photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas setter Ainise Havili celebrates a point from teammate Kelsie Payne against Chicago State during the first set on Friday, Sept. 2, 2016 at the Horejsi Family Athletic Center.

Pro Volleyball Federation teams announced the signings of three former Kansas players on Sunday, expanding the presence of past Jayhawks in the growing league as it approaches its second season.

Ainise Havili and Kelsie Payne, two members of the 2015 KU volleyball team that entered the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame last year, both signed to play in the PVF — but for different teams.

Havili played sparingly for the Vegas Thrill last season, participating in just six sets across four matches. The setter will now join the Indy Ignite, one of three incoming expansion teams along with Dallas and Kansas City.

After having previously played professionally overseas in Germany and Turkey, Havili told the Journal-World she’s eager to keep taking advantage of the opportunity to do so closer to home.

“I think it’s so cool,” she said of the PVF’s presence in the United States. “I think it’s finally here and it’s a long time coming. I wish, wish, wish it could have started before when I was still in school and the path to pros in America (would have been) readily available.”

Sold on joining the Ignite after a series of phone calls with head coach George Padjen, Havili now comes back to the state of Indiana after having previously served as a volunteer assistant at Purdue.

She is currently an assistant coach at Abilene Christian in her home state of Texas. Balancing recruiting and operations responsibilities with playing pro ball is “kind of a lot,” she said, but it’s worth it.

“I love doing both, so I want to stay doing both for as long as I can,” she said.

Her former teammate Payne, an opposite hitter, will play professionally stateside for the first time for the Omaha Supernovas, the reigning champions who also repeatedly set domestic attendance records during their 2024 campaign. Payne spent last season in Italy playing for Città di Messina.

Havili said it would be “funny” getting the chance to take on her longtime close friend.

“I have never played against her before,” she said. “It’s going to be crazy. I’m so happy she’s back in the States and we’ll get to see each other a lot more now, but that’s going to be crazy.”

Joining Payne in Omaha will be a far more recent Jayhawk, Reagan Cooper, who was one of the breakout stars of the 2024 PVF season when she played for the Columbus Fury. (Indeed, the league gave her its Rising Star Award.)

Cooper, an outside hitter who tallied 339 kills in 82 sets while hitting .266 for the Fury, happens to have a Nebraska connection. Her father Reggie played safety for the Cornhuskers’ football team and is part of the team’s hall of fame.

“He’s taught me a lot about not just the competitive side of sports, but also the mental part of it and how you have to be tough and be locked in,” Cooper told the Fury’s website in March. “He’s been a great role model.”

All three of Havili, Payne and Cooper had distinguished careers with the Jayhawks. Havili and Payne had their jerseys retired together in September 2022 and remain KU’s all-time leaders in assists and kills, respectively; Havili was the Big 12 Conference setter of the year on multiple occasions and Payne is the only Jayhawk ever to earn Big 12 player of the year.

Cooper spent just one season at KU after playing for Washington State and Texas Tech, but was a first-team all-conference selection who averaged 3.86 kills per set while hitting .346 and matched the Jayhawks’ single-match record with 29 kills in an NCAA Tournament loss to Penn State.

She was picked No. 14 overall by the Fury in the PVF’s inaugural draft.

The Kansas City team set to begin play next winter, as it happens, is owned by a pair of Jayhawks in Kent and Missy McCarthy. That team has not yet announced its name or its roster composition.

photo by: ZeloMedia c/o Columbus Fury

Columbus Fury outside hitter Reagan Cooper goes up for an attack against the Vegas Thrill on Monday, March 11, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio.