Photo by: Kyle Cajero
Women's Volleyball Alumna Birdie Hendrickson Signs with DC Flight
10/5/2026 5:41:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
WASHINGTON, D.C. - 2024 Pepperdine women's volleyball alumna Birdie Hendrickson has signed a deal with Major League Volleyball expansion team DC Flight. The Flight made the announcement on Saturday, October 3.
Hendrickson, who is the 30th former Wave to go pro, was a two-time All-WCC First Team in her pair of seasons spent as a Wave. She also garnered two WCC Player of the Week awards, both in 2024 (September 9 and October 21). Hendrickson was an all-around player for the Waves, ranking second in digs (331), points (444.5), kills (391), and total attacks (1,056) as a grad student in 2024. Her 2023 campaign was just as consistently good, ranking second on the squad in all four of those same categories.
"DC flight is lucky to have Birdie helping lead the charge in this inaugural year!!" said Head Coach Scott Wong, who mentored Birdie. "Birdie is gritty, highly skilled, and is the whole package!"
Birdie set multiple career-highs in 2024, racking up 27.5 points on September 7 at Hawaii. She shined in the month of October, tallying 25 kills in a home match against Saint Mary's on October 17 before registering a career-best four aces on October 24 at San Francisco. Hendrickson put a bow on things, showing off her defensive skills with 22 digs on November 23 at Pacific.
Â
Hendrickson now looks for her professional career to take off with the Flight, landing a deal with the brand-new Major League Volleyball squad that will begin playing its matches from the nation's capital in January 2027. In a press release from September 17, 2026, the Principal Managing Owner of DC Flight, Jason Levien, said "Volleyball is taking off, and women are leading the way. Collegiate matches are setting attendance records. Youth players are taking the court in historic numbers. Washington is ready for a professional team of its own, and today DC Flight takes off."
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine women's volleyball has reached 26 NCAA Tournaments since 1981 as one of the most successful collegiate programs on the West Coast. The 12-time WCC Champions Waves have consistently produced top talent with 21 All-American selections with honorees in six straight decades. With multiple Olympians going through the program, Kim Hill brought home the program's first gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games.
Â
TICKETS
For more information on ticket packages and to purchase tickets for upcoming home events, visit here.
Â
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine women's volleyball news, follow the Waves on social media: @PepperdineWVB on Twitter/X, @pepperdinewvb on Instagram, and Pepperdine Women's Volleyball on Facebook.
Hendrickson, who is the 30th former Wave to go pro, was a two-time All-WCC First Team in her pair of seasons spent as a Wave. She also garnered two WCC Player of the Week awards, both in 2024 (September 9 and October 21). Hendrickson was an all-around player for the Waves, ranking second in digs (331), points (444.5), kills (391), and total attacks (1,056) as a grad student in 2024. Her 2023 campaign was just as consistently good, ranking second on the squad in all four of those same categories.
"DC flight is lucky to have Birdie helping lead the charge in this inaugural year!!" said Head Coach Scott Wong, who mentored Birdie. "Birdie is gritty, highly skilled, and is the whole package!"
Birdie set multiple career-highs in 2024, racking up 27.5 points on September 7 at Hawaii. She shined in the month of October, tallying 25 kills in a home match against Saint Mary's on October 17 before registering a career-best four aces on October 24 at San Francisco. Hendrickson put a bow on things, showing off her defensive skills with 22 digs on November 23 at Pacific.
Â
Hendrickson now looks for her professional career to take off with the Flight, landing a deal with the brand-new Major League Volleyball squad that will begin playing its matches from the nation's capital in January 2027. In a press release from September 17, 2026, the Principal Managing Owner of DC Flight, Jason Levien, said "Volleyball is taking off, and women are leading the way. Collegiate matches are setting attendance records. Youth players are taking the court in historic numbers. Washington is ready for a professional team of its own, and today DC Flight takes off."
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine women's volleyball has reached 26 NCAA Tournaments since 1981 as one of the most successful collegiate programs on the West Coast. The 12-time WCC Champions Waves have consistently produced top talent with 21 All-American selections with honorees in six straight decades. With multiple Olympians going through the program, Kim Hill brought home the program's first gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games.
Â
TICKETS
For more information on ticket packages and to purchase tickets for upcoming home events, visit here.
Â
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine women's volleyball news, follow the Waves on social media: @PepperdineWVB on Twitter/X, @pepperdinewvb on Instagram, and Pepperdine Women's Volleyball on Facebook.
