10 top Black volleyball players to watch in Division I
Elite Black talent is gaining attention as diversity continues to increase within the sport
Nebraska volleyball still delivers the level of dominance it established decades ago — it just looks a little different these days.
The Cornhuskers claimed national championships in 1995, 2000, 2006, 2015 and 2017 with mostly white rosters — reflecting their state’s demographics and the sport’s historic lack of diversity at the NCAA Division I level.
However, Black participation in Division I has held steady at 16% over the past four years, the highest since the NCAA launched its demographics dashboard in 2012. In 2025, the total number of Black women’s volleyball players reached a high of 1,009.
Nebraska’s makeup has evolved with the sport. Second-year Cornhuskers coach Dani Busboom Kelly has built on the diverse foundation four-time national champion coach John Cook laid during his later years before retiring in January 2025.
Senior outside hitter Harper Murray, one of the nation’s best players, highlights a Nebraska team featuring seven Black athletes on a 16-player roster that is the overwhelming pick for No. 1 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason poll. Along with Murray, Nebraska’s Black players include outside hitters Skyler Pierce, Jayden Robinson and Teraya Sigler; middle blockers Manaia Ogbechie and Keoni Williams; and opposite hitter Ryan Hunter.
Pierce said she appreciates the program’s commitment to finding elite players of all races.
“I’ve gotten here and as, like, the other classes have shown up, it’s really cool to see just more people of color getting the opportunity to go to Nebraska and being looked at,” she said.
Nebraska is one of four teams set to compete for a $1 million prize pool at Spikes Under the Lights, a new event scheduled for Thursday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Nebraska will play No. 17 Florida, and No. 10 Penn State will face No. 11 SMU, with the winners meeting that night for the championship.
Each team in the tournament features elite Black talent. Murray, who is 6-foot-2, was a first-team AVCA All-American last season. Penn State’s 6-6 Kennedy Martin has been a first-team All-American the past two years. Florida’s Jordyn Byrd, a 6-4 redshirt junior, is a preseason All-Southeastern Conference selection. SMU’s 6-2 Favor Anyanwu is on the AVCA Player of the Year watch list.
Pierce said that kind of representation is an encouraging part of a bigger trend.
“It’s just really cool to see all these people who came from different backgrounds or different stories come together and have the same mission and goal,” she said.
As college volleyball season gets underway, here are 10 of the top Black players to watch in Division I this year.
Favor Anyanwu, SMU
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The Mustangs middle blocker finished her sophomore season in 2025 fifth in the nation with 178 total blocks, the second most in school history. Her .409 hitting percentage and 206 kills in a single season last year ranked second-highest in school history, and she was an honorable mention All-American and an All-Atlantic Coast Conference second-team selection as she led SMU to its deepest postseason run ever.
Olivia Babcock, Pitt
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The 6-4 senior right-side hitter has one of the best résumés in women’s college volleyball history. She is the two-time reigning AVCA National Player of the Year and has been an ESPYS nominee for best college athlete in women’s sports twice. She set Pitt’s program record with 646 kills last season and set the school’s single-game record with 45 while leading the Panthers to a fifth consecutive national semifinals.
Noemie Glover, Arizona State
The 6-2 senior opposite hitter spent her first two seasons at Oregon before transferring to Arizona State, where she was a first-team All-American, the Big 12 Player of the Year and a semifinalist for national player of the year last season. She had 423 kills and a .363 hitting percentage, and she was also on the 2025 All-Big 12 Fall Academic Team.
Kennedy Martin, Penn State
Martin, a senior right-side hitter, started her career at Florida and transferred to Penn State ahead of last season. She was a national player of the year semifinalist last season, recording 634 kills with a .319 hitting percentage en route to a national semifinal appearance. She was a first-team All-American in 2024 and 2025 and a second-team selection in 2023. Her father is former NFL receiver Ruvell Martin.
Harper Murray, Nebraska
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Murray was a first-team All-American in 2025, a second-teamer in 2024 and a third-teamer in 2023, when she was Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Last season, she averaged 3.54 kills per set and had a .295 hitting percentage. She also produced 2.16 digs per set and had a team-high 34 ace serves as the Cornhuskers went 33-1 and reached the national semifinals.
Jurnee Robinson, LSU
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Robinson led the SEC with 4.84 kills per set and 5.34 points per set in her junior season in 2025. The 6-1 outside hitter was on the AVCA All-Central Region Team and conference player of the week twice. She was named a first-team All-SEC selection in 2024 and 2025 and was an honorable mention All-American last season.
Cari Spears, Texas
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The 6-3 outside hitter burst onto the scene as a freshman last season to rank second on the Longhorns with 358 kills and help the team reach the regional final. Spears, who was a third-team All-American last year, was also named SEC Freshman of the Week five times and was the conference’s player of the week twice.
Torrey Stafford, Texas
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Stafford is a two-time first-team All-American and a two-time player of the year semifinalist. The 6-2 senior outside hitter led the Longhorns with 516 kills last season and added 261 digs and 52 blocks in her first year with the program. She transferred from Pitt, where she earned third-team All-America honors as a freshman.
Kyndal Stowers, Texas A&M
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Stowers, a 5-11 senior outside hitter, was named the most outstanding player of the NCAA tournament last season while helping the Aggies win their first national championship. She was a second-team All-American last season as a redshirt sophomore, finishing second on the team with 385 kills.
Jackie Taylor, North Carolina
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The 6-1 junior middle blocker had 165 blocks last season, third most in program history. She started all 31 matches as a freshman in 2024 and was on the ACC All-Freshman team. The daughter of late NFL star Sean Taylor proudly wears his No. 21 for the Tar Heels.