In 2024, the PVF occupied a prime position in the pro volleyball scene. However, the space has suddenly become quite crowded in 2025. Besides League One Volleyball’s inaugural season running alongside the PVF, Major League Volleyball has also announced its intention to enter the space next year. However, the PVF hasn’t waited to react to the new competition.

Now in their second season, the Professional Volleyball Federation has announced their first-ever All-Star match. The premise is simple: a set of fans, coaches, and PVF officials voted to select 24 of the league’s best players to play two games. However, instead of a PVF coach, two icons of NCAA volleyball, Dave Shondell and Michelle Collier, were selected to guide the teams. And now the scene is set for what is sure to be an exciting match.

The league has divided the 24 players into two teams—Team Collier and Team Shondell. “Here’s how the two teams will be split up and coached by Georgia Tech’s Michelle Collier and Purdue’s Dave Shondell,” wrote journalist Lincoln Arneal while sharing the roster of the two PVF All-Star teams. It’s safe to say each coach has some interesting options to work with.

While the PVF tried to equally divide players selected from the same team, they could only do that with Vegas, Atlanta, and Orlando. Four players each from each of these teams made it to the All-Star game, while Omaha, Indiana, and Grand Rapids could send only three. This inevitably resulted in some unequal divisions. But that was always going to be the case with fewer teams to choose from. The two coaches, however, simply expressed their gratitude to be part of yet another new chapter in pro volleyball history.

“I am honored to be part of this inaugural event in Indianapolis,” Shondell said about the Feb 22 match at the Fishers Event Center. “The PVF continues to create a first-class opportunity for our best athletes,” added the man who has led Purdue for 23 seasons and counting. Michelle Collier had a similar opinion on the PVF’s groundbreaking contribution.

“The PVF has done a tremendous job growing the game of volleyball and providing a next-level opportunity for players to continue their career goals,” Collier said on February 16. You know the league is getting it right when two icons of the game only have good things to say about it. And while the 24 players represent the best the league has to offer, the Atlanta Vibe, in particular, stood out among the six teams, which include the defending champions.

The Atlanta Vibe rookies have made their mark in the PVF

Of the three rookie pros who made it to the All-Star game, two wear Atlanta Vibe’s colors. A testament to the team’s spot-on eye for talent. Among Camryn Hannah, Merritt Beason, and Khori Louis, the Atlanta Vibe rookies Beason and Louis find themselves on Team Shondell. After a stellar college volleyball career with the Nebraska Huskers, Beason has continued her meteoric rise on the pro stage, ranking top 10 in the league for kills. And Khori Louis has similarly hit the ground running after playing for Florida State in college.

The #5 opposite hitter has already ranked in the top 10 in the league for kills with 95 kills and a whopping 3.17 kills per set. The former Husker is also among the top 10 players when it comes to service aces. The Atlanta Vibe had banked big time on the former Husker coming through for their team after Beason became the #1 pick at the 2024 PVF Draft back in November. It’s safe to say their gamble has worked out for them, possibly even better than they could have imagined.

Similarly, the Vibe’s new middle blocker, Khori Louis, has also made an immediate impact in her rookie season. In fact, Louis has climbed to the top of the kill percentage ranking in the current season. With a kill efficiency of .504, the middle blocker is ahead of all the competition in the league. No big deal. And just a reminder, she’s still just in her rookie season. So it’s clear that Atlanta Vibe made all the right moves in the draft.

With these young talents, Team Shondell will certainly receive a boost and perhaps an edge over Team Collier. Not just because of the skills they bring but from the synergy between Beason and Louis that is sure to carry over from their time with the Vibe. But ultimately, when you have a game between the league’s best players, anything can happen.