2024 Volleyball Nations League: Everything you need to know

It's that time of the year again...

The 2024 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) is set to kick off in two weeks' time. There is an incredible disconnect between fans of volleyball in the United States and its own national team (which could be an entire post of its own). The national team does not just play in the Olympics every four years, but rather competes every summer in the designated events for that year. The VNL is an annual event run by the FIVB, meaning there is always something to look forward to at the beginning of each summer. Other years have specific events (such as the Olympic Games or World Championships). Bridging the gap between American volleyball fans and the national team competition simply starts with watching the events and familiarizing oneself. The American team is comprised of players whom everyone watched compete in the NCAA. Their volleyball journey isn’t finished once they graduate; it is just starting.

What is the Volleyball Nations League?

The VNL is the premier annual tournament run by the FIVB. It takes place as the first national team tournament of the summer, usually starting in May. Sixteen of the best teams in the world will compete in the tournament. Each team will play twelve of those teams in a pool stage. This pool stage will take place across three weeks, with teams split across two locations across the world every week. The top seven teams and the host team will advance to the VNL finals, where a single-elimination knockout-style tournament will determine the champion. The VNL champion will be awarded a prize of $1 million. The 2024 VNL Finals will be hosted in Bangkok, Thailand.

Where can I watch the VNL?

In the USA, the VNL will be streamed on VolleyballWorld TV. VBTV costs $7.99 per month or $4.99 per month with an annual subscription. VBTV hosts the VNL, the Italian league, Club World Championships, beach volleyball competitions, as well as select Big Ten Volleyball matches. Note, it will not host any Olympic matches.

When and who does the USA play?

The USA will play four matches per week for three weeks. The full schedule can be viewed here. The USA will start the VNL in Rio de Janeiro on May 15th. They will return to the USA to host the second week of the VNL in Arlington, Texas. They will conclude the tournament in Japan. If the USA qualifies, the VNL finals will take place in Bangkok from June 20th to June 23rd.

Who will play for the USA?

Each team is allowed to select 30 players to be on the 'eligible to compete' list. From this group of players, 14 will be chosen to compete every week. These 14 players can be changed from week to week. The USA's list of players can be found here. The USA national team will feature All-American and national champions from the Big 10, Pac 12, SEC, Big 12, etc.

What other national teams are competing?

There are 15 other national teams that will compete with the USA for the VNL title. They include the defending champions Turkey, China, Poland, Brazil, Serbia, Italy, Thailand, Korea, Germany, France, Bulgaria, Canada, Dominican Republic, Japan, and the Netherlands.

These teams will also feature a variety of current and former NCAA players on their rosters.

Why should NCAA fans care about the national teams or pro volleyball?

National team competitions are the pinnacle of the sport, specifically the Olympic Games. Everyone watches the Olympics every four years. But there is so much more in between those years to offer fans. By supporting the national team, one can be exposed to the best players in the world and a higher level of the game than they'd see in the NCAA. Every fan can find a potential connection to a national team, whether it be their country of origin, one of their lineage, or one where a favorite player is from. The American national team features fan favorites from Nebraska, Stanford, Texas, Wisconsin, etc. By being exposed to the national team (and pro volleyball additionally) it can bridge the gap that these players experience once they leave the NCAA and that level of support is left behind.

Additionally, with the creation of LOVB, PVF, and AU professional volleyball in the USA has never been more accessible. There is no need to wake up at 6 am to watch your favorite player in Turkey or deal with foreign languages and websites trying to find when someone plays in Italy. All of these matches are easily accessible online. Hopefully the day will come when they're on TV, but they need to start somewhere and the NCAA fan base is where that can happen. NCAA volleyball is the best attended high-level volleyball league in the world. PVF has several teams that outdraw every single team in Turkey and most in Italy. American fans can bring that passion and excitement to the national team and professional level. USA Volleyball plays a part in the lack of access and media attention to the sport, but that may be a topic for another time.

If you got this far and don’t want to, that’s cool too.