Rising Stars: Meet the 2025 San Diego Mojo Rookies

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PVF San Diego Mojo

Rising Stars: Meet the 2025 San Diego Mojo Rookies

June 6, 2025 - Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF)
San Diego Mojo News Release


In a season highlighted by new talent, the addition of four rookies played a key role in many of the San Diego Mojo's successes in 2025. Their stellar rookie class was composed of Pro Volleyball Federation draft picks outside hitter Maya Tabron, middle blocker Leyla Blackwell, and outside hitter Elise McGhee, along with the midseason addition setter Celia Cullen.

Selected in the third round with the 23rd overall pick, Tabron made an immediate impact on the Mojo, finishing the season with 229 kills, 38 blocks, and 12 service aces, while also establishing Mojo rookie records for blocks (38), blocks per set (0.47) and aces per set (0.15) and tied the record for total service aces (12). Growing up in a Bay Area basketball family, the Gilroy, Calif. began playing volleyball in middle school.

"I kind of hopped through different clubs for a couple of years, but then found a great coach through really developed players," Tabron said. "And I'm from the Bay Area, so up there, there's a lot of great volleyball."

After four years playing for the University of Colorado, she transferred to SMU, playing a huge role in the team's 2023-24 season, helping the Mustangs defeat second-ranked Nebraska and top-ranked Pitt. Although it took time to adjust to the rapid transition to professional volleyball, Tabron remained grateful for the opportunity to play professionally in the United States.

"Just knowing that being able to play in the U.S. and be a part of one of these historic first seasons of pro volleyball in the United States, it's such a blessing," Tabron said. "I just try to think about that, and think about the fact that I am meant to be here. I was chosen for a reason, and you know, ups and downs are going to come."

Throughout her breakout season with SMU, Tabron developed a mindset of "just going out, having fun, and balling out," which helped her collect double-digit kills in each of her first three starts with the Mojo.

"Honestly, those first couple games, I was kind of in the same mindset," Tabron recalled. "Like I said at SMU, 'I'm here. Let's have fun. Let's do it.'"

San Diego native Blackwell was drafted in the fourth round of the PVF Draft with the 26th overall pick. Blackwell grew up playing beach volleyball in San Diego, beginning her club volleyball career at La Jolla Volleyball Club, where her mom still coaches today. As she transitioned to middle school and high school, she began playing at another local club, Coast Volleyball, where she continued to improve and eventually went through the recruiting process, playing one year at Indiana University before transferring to the University of San Diego. Blackwell was part of a historic team at USD in 2022, guiding the Toreros to the Final Four for the first time in school history and breaking the school's single-season record with 152 block assists, making a positive impact on the volleyball culture of San Diego.

"It truly was such a joy. I have never played a season of volleyball that felt so joyful and fun, and I feel like our entire team was kind of in a flow state from the moment we started training in the spring to the very end of our season," Blackwell recalled. "It just is one of those rare things that happens in sports that we had a really breakout year, and it was just so much fun."

Blackwell noted that she feels "blessed" to be able to continue playing in her hometown, as well as the opportunity for her former coaches and teammates to watch her play at the professional level. She started the 2025 season hot, hitting .600 and .333 in back-to-back wins against the Indy Ignite, and tallying 33 kills, 10 blocks and four service aces on the season.

"I think it was helpful to not have a long break between the seasons, because I was in shape and ready to kind of jump in and just keep playing," Blackwell said. "Playing with so many incredibly talented professional athletes who've been doing this for years helped me and gave me confidence in the beginning."

Similarly to Tabron, fifth-round pick McGhee grew up playing basketball before switching to volleyball after her older sister began playing. After competing throughout middle school and high school, she played at Baylor for four years, finishing her collegiate career as a two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection. McGhee had a quick transition from college to professional volleyball, flying out to San Diego only three days after her last collegiate game.

"[I was] very nervous going in; I didn't know what to expect. But everyone was so friendly and so sweet, and so it made me feel very welcomed," she said."

Although she played as an outside hitter in college, McGhee transitioned to play as an opposite for the Mojo, scoring 89 points with 79 kills, six blocks, and four service aces in her rookie season. She noted that going into this season,n her goal was to contribute to the team in any way she could.

