Episode #124

Athlete: Morgan Hentz

“Inside Pro Volleyball”

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Stef: 

Today we are talking with professional volleyball player and Stanford alum Morgan Hentz. Morgan was a three-time NCAA national champion and a three-time Pac 12 Libero of the year during her time at Stanford, making her one of the most decorated liberos in collegiate volleyball history. Beyond her collegiate success, Morgan has played professionally overseas in Germany, competed with the US National team, And is currently playing for the Pro Volleyball Federation team, the Atlanta Vibe. She has earned multiple professional accolades, including the best libero and defensive player of the year in 2022 with Athletes Unlimited. Morgan is also a fantastic part of the Voice in Sport community as a vis mentor.

Today we're going to talk about all the details of professional volleyball and the different pro volleyball leagues that there are in the United States today. Morgan offers advice for people considering playing professionally, also overseas. 

Morgan: 

I think my biggest piece of advice would be to do your research. Do your research not just on the team, but on the city that you're going to be playing in. Try to find Americans that have played on that team in the past. 

Stef: 

She breaks down for us some of the perks of certain leagues. 

Morgan: 

one of the coolest things about PVF is that the winner of the playoffs at the end of the season The team splits a million dollars. So that's a lot of incentive for your team to do well in the playoffs. 

Stef: 

and Morgan gives advice to anyone out there looking to pursue professional volleyball. 

Morgan: 

Put in the work and do the research. So, not only are you putting in the work in the gym, and believing in yourself, working on your mental skills as well as your physical skills, but then asking for help, doing your research, knowing what environment you're gonna thrive best in. And I think that's gonna tell you what path to take in the world of professional volleyball. 

Stef: 

Today's episode offers so much insight into the world of professional volleyball. Morgan shares the different league options volleyball players have in 2025. Advice for those looking to play professional volleyball and so much more Before we get started, if you love this podcast, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And don't forget to sign up at our community@voiceinsport.com or download the new Voice in Sport app. 

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Stef: 

Morgan, welcome to the Voice in Sport Podcast. 

Morgan: 

Yeah, happy to be here.

Stef: 

Today we're going to focus on your journey as a professional athlete. I mean, you had some huge success in college winning three championships, three titles at Stanford University on the volleyball team. But then you've had the experience of going pro overseas to Germany to play.

You've also participated for two seasons in Athletes Unlimited. Inaugural team that started the Pro Volleyball Federation or PVF League. So we also have a new league starting in 2025 called Love Volleyball. So, there is so much momentum behind the sport of volleyball that we wanted to have some time with you to really like break down, you know, these different leagues and pathways to becoming a professional athlete for all of the girls at VIS , you know, that might be considering to go pro after college.

So let's talk about that transition for you. Like when did you decide that you wanted to go pro? What was that moment and how did you evaluate whether or not you were going to do it or not do it? Yeah.

Morgan: 

Yeah, so it was actually not until my senior year of college where I decided I really don't want to give this up yet. I'm still loving volleyball. I still want to keep playing no matter where that takes me and so that's when I started asking questions about okay what are my options and when I was graduating in 2020 the only options really at the time were to pursue overseas volleyball.

Europe has a couple of leagues there. Really popular ones are in Italy, Turkey. Germany, France, Switzerland and there's several other leagues within Europe as well. There's some in South America, Brazil is pretty much the dominant one, and then there's also some in Asia Japan, South Korea and some others as well, but Japan and South Korea are the more popular ones.

But yeah, it was my senior year at Stanford where I decided yeah, this is something I really want to pursue.

Stef: 

And what was the biggest difference once you got there and started playing professional volleyball in Germany from the collegiate experience? If you break it down in terms of like what you actually need to be successful in professional volleyball overseas in Europe, what do you think those attributes are?

Morgan: 

Yeah. So I think the first thing for me was actually finding an agent because agents have a lot of connections to teams abroad and just being in America, you're not aware of some of those connections or you're not even aware of teams that exist out there until you start working with an agent and say, Hey, this team really needs someone in this position.

They're looking to fill this. So having an agent first to get you with a team. Yeah. I got into Germany. And I think that as a libero, sometimes your options are limited. There are certain foreigner rules abroad. So, I know like in Italy and Turkey, I think it's only three foreigners can be on the court at the same time.

And there has to be three Italian players or three Turkish players with you. So that's something that is also has to be taken into consideration, the foreigner limits. But the big thing for me was. A difference in the ball, so Makasa is typically the international standard for, for the ball, and just the movement of it as a passer was different so it took me some time to adjust to that.

