Professional volleyball is an unusual creature. In the US pro volleyball means beach volleyball. The AVP is a professional league that hasn't made money in over a decade. It has had any number of problems - mismanagement and inadequate funds. In the past few years it was largely held together by a tour sponsorship from Crocs (the shoes -- why does a shoeless sport use a sponsor who makes a product that has fallen from favor). The prize money was so low that only about the top eight athletes made enough money to live on.
The league went to new management that appears to be competent. The tour is smaller this year and a major tour sponsor has just been announced - NIVEA. This one makes sense. This is a skincare company that makes sunscreen. There is a reasonable brand overlap.
There probably is a there there... Thanks to Title IX there are 329 colleges and universities that are division 1 women's volleyball schools (there are div2 and 3 schools) This system is fed by most of the high schools in the country. Girl's volleyball is a very popular sport. The men's indoor game isn't as popular, but there is still enough talent that the last US Olympic men's team took the gold medal.
There are no professional indoor leagues - the stars go overseas, switch to the beach or retire.
Both sports are interesting to watch, although I'm partial to the beach game (probably because we have a friend who plays). On the beach side there is this struggling league, but the athletes regularly medal and the sport was the 3rd or 4th most viewed Summer Olympics sport in in US. One would think there is some opportunity for growth.
For the time being, if you have ever fantasized about sponsoring a professional athlete who may have been an all American with serious skills you can do so for very little in the beach game.
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