Bower, Hiapo drafted by Atlanta Vibe in PVF Draft

Setter Whitney Bower and libero Kamaile Hiapo were both drafted by the Pro Volleyball Federation’s Atlanta Vibe today.

Author Cameron Muh
Whitney Bower and Kamaile Hiapo drafted by Atlanta Vibe in 2023 PVF DraftWhitney Bower and Kamaile Hiapo drafted by Atlanta Vibe in 2023 PVF Draft

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 Indianoplis joining as future markets in 2025.

Setter Whitney Bower drafted by Atlanta Vibe in 2023 PVF Draft

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).

Libero Kamaile Hiapo drafted by Atlanta Vibe in 2023 PVF Draft

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 and view the Vibe’s full 2024 schedule here.