Second was just the speed of the game. Sets were faster. There aren't as many substitutions compared to college. In college, I believe there's 12 substitutions. Internationally, there's only 6 substitutions typically allowed. So you're not seeing as many specialists coming across the backcourt.

It's most players playing 6 rotations aside from the middles. And the liberos are going back row for them. So there are some rule changes. Some differences in the ball and just adjusting to getting used to playing with it. And then the speed of the game. It's a little bit faster and it's a little bit more physical.

Stef: 

What about the pay? You know, I was just thinking like, Hey, is this lifestyle shift for you? You know, obviously you graduate from Stanford, a great school with a, with a degree in psychology, you have options. I'm sure I'm sure to like continue and get a job. After college, but you chose the, you know, the professional route.

And at the time, like you said, there wasn't the leagues locally in the US, but what did the pay look like? What is the lifestyle like now for an athlete overseas? What can you expect to get paid? How are you living? Especially in those first couple of years.

Morgan: 

I think the pay drastically changes for positions. So opposites are typically paid the most abroad. Then I would say outsides. Then I would say setters or middles. And liberos are usually paid the least. So our first year wasn't making a whole lot of money. But the great thing about playing overseas is that they cover your housing.

They often provide a car or transportation to get around. So those are things that you're saving on. And so the money is pretty much just coming into your pocket. You do have to pay for your food. But sometimes there are team outings where, you know, dinners are provided. Or you're on the road and you might, you get lunch or Or you might be provided a meal after a match.

So, you're saving a lot of money in ways, but the pay was pretty minimal for me in my first year overseas. I actually started making more money when I came back to the US and started competing here. 

so pay can also differentiate based on the country that you play in. So, a Germany or France. If you're, let's say, a libero, you could probably expect 12,000 to 20, 000. As a middle, maybe around 30, 000. As an outside, maybe around 40. And as an opposite, maybe around 50 to 60 in your first year.

Now, once you're more established and as a veteran, all of those numbers increase probably a little bit. If you're going to a country like Italy or Turkey, the money's better. Increase probably by 10 percent there. And then, Japan actually has in South Korea, they only allow one to two foreigners per team and you can make up to six figures.

If you play in a country like that Brazil, it also depends on the level of professional experience that you already have. Probably starting out, you're making under a hundred thousand, but then as you get older and you're more established as a professional player, you might get into that a hundred thousand range.

So it really is dependent on. your status as a pro, the position that you're in, and the country that you're playing in.

Stef: 

Yeah, that's super helpful. And this is for how long of a league? Is it four or five months?

Morgan: 

So, most of the time, it's about an eight month season abroad. You usually get there around September, and if your team is successful and doing well, the playoffs are at the very maybe beginning of April, could go to the end of April.

Stef: 

So what is your biggest piece of advice for you know, a college student that is considering to go overseas to play for their first

Morgan: 

Yeah, I think my biggest piece of advice would be to do your research. Do your research not just on the team, but on the city that you're going to be playing in. Try to find Americans that have played on that team in the past. There's this huge website called volleybox.net if you click on the website You can see every single player that is played there in their history and I started messaging players just through Instagram or Through actual like texting if I got their number from someone the volleyball world is a small world So I'm sure someone knows them somehow But just reach out ask what their experience was like, especially with the management like, how was the front office in terms of being paid on time?

Were your apartments nice? Were you being fed? Were they providing certain things that you really need? And then asking what the coach was like. How were they like treating players? Or do they have great volleyball knowledge? Just trying to get as much details as you can as what it would be like to be there in person from these people who have already gone through the experience with a team.

Stef: 

So you, you had that experience over at, in, in Germany as a professional athlete, and then you decided to go into the new league that was started in the U S called athletes unlimited and that's a summer league. So it has a different format and I'd love for you to share with our listeners. Like, why did you decide to go to this new, you know, new league in the U S especially right off the bat when it, you know, it was just starting and explain what the format is.

Talk a bit about like what that is. experiences like compared to, you know, the eight month season over overseas in Europe.

Morgan: 

Yeah. So, I decided to come back from Germany just because I felt like I played my best volleyball when I was around loved ones, around my family. And I was just a little more familiar with the territory that I was in. I just felt more full and like myself when I was back in the States. I love Athletes Unlimited.

It's one of my favorite leagues to play in. It's a very different format. It's not traditional. It's about a five week league. So each week, your team changes. There's 44 athletes in total. The top four athletes, based off of their statistics, draft the team per week, and everyone is put on a leaderboard.

All of your stats correlate to points, and each week you're being moved up and down the leaderboard. It's actually after every game. You can see yourself starting to shuffle or move up and down, which is super bizarre. And I think some people found that intimidating at first, just that format. It's, some people compare it to fantasy football, but fantasy volleyball.

