Today we’re talking all about Nikki’s valentine’s gift mishap – oh and some volleyball, sure. 

We answer some fan questions, including a lengthy discussion on rotations (who knew it was such a rich subject area?). We also dive into some discussions about team depth, roster management, and how injuries are shaping the playoff race.

A highlight of the week was Columbus taking down Vegas in what we thought was going to be another reverse sweep from Vegas, but they just couldn’t swing it. We’ve got another jam packed Thursday schedule this week. Which match up are you most excited for?

(PS Kelly is sorry for her crass humor at the beginning, but it just had to be said)

Timestamps:

0-5:15 - Valentine's gift mishap

5:20-17:35 - Listener questions

17:40-21:16 - Injuries and transactions

21:22-27:21 - Scorner

27:22-45:50 - Match chat

45:55-End - Dear PVF and Wrap up

Follow us on Instagram for our commentary and updates: @courtcaptainspod

Got a question or comment? Email us at: [email protected]

Did yall see that transactions page drama this week? We chat through that in the context of some official word from the league on the 24-hour practice squad claim period. Spoiler alert, Omaha wants to keep all 3 of their setters! We also do a fun little bit about potential player movement and our thoughts on trades in this league. Nikki thinks there needs to be a fun little trade next month, for the sake of the league. JFYI… she is mostly kidding. Don’t come for her. Megan Lush is definitely staying in Columbus.

Then we go through week 5 matches and our reactions. We continue to scratch our heads a bit on the two libero situation, but hey, Orlando is thriving, so maybe we’re old and out of touch. We’re pumped to see CLB get their first win, hoping Atlanta can get it together, and interested to see how Indy can shift for next week.

Follow us on Instagram for our commentary and updates: @courtcaptainspod

Got a question or comment? Email us at:[email protected]

We’re talking Sunday Funday this week! All teams played on Sunday, taking advantage of the no-NFL-Sunday. We had some great sweeps and surprises (Mojo took a set from the Vibe for the first time EVER?!)

Some other highlights include Thrill making their way to the top of the standings. Omaha was swept for the first time by Orlando, who put on a great showing all week. Grand Rapids is hitting their stride after some roster changes. We speculate who Columbus will finally win against and Nikki comes at you with a brand new “Dear PVF” hot take. 

You don’t wanna miss this one, we only used a *few* sports metaphors along the way!

Follow us on Instagram for our commentary and updates: @courtcaptainspod

Got a question or comment? Email us at: [email protected]

As Ian so aptly put it, no new professional volleyball leagues were announced this week, so we’re back to business as usual recapping the PVF action!

We feel Ian’s really hitting his stride with Ian’s Scorner - what do yall think? Since there were only five matches in week 3, we talk through each one of them. From recounting Indy’s first loss in program history to the Mojo, to Rise’s major roster changes. From speculating what’s happening with Columbus, to reviewing the incredibly tight Vegas/Orlando match. We’ve got you.

We’ve also officially branded our weekly request to the league. You’re gonna like this jingle.

We had lots of fun with this one! Thanks for being here :)

Follow us on Instagram for our commentary and updates: @courtcaptainspod
Got a question or comment? Email us at: [email protected]

Hey Captains. Business as usual around here. Nothing to see. No Notes app announcements to decipher. All is cool. 

No we’re kidding. For the first half of this episode, we recount all the drama of the MLV (Major League Volleyball) announcement. It’s major - haven’t you heard? We give the play-by-play, and all the information that’s been shared on the league so far, along with our perspectives, fears, and frankly, brutal mockery, which we do not anticipate will stop at any time.

The second half, we talk highlights from PVF week 2 game play. There are a lot of matches to cover, so we might not get to all of them on each episode this season, but we’ll always make sure to talk through Ian’s Scorner as well as our main takeaways, excitements, and key stats. And to be honest, we’ll probably give one main complaint to the league each week too - this week, it’s a polite request to make sure the Standings page is accurate :) Thanks PVF, love you!

The YouTube chat is kinda toxic lately, huh? Maybe see you there, maybe not.

Follow us on Instagram for our commentary and updates: @courtcaptainspod

Got a question or comment? Email us at: [email protected]

Captains, hello. PVF is here. Are you not entertained?

