The Dallas Pulse have advanced to the championship match of the Major League Volleyball season. The Pulse joined the league this year as an expansion team and beat the San Diego Mojo Thursday night at Comerica Center in Frisco.
Dallas won three sets to one to advance to the "Match for a Million."
"I can't believe we're at the culmination of the season," says Major League Volleyball Commissioner Jaime Weston. ""This is our third year for pro women's volleyball. It's just incredible, and they're all vying for a million dollars. The winning team gets a million dollar check. That's not bad."
Major League Volleyball held both semifinal matches in Frisco and will hold the Match for a Million at Comerica Center Saturday. In the first match, the Omaha Supernovas beat Indy Ignite. Both teams had groups of fans in the stands who had made the trip to Texas for the semifinals.
"It was a battle all the way toward the end, but we were victorious. That's the most important thing," a fan from Omaha said after their match.
A group of fans had made the trip together from Nebraska and will stay for the final.
"We're going to explore the city a bit, take our time, enjoy this, come out Saturday and watch the Novas take the championship," one said.
The match with the Pulse followed. Near the front row, a group of season ticket holders had gathered with some wearing blue sport coats.
"We're season ticket holders from the first game," one said. "It's electric, it's been like that the whole time from the opening set to end of the game."
They say they feel confident going into the championship against Omaha.
"We've been absolutely dominant," another fan said. "With Mimi Colyer leading the league in kills, per set and total, and Sofia Maldonaldo Diaz right behind her in second place, Natalia Valentin-Anderson in third with sets and assists, individually they've been great, but as a team they've all come together very quickly. Having that chemistry, coming out game one and looking like they've played together for years was amazing."
That group of fans noticed a lot of kids who came with their parents in the stadium. Kerri Walsh Jennings, an Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball, says the music, mascots and excitement around matches can attract the next generation to the sport.
"When I was ten years old, I was ball girl at Stanford University," she says. "I had just started playing the sport and being ball girl at the university down the road changed my life. Amplify that times a million, these girls can not only play in college then have an amazing career in the pros and the Olympics."
"It's different from other sports like the NFL or NBA where you pass fandom down, volleyball is truly one of the sports where fandom is passed up to the parents," says Weston, the commissioner.
Weston says 54,000 kids are playing volleyball either for school or club teams in Texas.
Major League Volleyball expanded to Frisco this year. In 2027, the league plans to add clubs in Minnesota, the San Francisco Bay area and Washington D.C. The San Diego club is folding due to low attendance.
Weston says owners of other sports clubs are among those who have shown interest in buying into Major League Volleyball.
"We're going from eight to 12 teams next season," Weston says, saying two more clubs will be announced. "That just shows the growth behind this sport. It's an untapped market. It's affordable for the whole family."
The "Match for a Million" will be played Sunday at Comerica Center in Frisco. Tickets are available here.