And for me, I just didn't look at it. I was like, I don't need to look at this. I'm, I'm just gonna have fun and go back to controlling the controllables and the sport of volleyball and I had a blast with it. I got to play with so many people in such a short amount of time. I made so many new friends and it reminded me of being back in college again, which I had a really positive college experience.

So it was a blast for me. And I came out with 43 new friends. So I absolutely, I had a blast with it.

Stef: 

Okay. And then what's the pay and the facilities like in terms of the support system? what was that experience like? Obviously much shorter of a time period, so can't expect the same amount of pay as overseas. But what, what was it, what was that like? And then how did it, you know, evolve you as a player when you think about what you came, you know, you did it for two seasons, you came out of it you know, describe what you gained out of it from a player perspective as well.

Morgan: 

So the base salary for Athletes Unlimited is typically around 10, 000. And then wherever you finish on the leaderboard at the end of the season. It's correlated to a bonus. So if you finish first in the league, you are crowned AU champion. And that is correlated to a 25, 000 bonus. And then from there, it's usually lowered by 1, 000 or 2,000.

And I believe 44th place even gets a 1,000 bonus. Along with that, you also get a win bonus. So every time you win a match, You're getting money that way too. So there are tons of ways to win money in the league, which is really fun. But you also get a base salary money that you are completely guaranteed.

And then while you're staying with Athletes Unlimited, we're typically in a long stay hotel. So like a residence in or try to like a home two suites. And there's a kitchenette attached to a bedroom. Everyone is, has their own space. Which is super nice and they often provide tons of fun outings for us.

I think we've done Topgolf. We've gone to make your own cowgirl hat, which is super fun. They provide tons of fun activities for us as athletes which I have completely loved. I think after coming out of Athletes Unlimited, I just learned the importance of, you know, working with so many people in such a short amount of time. You, everyone comes from different backgrounds, and how do we get on the same page as fast as possible to compete and win our three games together?

It's crazy. I've been on teams and Athletes Unlimited where we click so fast and it was awesome and everyone was just like, okay, yeah, let's try this. Let's try this. Let's work together. That communication has to be at a high level for your team to be successful. And then there are other weeks where you kind of just crumble.

You don't feel like you click with the people next to you. But it's how you fight through that and how you can. continue to try to figure out how the person next to you plays at their best. So that's what I love about athletes unlimited is that there's this collaboration with all of the players to try to try to play at your best.

And it's such a short amount of time that you really can't,  you have to have that goldfish mentality of like, all right, we didn't do well in that last game, forget it, move on next game. So I think it teaches you how to work with people really well.

Stef: 

Amazing. Okay. So two seasons at Athletes Unlimited in that eight week format. And then, you know, instead of going back to overseas, you actually were contacted to join a new professional volleyball league in the United States which was founded in 2022, but the first season launched in January of 2024 called the Pro Volleyball Federation or PVF. So tell us about your experience and your decision, I guess. to come and be part of this inaugural first season with PVF. You joined the Atlanta Vibe you're now living in Atlanta. That's very different than Germany. And you're now in a professional league here in the U. S. So why did you make that decision and what is it that you love about this new league?

Morgan: 

Yeah, I think I love Athletes Unlimited, but I was also craving the chance to work with a team again and to stay together for longer than a week period. So when I heard that PVF was getting started, I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to figure out how do we create a sustainable league to last year in the US. And just to take off, it's, it's an amazing time for the sport of volleyball and it's played by so many young high schoolers that, you know, there should be opportunities for them eventually one day. And I, couldn't be more excited when PVF was getting started. So I was kind of a player recruiter.

My job was to reach out to players that were currently playing overseas and just inform them of this league that was getting started. It was going to be a traditional format. So. Similar to WNBA and WSL teams where the team is owned by a specific owner or ownership group They fund that team but they're a part of an overarching league, which is PVF.

There's a CEO for the league. Her name is Jen Spiker. She's wonderful. She knows pretty much, she knows every single player's name, which is really awesome. And she probably knows probably a billion details about their life as well, which is just incredible. But so the first year we started with seven teams Orlando, Atlanta, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Columbus, Ohio, Omaha, Nebraska Las Vegas and San Diego.

Yeah. Yeah. And for this upcoming season, we're adding one more team, Indianapolis of Indy Knight. So, the format of the league for the first year was you have, you get to play every team four times. Two at their place, two at home. And then there was a playoff series, a final four, based off of your record that put you into the playoff series which was held in Nebraska, which is, they are the best volleyball fans in the world.

