Ava Martin is turning her dreams into a reality after the Atlanta Vibe picked her in the first round of the 2025 Major League Volleyball draft on Nov. 24.
The Vibe selected the former Creighton outside hitter with the second overall pick after a legendary career with the Bluejays. However, her path to where she’s at now wasn’t always an easy one. Her first year trying out for club volleyball, she didn’t even make the cut for the team.
“When I got cut from volleyball, it was kind of one of those things where I was like, ‘Do I love it, and do I want to keep working hard and get better at it, or do I find something else that I’m better at?’” Martin told Hurrdat Sports. “I think in that moment, I just decided this is the game that I love, the game that I want to do. So, when I got cut, I used that to motivate me and work harder. That’s the sport that I chose, and I wanted to be the best that I could at it.”
That determination and perseverance has led Martin to where she’s at now, though she never believed she’d one day become be a top draft pick.
“I think just hearing my name called, and even talking to (head coach) Kayla (Banwarth), that was the plan, but I was still stressed,” Martin said. “Like, what if I don’t get the call? Who knows, because just hearing that I’m a professional athlete or these little things is still just so surreal to me, and it doesn’t feel real. It’s just insane, and definitely a dream come true.”
On the day of the draft, the team held a watch party in Creighton’s lounge, where Martin spent time with teammates, coaches and some family members as she got the call, describing the moment as “surreal.”
“I’ve dreamed of this my whole life, and I didn’t know if it would really be a possibility, but this is seriously one of the coolest things,” Martin said. “You have big goals, and you never know if you can always achieve all of them, and this was one of them. When it came true, it was just unreal.”
The 6-foot-1 pin hitter spent four seasons at Creighton, totaling 1,638 kills, which ranks third in school history, and 744 digs. The four-time All-Big-East player added 129 blocks and 128 aces, guiding the team to four Big East regular season titles and four Big East Tournament championships.
Named the 2025 Big East Player of the Year and Big East Tournament MVP, Martin had a career senior season, averaging 4.48 kills per set, which ranks No. 3 in school history, on .324 hitting and 1.81 digs per set. She also added 47 aces and 37 blocks, and her 529 kills are the second most in a single season in program history.
“Going in my freshman year, I was such a different player than who I graduated as,” Martin reflected. “(Associate head coach) Angie (Oxley Behrens), especially, is a position coach, and she is unreal. The amount of just technical things that I’ve learned from being there is insane. So, they have definitely made me so much better, and even my teammates. I became a better person too, and that always helps on the court as well. So I definitely owe all of it to all of them.”
Martin has certainly made her mark on the court, but said she wants Bluejay fans to remember her for what she did off it as well.
“My relationships are something that’s really big to me,” Martin said. “I think the playing is really important, but the impact you have on people is something that will stay with people forever. So that’s something that I would really like to leave behind.”
Transitioning from college to the pros has brought on some changes for Martin, but she said that she’s adjusting well after arriving and beginning practices with her new team.
“It’s very competitive in here, and I also like the accountability,” Martin said. “If there’s something that goes wrong or there’s a communication error, they’re very quick to figure it out, problem solve on their own without the coaches having to step in. It is a very different level here, and I think people are just more mature and older too. So they have a different way of solving things than we would in the Creighton gym.”
For now, Martin will continue to prepare for her first game as a pro.
“I feel like I’ve already learned so much,” Martin said. “I want to keep growing my game, and I think that’s something that’s really important, but also just relationships. These girls are amazing, and I can’t wait to get to know them more and keep growing.”
The Vibe open the 2026 season against the Columbus Fury at Gas South Arena on Thursday. First serve is set for 6 p.m. CT on YouTube.
