SMU volleyball standouts Suli Davis and Favor Anyanwu earned USA U21 roster spots, adding more momentum to a Mustangs team chasing another big season.
DALLAS - SMU volleyball is getting another major boost on the national stage as Suli Davis and Favor Anyanwu have both earned places on the 2026 USA Volleyball U21 National Team.
For the Mustangs, it’s more than an offseason honor. It’s another sign that SMU’s roster is loaded with high-level talent heading into a season full of expectations after the program’s Sweet 16 breakthrough.
The connection between Davis and Anyanwu didn’t start in Dallas, but it’s clearly becoming one of the more exciting storylines around the program.
The two have already built chemistry through USA Volleyball competition, and now they’ll carry that bond back onto the international stage this summer.
That kind of familiarity matters when the level rises and every rep counts.
Anyanwu enters the year with plenty of momentum. The standout middle blocker was one of the nation’s most productive defensive forces last season, piling up 178 blocks, a total that ranked fifth nationally and stands as the second-best single-season mark in SMU history.
Her play also helped her secure Honorable Mention All-America recognition, further cementing her as one of the cornerstones of the Mustangs’ rise.
Davis brings plenty of star power of her own. The outside hitter has already shined in USA competition, earning Best Outside Hitter honors while helping Team USA capture silver at the 2025 FIVB Girls U19 World Championship.
Her return to the Dallas area and arrival at SMU gives the Mustangs another nationally respected player with big-match experience.
Together, Davis and Anyanwu give SMU a pair of proven difference-makers who know what it takes to compete under pressure.
That should only help a program trying to build on last year’s historic run.
For SMU, this is the kind of development coaches love to see. Two national-team players, one rising program, and a season ahead that suddenly looks even more promising.
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