Thrill resigns players and adds new faces to the upcoming season roster!

LAS VEGAS (June 30, 2024) – Vegas Thrill proudly announces the re-signing of inaugural season players with the addition of national standouts from across the Pro Volleyball Federation and Athletes Unlimited Exhibition Tour. These contracts mark the new active roster for the second season of the Thrill, whose home matches will be played at Lee's Family Forum in Henderson, Nev. beginning January.

"We are excited to welcome the next group of athletes to Las Vegas," said Ruben Herrera, President of Vegas Thrill. "This group is a combination of outstanding returners and talented new additions. Our returning players were all significant contributors to our team last year and will lead the way on the court and in the community. The future is bright and we are ready to get the 2025 season started for what promises to be an exciting year."

Vegas Thrill welcomes back five impactful returners:

• Alisha Glass Childress – An Olympic bronze medalist and three-time NCAA champion, Childress was the first Vegas athlete and setter in the Pro Volleyball Federation to earn Player of the Week accolades and was named the league’s first ever Most Inspirational Player.
• Hannah Maddux – As a rookie outside hitter hailing from South Alabama, Maddux led the Thrill in total number of kills for the season with 234, quickly becoming a fan favorite.
• Berkeley Oblad – The former Utah Ute and All-American middle blocker is returning for her second season representing her hometown team, adding to her prior professional experience in Hungary, France, and Taiwan.
• Saskia Hippe – Hippe boasts more than 16 years of professional experience in Germany, Greece, Romania, Italy, and the Czech Republic. She played opposite hitter for Thrill in its inaugural season.
• Layne Van Buskirk – Returning from her stint on Canada’s National Team, the Pittsburgh Panther resigns with Vegas Thrill as a middle blocker for her second American professional season.

Five new signees include:

• Willow Johnson – The opposite hitter joins the Thrill after helping lead the San Diego Mojo to the inaugural league Final Four Championships. Johnson earned 95 kills and 76 digs in just one month in the Pro Volleyball federation, competing three months prior in South Korea. Her other professional experience includes Turkey and the Athletes Unlimited Exhibition Tour. She is the daughter of Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson.
• Carly Graham – Graham signs with the Thrill after one season setting for the Orlando Valkyries. Her accolades include Conference USA Setter of the Year and two All-American Honorable Mentions at Rice University, where she holds the third place for most career assists (4,296).
• Anota Adekunle – Another Owl joins the roster. Adekunle received All-American Honors as an outside hitter for Rice University, setting the career record of a .408 hitting percentage. After competing in the Athletes Unlimited Exhibition Tour, this will be her debut in the Pro Volleyball Federation.
• Grace Loberg – All American Loberg won a National Championship as an outside hitter at the University of Wisconsin in 2021. She comes to the Thrill from the San Diego Mojo.
• Teagan DeFalco – DeFalco holds career record for most digs (1,801) and service aces (107) at Grand Canyon University. She was the 2021 WAC Libero of the year, and finished her collegiate career as a beach player at the University of Washington.

June 30 begins the Pro Volleyball Federation’s free agency period for the 2025 season. Teams may sign any player that competed in Pro Volleyball Federation during the 2024 campaign. These may be players that were previously on the roster of any of the seven inaugural season teams – Atlanta, Columbus, Grand Rapids, Omaha, Orlando, San Diego and Vegas.

Vegas Thrill is one of ten U.S. teams for the second Pro Volleyball Federation season in 2025, with Dallas, Kansas City and the Indy Ignite joining as expansion teams.

For more information and to secure a season membership, please visit VegasThrill.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Lillie Redmond
Vegas Thrill
Lillie@vegasthrill.com

ABOUT VEGAS THRILL
From the city that never sleeps, known for its high energy and even higher stakes, Vegas Thrill embodies the spirit of Las Vegas as its new generation of professional athletes and world-class entertainment. The Vegas Thrill is one of ten professional volleyball teams in the second season of the Pro Volleyball Federation, priding itself on respect for athletes and providing fans with the world-class experience for which Vegas is known. The team is owned by Andy Abboud (Las Vegas Sands), Jon Bruning (former Nebraska Attorney General), the Foley Entertainment Group (Vegas Golden Knights), and City+Ventures (National investment and business acceleration organization investing in women’s professional volleyball). For more information and to stay up to date on the latest news, please visit VegasThrill.com.