DALLAS (SMU) – SMU Volleyball setter Averi Carlson and opposite Malaya Jones were selected in the 2025 Major League Volleyball Draft on Monday.   

Setter Averi Carlson was selected by the Atlanta Vibe in the first round with the No. 7 overall pick. A Lucas, Texas native, Carlson will play in Atlanta after a four-year career with stops at Baylor, Texas, and now SMU, where she has compiled 1,151 assists, averaging 11.07 assists per set, which ranks second in the nation. Carlson has accumulated 4,384 assists in her career, along with 862 digs and 110 aces.  

Jones, an opposite hitter, was selected No. 9 overall by the Dallas Pulse and will team up with former Mustang setter Celia Cullen. The Pulse traded up to the first pick of the second round to take Jones. She was the Mountain West Player of the Year and an AVCA All-Region selection in her final season at Colorado State. A native of El Dorado Hills, Calif., Jones leads SMU in her lone season on the Hilltop, averaging 4.13 kills per set with a .374 hitting percentage. She has also added 202 digs, 76 blocks, and 18 aces.   

In the last three seasons, six players have been drafted to play professional volleyball under head coach Sam Erger at SMU.  

The complete 2025 draft can be found here.