Texas volleyball star Asjia O'Neal signs with Columbus Fury in new domestic league

After being selected as the top overall pick in the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation draft in December, recent Texas graduate Asjia O’Neal signed a contract with the fledging Columbus Fury on Thursday.

O'Neal will receive the league's base salary of $60,000 a year, with a bonus structure for various individual awards. The league champion will share in a $1 million team bonus, according to Rob Carolla, the league's vice president of public and media relations.

The 24-year-old O’Neal, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker, helped power the Longhorns to back-to-back national titles in 2022 and 2023. The two-time first-team All-American ended her six-year career at Texas with a program-high 601 total blocks, 924 kills, 112 aces and 156 wins.

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That combination of productivity and a winning attitude made her an easy choice as the top pick in the PVF draft, Fury coach Ángel Pérez said.

“She brings a lot of intangibles when you are trying to build a culture and a franchise,” Pérez said in a statement. “What caught our attention was her relentlessness. Asjia is a proven winner, a tough competitor and a fighter. At the end of the day, the things she can do on the volleyball court made her an obvious choice. We are excited to get her on the court and competing at a high level.” 

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O’Neal told the American-Statesman in December that a PVF contract “was comparable” to what she could make playing in Europe, which hosts most of the world’s most profitable leagues.

Volleyball players in Europe can make anywhere from approximately $50,000 a year for new players to millions for established stars, according to various salary analytics. European-based players also have myriad opportunities for endorsements.

The chance to help grow the game in America remains appealing for O’Neal. College volleyball has pulled in record viewership in recent years, and Texas’ win over Nebraska in last season’s national title game drew massive audience numbers for its ABC broadcast.

 “I think it's so exciting that we have these opportunities to play here in America, and this is a perfect time for it,” O’Neal said in December. “The sport is blowing up.”

As for her signing with the Fury, O’Neal said in a statement that “I’m so excited to kick off my professional career here.”

“Being able to play high-level pro volleyball at home in the States is a dream come true, and I can’t wait to see all that this team accomplishes this season,” she said. 

The Fury are in the midst of training camp, preparing for the 2024 season. The PVF will begin play later this month with seven teams each playing 24 matches, according to the league’s website. The season will culminate in May with a four-team championship weekend encompassing two semifinal matches before the title contest. The league plans to expand to 10 teams by 2025.

Even though volleyball began in the U.S., domestic leagues have failed to gain much traction. None has lasted more than a few seasons, and none has ever approached the stability or the salaries of the European leagues.