Dallas Pro Volleyball has announced the historic free agent signings of setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson, middle blocker Kaitlyn Hord, middle blocker Layne Van Buskirk, libero Kylie Murr, setter Celia Cullen, and outside hitter Geli Cyr — the first official player acquisitions in franchise history — as the team prepares to compete in Major League Volleyball (formerly Pro Volleyball Federation) beginning in January 2026.
“These signings mark a huge moment for our franchise,” said Dallas President & CEO Grady Raskin. “They represent the kind of world-class talent, competitive drive, and community spirit we want this team to embody. They’re not just our first players — they’re the foundation of what we’re building here in Dallas, and we’re just getting started.”
In the coming weeks and months, Dallas will announce its head coach, team name, and season plans, as well as many more exciting players.
Dallas Pro Volleyball will debut in the 2026 season as part of Major League Volleyball’s expanding national footprint, bringing elite women’s professional volleyball to the region for the first time. The league, rebranded from the Pro Volleyball Federation earlier this year, is committed to elevating the sport’s profile in the United States and providing athletes with a premier professional competition.
ABOUT THE PLAYERS
Celia Cullen, Setter
Cullen made her professional debut with San Diego in 2025, but the Dallas resident knows the Metroplex well, having played at SMU from 2022-24. At SMU, she was All-ACC First Team in 2024, All-AAC First Team in 2023, and the American Athletic Conference Setter of the Year in 2023.
Geli Cyr, Outside Hitter
Cyr is a recent graduate of Arizona State, where she started four straight years, most recently earning All-Big 12 First Team honors following the 2024 season. She’s also a DFW native, having graduated from Flower Mound, and played for the 2018 state title team, as well as Texas Advantage Volleyball from 2017-21.
Kaitlyn Hord, Middle Blocker
Spent the 2024 season with Columbus and the 2025 season with Omaha. Hord led the nation in blocks with a 16.1 per set mark in 2022 at Nebraska, and before that was a four-time All-American at Penn State from 2018-21.
Kylie Murr, Libero
A two-year league veteran who played for Vegas in 2024 and Indy in 2025, the Ohio State and Minnesota graduate’s previous accolades include Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten, and she is the All-Time Digs Leader at Ohio State with 1,935 digs.
Natalia Valentin-Anderson, Setter
Valentin-Anderson spent the last two seasons with Omaha, and has competed professionally in Puerto Rico, Azerbaijan, France, Poland and Italy. The native of Puerto Rico was a four-time Best Setter of the Year in the Puerto Rican League, as well as the league’s MVP in 2012-13.
Layne Van Buskirk, Middle Blocker
Van Buskirk, a Canadian national team member, brings an impressive international résumé to Dallas. A Gold Medalist at the 2021 German Super Cup and two-time All-America Honorable Mention selection at the University of Pittsburgh, Van Buskirk has competed at the highest levels of both professional and national competition. Most recently, she starred for the Vegas Thrill in the 2024-25 seasons.