They show out, that's for sure. But yeah, to be a part of it was super special, and to see it grow, and just to see so many players who had been playing abroad, and when they had positive experiences, it was awesome, and some players decided, you know what, I'm I love this. I'm gonna keep playing over here.

But then there was a lot of players who said, Hey I really miss my family. I miss being back in the States. I'm gonna, I would love to pursue this, or I would love to learn more about it.

Stef: 

That's amazing to have a spot back in the U. S. and be able to play professionally over here. So let's compare for our audience like the, I guess the experience, the play, the style, the pay, because that's still important of PVF versus, you know, overseas leagues.

Morgan: 

So, PVF has a rule that the base salary for all players is 60, 000. No player can drop below that. In the first year, they classified two franchise players, two players that could make 100, 000 on the team. In this second season, there is a tier system where there's one player that can make up to 175, two players that can make 120 five players that can make 75, and then six players that can make 60.

I know that structure is already being scrapped for next season, where each team will have a certain pool for money and they're allowed to delegate and spread that, but the base salary will So no player can fall below that, which is awesome because that is a living wage here in the United States.

You know, in certain areas of the states, I know it can be way more expensive in certain states. But housing is always provided by the team, which is also awesome. And in training camp meals are provided every meal of the day. And then when we're traveling with the team we're also given per diem.

I believe we're given a hundred dollars a day if we leave before a certain hour that we can get all of our food from that money that we're provided team for.

So in the first year of the league, games started end of January and they ended second week in May for those that made playoffs. This year, we started a training camp early December, December 1st. And our first games are second week in January, so next week. Around January 10th and 9th, I believe for some teams.

And it's just a little bit shorter of a season compared to overseas. But a lot of players actually are able to compete in Athletes Unlimited. And PVF, if that's what they decide to do. So great great way to make some more money. If that's what you are interested to do as a player. Something that's also different is the level of play.

It was so cool to see so many players that were playing all over the world come back and compete in this league. I think it brought the level of play up so much. I felt like I got better. I was challenged. And what I also loved about PVF is that we did a draft. So in the first season.

There were seven teams and there were five rounds of the draft. So each team got five draftees that they selected. But then there's also roster restrictions. So you can have 14 members on an active roster. Plus two practice players. So it's technically 16 players per team and in a training camp you can have up to 30.

So sometimes there were cuts that were made for, for the team. There are cuts that are made in the NBA, NFL, NWSL, WNBA.

So one of the coolest things about PVF is that the winner of the playoffs at the end of the season The team splits a million dollars. So that's a lot of incentive for your team to do well in the playoffs. 

Stef: 

That's amazing. It's about time. 

So very exciting that a new league is up and running and that you've been part of it. The sport, as you said, is growing so much that there's now going to be another league in the United States Love Volleyball. And their inaugural season is kicking off this January as well. January 2025.

Tell us a little bit about that league and I guess maybe the differences between the two leagues so that our young girls know what their options are.

Morgan: 

Yeah, League One Volleyball is another option, which is, it's just an, it's such an exciting time for volleyball. It's just insane to see the growth in such a short amount of time. But League One is starting with six teams. so Love has teams in Atlanta Austin, Houston, Omaha Salt Lake City, and Madison, Wisconsin. So, one less team than PBF, but still tons of elite players coming from all around the world. I know they Or have said that they will allow a couple more foreign players into their league compared to PVF and PVF.

I know there's a restriction of three international players per team and I think one third of league one is made up of international players. And they have said that they just want to bring that level of play up right from the start. I think something that's different they took one draftee per team.

So they have one player that's fresh out of college that joined each of their teams. I think they also have a couple of their games at neutral sites. Sometimes, there's a strong connection between League 1 Volleyball, Love, and the club side. So there's also League 1 Professional Volleyball and League 1 Club.

And they've acquired a lot of youth clubs across the U S and the professionals are practicing at some of the sites and they've built up those sites to be the practice facilities for these professional athletes. In love all the teams are fallen under one umbrella.

And they are given pay equal versus in PVF, each team is owned by a different ownership group. So I think that is the major difference. It's, they're both still traditional formats and that they're home away games. Around 15 players, I think on League One's team or 16 players on PVF. The pay is pretty similar in both ways.

I don't know the exact structure for pay in League One Volleyball, but very similar. And that they're both traditional leagues.

Stef: 

So now that there's so many options, I guess, like the biggest, I guess, piece of advice that hoping to get from you, Morgan, is how do you decide what to do? Back when you graduated, which wasn't that long ago, there weren't very many options.