On the pod this week, we give our thoughts on the league overall so far. From the production and announcers to the starting lineups and team performance analysis of every team, we’ve got plenty of thoughts on week one. A few highlights: Ian has the vision, with Indy turning it around and finishing off Orlando in their opener. Kelly thinks it’s really fun to see all these players in new jerseys! Nikki needs the PVF swirling logo to take less time between the reply and the live feed.

See you in the YouTube chat!

Follow us on Instagram for our commentary and updates: @courtcaptainspod
Got a question or comment? Email us at: [email protected]

Hey Captains! For the first time in PVF history, the second season is about to begin!!!

Our season preview is all about the talent! We update you on the latest that’s happened with the league since the draft, and then chat through our top two players of each position in the league that you should keep an eye on during opening week. Then we speculate on who’s making the big bucks, which rookies we think will be able to make an impact this year, and our biggest question marks for what we’re curious to see this season.

Finally, we give you our predictions for who will come in at the top of the table this season - but of course, we reserve the right to cheer for every team and support anyone who makes it happen.

Follow us on Instagram for our commentary and updates: @courtcaptainspod

Got a question or comment? Email us at: [email protected]

Welcome to Court Captains! We’re happy you’re here.

If you’ve heard about women’s pro volleyball in the United States and you want to learn more, you’re in the right place. We’re here to provide a breakdown of the pro leagues in the US as of the 2025 season. We’ll tell you how each league operates, how many teams and players each league has, as well as league roster rules. We share information that we have on salaries, how the season goes in terms of regular play, tournament play, and playoffs - plus, where you can watch these matches. We also go into the founders of each league and the investment/business structure, so you can learn more about how these leagues came about.

Who are we and what do we know? Two of us played volleyball in college and one of us is a volley newbie who loves all the sports. Between us, we’ve been in the volleyball world (playing youth club volleyball, NCAA, coaching club, and playing adult USAV) for over 4 decades. We are a weekly PVF podcast - so we can’t say we’re completely unbiased, but these are our honest opinions of these leagues after months of research!

We hope you’ll tune in for our weekly episodes and stay up to date with all the PVF action this season!

Follow us on Instagram for our commentary and updates: @courtcaptainspod

Got a question or comment? Email us at: [email protected]

SEASON TWO IS UPON US, CAPTAINS.

With the draft coming up on Monday 11/25, we’re coming to you with everything we know about the draft rules and what to expect. NCAA athletes do NOT declare for this draft - so anything can happen!

We chat through quick reminders on what each team is working with given the summer signing period: total roster numbers, number of returners, PVF transfers, and new faces. Which rosters are we excited about? Concerned about? Intrigued by? Confused by? Then, friend of the pod Jay Markle joins us to talk about college athletes he’s been keeping an eye on for this draft! We need him, because fall is our off-season, and we do not watch much college volleyball anymore (Kelly and Nikki are LONG retired, can you blame us?)

Thanks so much to Jay for educating us and speculating with us! You can find his substack with draft prospects and player interviews at https://pvfdrafthub.substack.com

Get your refresh on current signings via our Watch List: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YA5wXBUKuG0nPnBxEJVCX4Y12FXHwIUCOmIhqr49JDs/edit?usp=share_link

Follow us on Instagram for our commentary and updates: @courtcaptainspod
Got a question or comment? Email us at: [email protected]

Our fourth and final guest of the 2024 off-season is Morgan Lewis! A southern California native, Morgan started playing volleyball at 9 and dreamed of playing professionally. She played college volleyball as an Oregon Duck, and was happy to be drafted her rookie year by Coach Haneef-Park - to play in her hometown for the San Diego Mojo in the inaugural PVF season.

Morgan talks with us about her excitement to play for the Columbus Fury in 2025, what went into her decision to transfer, and tells us about her current hyper fixation meal that proves to us she’s ready to feel at home in Ohio. We also chatted with Morgan about her pre-game routines (someone get this girl an Alani deal), her on-court jewelry preferences, and her earliest volleyball memory (it’s the cutest story ever).

Hope you enjoyed our interview series! Now let’s get ready for season two 🙂

Keep track of PVF 2025 signings with us on our Google Sheet: PVF '25 Commitments Watch List - by Court Captains

Follow us on Instagram for our commentary and updates: @courtcaptainspod

Got a question or a reaction to the signing period? Email us at: [email protected]

Looking to support making volleyball more equitable? Consider donating to Lights Out Volleyball https://www.lightsoutvolleyball.org/