Nationwide — We Belong Here: The Story of Team Dream brings the story of 12 Black women who made volleyball history to television. The OWN Spotlight documentary follows the team’s remarkable run at the 2018 USA Volleyball Open National Championship, where they went undefeated despite having little time to practice together.
Team Dream entered the national tournament as a group of accomplished volleyball players who shared a love for the sport. Led by NCAA champion Haley Eckerman, the roster featured Khat Bell, Kaz Brown, Chloe Collins, Carnae Dillard, Erin Fairs, Chanelle Gardner, Monique Harris, Jenelle Jordan, Sha’Dare McNeal, Haleigh Washington and Allegra Wells. Together, they won all seven matches they played in Dallas and claimed the Women’s Open championship.
The team’s path to the title was not easy. Team Dream had to fight back after falling behind by two sets in the semifinal. The comeback sent the players into the championship match, where they faced the Hoosier Exterminators. The teams battled through five sets before Team Dream secured the victory, winning 21-25, 25-21, 26-24, 20-25, and 15-10. Eckerman finished the tournament as MVP, adding an individual honor to the team’s historic championship.
The documentary looks beyond the matches and focuses on how the players built their team, as reported by EURWeb. Rather than relying on an outside narrator, the women tell their own story and reflect on their friendships, humor, pride, and experiences in volleyball. They also discuss the systemic barriers they faced as Black women in a sport where representation at the highest levels has not always been easy to find.
OWN President Tina Perry said the team’s story highlights what can happen when Black women come together and support one another. The documentary also arrives at a time when women’s sports are receiving more attention across the United States. Basketball, tennis, soccer, and volleyball have all seen growing audiences, making the story of an all-Black women’s volleyball team winning a national title especially relevant to the sport’s history.
We Belong Here premiered at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival before its television debut. The film arrives eight years after Team Dream won its championship and revisits a moment that gave young Black volleyball players a chance to see themselves represented on an elite team. The documentary, directed by Bianca Barnes-Williams, premieres Saturday, Sept. 26, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on OWN. By revisiting the 2018 championship, the film preserves the story of a group of women who competed together, won together, and created a lasting part of volleyball history.