And now you've got Athletes Unlimited, you have Love Volleyball and PVF, you still have the overseas options. So if you're a young woman in collegiate athletics right now playing volleyball and considering to, go into the professional field, how do you decide? what's the framework that you would, help these young girls think through the different pathways to becoming a pro.

Morgan: 

Yeah. I think do your research. That's the biggest thing. Are you a person that wants to go explore a different part of the world? Do you want to go take a chance and see a new country? go test it out. A lot of college athletes don't get the chance to study abroad. And some, athletes were like, yeah, I want to go take this chance, play in a different league and see what it's like. Or some people are homebodies. They're like, I want to be as close to my family as possible. So if there's a chance to stay in the U S and play, I'm going to do it. I think what PBF has done is that they've allowed, I guess, close to, so we drafted 40 college players this year to come and play in the States with PVF.

So there's a lot of opportunity there if you're expressing interest. To the coaches, you're asking players that are already in the league. There's so many girls on my team that, reach out to the players from their alma maters and they say, Hey are you interested in our team? We're looking for this position.

So it's basically be super proactive with what you want. Do your research, and then a lot of times finding an agent can be super helpful if you're struggling to find a team. Agents have a lot of connections and they can set you up, at least get you a conversation with a coach or with a team. Just to get your name out there, that's a, great way if you show interest in playing professional volleyball.

Stef: 

I think it's really amazing that there's all these different pathways. When you Take a look back at what the current situation is within all of these leagues and the opportunities that you have today. What do you hope to see for the future of women's professional volleyball in the US.? You know, what does that next chapter look like for you 

Morgan: 

My biggest hope is that the sport continues to grow. That these leagues are sustainable. That we continue to allow Americans to stay in the US and keep playing, but also bring a lot of international talent to the us Like you see in the NBA, the WNBA. There's just such talent.

And I know when I was in Germany, so many international players said I would to give it a go in the us see what it's like. So my hope is that these leagues are sustainable. People continue to invest in women's sports, especially volleyball. And just that there's.

More viewing opportunities for fans to from a lot of fans that have watched their first volleyball game I hear wow, it's so exciting and I'm like, yeah something happens every single point it's it's an exciting game to watch like you're not waiting around waiting for something happen It actually happens every single point.

So I know in PVF this year. We're gonna be on CBS2 Sports FS one and two, which is super exciting. And I know for a league one, I think they're on ESPN plus and some other platforms on ESPN. So the more viewership that we can get for these leagues the more fans we're going to bring to this work, which is how a sport grows

Stef: 

Amazing. Okay, last thing is just one piece of advice for any young girl out there that is considering to go pro. What would you say to her? What would you whisper to her?

Morgan: 

My biggest piece of advice for anyone going pro would be- believe in yourself. And know that you can do it, and put in the work. Put in the work and do the research. So, not only are you putting in the work in the gym, and believing in yourself, working on your mental skills as well as your physical skills, but then asking for help, doing your research, knowing what environment you're gonna thrive best in.

And I think that's gonna tell you what path to take in the world of professional volleyball.

Stef: 

Amazing. Well, thank you so much for sharing your experiences, Morgan, because I think the fact that you've been across so many different leagues and you're now part of building one yourself here in the U. S. Puts you in a great position to continue to give amazing advice, which is why we have you as a mentor here at Voice in Sports.

So thank you for being part of our community and for breaking down all the different options and pathways to becoming

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Morgan: 

Yeah, so happy to do it, and thanks for giving volleyball a voice here. yeah,

Stef: 

This week's episode was produced and edited by vis creator Elizabeth Martin. Morgan's experience in navigating the professional volleyball world, both internationally and in the United States, offers so much insight for young women athletes here at vis that are interested in following a similar path.

Morgan shares with us so much valuable information about the world of volleyball regarding pay, the different leagues, and of course, just general advice on how to succeed. And with all of this, we as well as Morgan hope to see continued growth in the sport of women's volleyball and women's sports in general. Please click the share button in this episode and send it to another athlete who you think might benefit from our conversation. And if you enjoyed our discussion with Morgan, please leave us a rating and review on Apple and Spotify.

You can follow Morgan on Instagram @Morganhentz, and you can check out her voice in sport bio at voice in sport.com/morgan-hence, or download the new voice in sport app and check out her profile. Take a look at our session page inside the app and check out all of our incredible mentors like Morgan.

To explore more content around professional leagues like the sport of volleyball and others, please check out our content at Voice in Sport and in our app. And if you're looking for more podcast episodes on professional volleyball players, check out the episode with Haley Washington where she discusses her own experience playing abroad.

See you next week on The Voice in Sport Podcast.

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Host: Stef Strack

Producer: VIS Creator™ Elizabeth Martin