the pro side of the sport was fractured and underfunded.

That changed with the $325M merger between PVF and Major League Volleyball.

This week, Jake and Tyler called up Abby Benton—a volleyball content creator and one of the sport’s most trusted voices—to break down the merger, the business model behind each league, and what needs to happen for pro volleyball to finally break through.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Intro01:02 – The 3-league pro volleyball landscape03:22 – Beach vs. indoor volleyball explained04:24 – Which league model has the most upside?06:07 – Why Omaha forced the merger09:36 – The truth about the PVF–MLV “merger”10:24 – Fan sentiment and why it’s a net positive12:39 – No men’s league = no direct comparison14:30 – Why pro hasn’t caught up with college15:32 – Which leagues are worth copying?17:06 – Building a fanbase around youth markets18:30 – Is expanding to 16 teams too fast?19:12 – What life is like for a pro volleyball player22:29 – Who’s funding the league?24:49 – Why volleyball has a media problem26:56 – How leagues can support creators28:08 – What has to happen by 202829:20 – Who’s volleyball’s Caitlin Clark?31:11 – What games to watch and where to follow Abby32:43 – Recap with Tyler and Jake