Moms in the VNL: The lovely double journey of volleyball stars

Representing your country in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) requires full-time commitment. Between traveling the world, spending several hours in practice, and many more preparing for and playing in matches, there's not much time left for real life.

A group of female players competing in the 2026 edition of the tournament is, somehow, squeezing the most out of every minute available, as they're pairing their athletic duties with the most important task of their lives: being mothers.

• Watch the Volleyball Nations League 2026 on VBTV

American middle blocker Anna Hall is one of them. Aged 26, she had her baby boy Louie last September and resumed her career in February, playing in the American LOVB League. Only four months later, she was already back with the national team, and, with the USA playing in neighboring Canada in the first week of the VNL, she was able to have her son with her in the special moment.

"I’m very proud to be back," she said. "The best part for me, besides having them here, is that USA Volleyball has been so supportive and accommodating for my family too. Being here alone would be impossible.”

Brazilian national team libero and Paris Olympic medalist Nyeme Nunes was also gifted with the possibility of having her one-year-old daughter Antonella in the stands in her VNL comeback, which happened in her country's capital, Brasília.

Nicknamed 'Tonton', she became the team's mascot during their preparation for the VNL and is a sensation among players and fans alike.

"To be back with the national team and to have Antonella with me is way more than I could have dreamed," the 27-year-old said. "With her, I learned to see the good side of everything in life. There's obviously some sacrifices we need to make for everything to work as it should on both sides, and things don't always go as we expect, but having her here overcomes any challenges."

The captain of the Dominican national team, setter Niverka Marte played part of the VNL 2025 while expecting her first daughter, Alana. She became a mother in December 2025 and was already back with the team for the start of the 2026 edition of the tournament.

Unlike Hall and Nyeme, however, Marte was away from her six-month-old daughter in the first week of the VNL, as while the Queens of the Caribbean played in Brasília, Alana stayed home in the Dominican Republic with her grandparents.

"This is a new stage of my life, and I wouldn’t change it for anything," the 35-year-old playmaker remarked. "I’m here playing what I love, but I talk to her all the time, and I think about her every day. I needed to be here because we have a very important year ahead, and I’m okay because I know she’s in good hands with her grandparents."

Balancing the life of an elite-level athlete and a mother is also the reality of Czech setter Pavla Šmídová. Mother to a pair of young boys, she last represented her country's national team in 2019 before returning for the VNL 2026 at the age of 33.

She admits she returned changed, seeing things from a different perspective, and couldn't be happier to experience both of her main passions at the same time.

"When I came back after maternity leave, I was so happy because I could still do volleyball," she recalled. "I wish everybody could come back after having children. Before the children, volleyball was everything to me. Now it’s changed. Family is my priority, and volleyball is for the fun of it. I think about them every day, but when it’s game time, I focus on the game. Afterwards, I switch back into mom mode."

The four stories may have their unique traits and feature players of different ages and backgrounds, but they all come back to the same topic: the ability of these extraordinary women to fulfill arguably the two most important roles of their lives with passion and commitment.

"Motherhood and volleyball both take all of your time, but being an athlete has taught me that you’re capable of more than you think," Marte reflected. "I know it’s very demanding, especially for women and for your body, but I’ve always wanted to be a mother. You can find the balance, but you have to want it. You can have a baby and still be on the court, I think it’s possible to do both things."

While many young female athletes around the world deal with uncertainty about when it would be the best time to become a mother and if that could impact their professional careers, volleyball stars are ready to encourage them and show it's possible to have the best of both worlds.

"I’d say don’t wait on it," Hall advised. "Nothing is guaranteed. I didn’t want to put family aside, and I’m hoping I can still do both. It’s great to have both, and it’s possible."

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