ATLANTA — BYU women’s volleyball setter Whitney Bower and libero Kamaile Hiapo were both drafted by the Pro Volleyball Federation’s Atlanta Vibe, the league and organization announced on Monday afternoon.

The Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) is the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America, featuring world class players and coaches, kicking off its inaugural season on Jan. 24, 2024.

Including the Vibe, the PVF is home to seven teams: the Columbus Fury, Grand Rapids Rise, Omaha Supernovas, Orlando Valkyries, San Diego Mojo and Las Vegas Thrill, with Dallas, Kansas City and Indianapolis joining as future markets in 2025.

The No. 9 overall pick (second in the second round), Bower led the Cougars with 980 assists on the year en route to becoming BYU’s rally scoring era assists leader with 4,583 in her five-year career. She earned AVCA Southwest All-Region team and All-Big 12 First Team honors this past season.

Bower also totaled 139 kills on a .355 clip, second highest on the team, posting 245 digs and 70 total blocks. She finished her Cougar career first in sets played (464), second in service aces (135) and third in total digs (1,230).

Drafted No. 20 overall (sixth pick in the third round), Hiapo was also named to the AVCA Southwest All-Region team after leading the team with 277 digs. The libero was also second on the team with 162 assists and third with 31 service aces. Hiapo finished with double-digit digs in 22 of 32 matches.

Named to the dōTERRA Classic all-tournament team this season and honored as the Classic’s MVP, Hiapo concluded her collegiate career with 1,961 digs, 593 assists, 114 service aces and 27 kills.

Players needed to be at least 18 year of age or older and defined as a college player in order to be eligible for the draft. They were not required to declare for the draft and may choose to return to college if they have remaining elgiiblity and choose not to sign with her Pro Volleyball Federation team.

BYU’s two draft picks were tied for the second-most selections with Arkansas, Tennessee and Washington State. The Big 12 Conference had seven total picks, also second behind the Pac-12’s 11 players picked.

Bower and Hiapo now join Heather Gneiting (2018-19, 2021-22), Roni Jones-Perry (2015-18), Alohi Robins-Hardy (2014-17), Alexa Gray (2012-15) and Tambre Haddock-Nobles (2013-14) as BYU women’s volleyball alumni in the professional world.

Learn more about the PVF at the league website (www.provolleyball.com) and view the Vibe’s full 2024 schedule at atlantavibe.com/schedule.

Men’s h00ps checks in at No. 18 in AP poll

BYU remains ranked in the AP Top 25 for a third consecutive week as the Cougars come in at No. 18 in the latest poll released on Monday afternoon. They are also ranked 17^th in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

The Cougars enter the final three weeks of non-conference play at 8-1 following a win over Evansville on Tuesday and a setback in their first game of the season on Saturday at Utah. They rank in the top 5 in the nation in nine categories including second in bench points per game, scoring margin, 3-point attempts per game, 3-pointers per game and 3-point defense.

BYU is one of six Big 12 schools in the Top 25 for a third straight week, joining No. 2 Kansas, No. 4 Houston, No. 6 Baylor, No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 19 Texas. Arizona remained atop the rankings at 8-0.

BYU opens its five-game home stand on Wednesday, Dec. 13, when the Cougars host Denver at the Marriott Center for the first time since December 1, 1998. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT.

Mozingo tabbed for Honda award semifinalist spot

BYU’s Brecken Mozingo has been named a finalist for the Class of 2024 Honda Sport Award for Women’s Soccer, as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today.

Mozingo is one of four finalists, with Jasmine Aikey of Stanford University, Hannah Anderson of Texas Tech and Onyi Echegini of Florida State joining the list.

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 48 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2024 Honda Cup, which will be presented during a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 24, 2024, at 7 PM ET, from its new home in New York City.

The women’s soccer finalists were selected by a panel of coaches and experts from the United Soccer Coaches Association. The Honda Sport Award winner will be announced later this week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.

Mozingo is a senior midfielder from Sandy, Utah, and led BYU to its second NCAA Women’s College Cup in three years. She is also a finalist for the 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy and is a two-time All-American. She was named to the All-Big 12 First Team, the Big 12 All-Tournament Team and the NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team after leading the Cougars in goals (14) and assists (15) this season.

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