"That was something I always told (Mojo head coach) Tayyiba (Haneef-Park), I will play whatever role you want me to be," McGhee noted. "I was originally an outside in college and, obviously, I've moved to right side now, and so I always said, 'I'm flexible; I'm willing to adjust. I want to do the best that I can for the team in whatever ways I can help us.'"

Her mindset of being unafraid to fail has been one of the prime ways she keeps herself grounded during games.

"As far as life goes, I just think that you can't be timid when you go into anything," McGhee added. "You gotta have the confidence and be okay with failing, because it happens all the time. Once you realize that you're not the only person to ever fail, you just keep trying."

The newest Mojo rookie, Cullen signed with the team on March 26. She began playing volleyball around the age of 10 and had an immediate passion for the game.

"I think it started as just a genuine love for the sport, and almost like it was an obsession, I couldn't stop," she said. "It kind of just continued on all the way growing up into middle school and high school."

Cullen committed to Michigan State, where both of her parents attended, the summer after her eighth-grade year. After two years playing volleyball at Michigan State, Cullen was recruited to SMU out of the transfer portal in 2022 and also played a key role in the successful 2023-24 season alongside her current Mojo teammate and former roommate, Tabron.

"We do have that connection, specifically hitter, setter-wise, from SMU," Cullen said of teaming up with Tabron. "That's been nice, just to relive that and we continue to have that good connection on and off the court."

Before signing with the Mojo, Cullen was training alongside the SMU volleyball team while completing her master's degree program. Arriving midway through the season, she said her primary goal was to be the best teammate she could be, wherever she was needed.

"If they need me to be on the court with them and perform to the best of my ability, I want to do that at the highest level that I can," Cullen said. "And if it's that I need to be a support system for them, and then I want to do that to the best of my ability as well."

With several role models on the team to look up to, the rookies were able to gain valuable insight from the Mojo's veteran players. McGhee describes how she's learned effective ball placement and court awareness from outside hitter Kayla Lund.

"(Kayla) could stand on the ground and hit 1.000," she noted. "I say that all the time because she just tools the block all day and can tip and put the ball wherever she wants, because she sees the court so well. Learning from her, just in general, and from the team has been helpful."

Cullen says her biggest inspiration on the team is setter Sarah Sponcil.

"As soon as I got here, (Sarah) kind of just took me under her wing, and she's also obviously in the setter position, and just such an amazing human," Cullen said. She has so much experience, being an Olympian and playing beach and playing at the highest level you can play at, and so I think just both physically and mentally, she's helped me throughout this whole process and been nothing but an amazing teammate and friend to me."

Aside from gaining insight into improving their volleyball skills, the rookies were able to learn about the ups and downs of being a professional player.

"They were in this position before, and they know exactly how it is to feel like a rookie," Tabron said. "Just reaffirming that, 'hey, we've been through this, and look where we are today. You're going to get to this point, too."

Throughout the season, the Mojo received exceptional support from young volleyball fans, many of them coming from local volleyball clubs. With volleyball culture in San Diego continuing to grow every year, it becomes increasingly important for these young athletes to have athletic role models to look up to. When it comes to advice for this younger generation of athletes, the Mojo rookies can provide insight to the up-and-coming players.

"Be ready to work hard every single day, but also give whatever you can give that day," Tabron advises younger players. "We're all going to have our ups and downs, whether it's on the court or off the court, so just always be ready to work hard, work for your teammates and not just yourself."

McGhee also encourages embracing mistakes.

"It is okay to fail. It's okay to be bad and not be doing great at this time," McGhee said. "Everyone develops at different ages, and so it's just a matter of how hard you're willing to work and your mental state. I tell myself, I'm going to have confidence in myself and I'm going to get back up when I fail and just keep working at it - trust yourself and your development."

Cullen said that finding something bigger than herself to play for has helped her in her development.

"A big thing for me, specifically that helps me keep that joy is playing for something bigger than myself," she said. "I'm very open about my faith, and I'm a Christian, and so just playing, knowing that there's no pressure on my shoulders, because this is a blessing in itself, that I'm able to play at this level, and ultimately, I'm just trying to give all the glory back to God."

Blackwell noted that one of the most important things to remember for young athletes is to have fun.

"I think it's easy as soon as you start going through the recruiting process or you start taking your sport super seriously, that you lose a lot of that joy," Blackwell said. "That's always been grounding for me, to go back to that mindset of - I picked this work because I love it, and I love playing with my friends, and it's supposed to be fun."



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