By any and all measures the San Diego Mojo's first season was a success. The expansion team reached the Professional Volleyball Federation's semifinals, dropping a 5-set epic to the eventual champion Omaha Supernova. How do you improve on that showing?
Add even more talent to a very dangerous roster.
"We were looking for people who could come in and be consistent, who could push the current roster and potentially fill in a spot here or there might be role players," says Mojo head coach Tayyiba Haneef-Park, the reigning PVF coach of the year. "I think that's what we got."
The Mojo landed four players in the PVF Draft, starting with 5th overall pick Devyn Robinson, an opposite (right side) hitter from Wisconsin. The All-American was one of the most versatile players in the country as a senior, averaging both a kill and a block per set.
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San Diego didn't have a 2nd round pick (it was traded away in January for Lindsey Vander Weide) so in the 3rd round they landed SMU outside hitter Maya Tabron. She was the Mustangs second-leading scorer behind Naya Shime, who was a 2nd round pick by the Grand Rapids Rise.
With their 4th round selection they brought a local product back home. Middle blocker Leyla Blackwell gets to play in her hometown. The La Jolla native played at Coast Volleyball Club then spent three years at the University of San Diego, leading the Toreros to the 2022 NCAA Final Four for the first time in program history.
For her final season Blackwell transferred to national powerhouse Nebraska. The Huskers are ranked 2nd in the nation and are among the favorites to win the national championship.
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With their 5th round pick the Mojo went with another outside hitter, Baylor's Elise McGhee, who led the Bears in service aces in 2024. All of their selections have played at least four years at top college programs, a level of experience that should help them adapt quickly in San Diego.
"They're getting that exposure that they're going to see when they come to the pro level," says Haneef-Park. "They're going to see the 6'5" block against them. They're going to see some power attackers and they're already familiar with it. So, not just being on the court at their schools, but playing at a really elite level is going to help them adjust seamlessly ball into PVF."
The entire Mojo draft class looks like this:
Player Details
Name: Devyn Robinson
Position: Opposite/Middle Blocker, Wisconsin
Height: 6-2
Hometown: Ankeny, Iowa
Country: USA
Player Details
Name: Maya Tabron
Position: Outside Hitter, SMU
Height: 6-1
Hometown: Gilroy, Calif.
Country: USA
Player Details
Name: Leyla Blackwell
Position: Middle Blocker, Nebraska
Height: 6-2
Hometown: San Diego, Calif.
Country: USA
Player Details
Name: Elise McGhee
Position: Outside Hitter, Baylor
Height: 6-4
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Country: USA
Interestingly, none of them will be coming to San Diego for a while. All four players will be participating in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament that starts on Thursday, December 5. When the tournament ends they won't have much time to rest. The Mojo start the 2025 season on January in Orlando and play their home opener on January 16 at Viejas Arena against against the Orlando Valkyries.
For tickets to any of their 14 home matches, click here.
