VB Alum Leap into New U.S. Pro League

Two former Baylor volleyball players are ready to take flight in the professional ranks. Yossiana Pressley, B.S. ’20, and Shelly Fanning, B.A. ’18, M.S.Ed. ’19, were named to the Atlanta Vibe roster in April, joining the new Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) for its inaugural season.

Pressley, the 2019 AVCA National Player of the Year and Baylor’s career leader in kills, will bolster the Atlanta attack. 

Fanning, a three-time AVCA All-American and defensive force, strengthens the Vibe’s front line. 

While Baylor volleyball boasts a number of former student-athletes playing professionally overseas, the addition of the U.S.-based PVF league marks an exciting development in the growth of volleyball and American investment in professional women’s sports. The emergence of leagues like PVF or Athletes Unlimited — a network of professional women’s leagues that includes basketball, softball, volleyball and lacrosse ­— has allowed pro athletes to stay stateside.

Pressley and Fanning were key contributors to Baylor’s historic 2019 season. The Bears captured their first Big 12 title and reached the NCAA semifinals that year. Both players were also two-time members of the U.S.A. Volleyball Collegiate National Team. Baylor fans can follow Pressley and Fanning as they continue their professional careers with the Atlanta Vibe.