*Before today’s surge of attention around women’s sports, 12 Black women walked onto a volleyball court together in 2018, went undefeated and made history. Now OWN is bringing their story to television.
“WE BELONG HERE: THE STORY OF TEAM DREAM,” an OWN Spotlight documentary directed by Bianca Barnes-Williams, chronicles Team Dream’s journey from a group of 12 Black women united by their love of volleyball to an undefeated championship team that made history at the 2018 USA Volleyball Open National Championship.
Led by NCAA champion Haley Eckerman, the roster included Khat Bell, Kaz Brown, Chloe Collins, Carnae Dillard, Erin Fairs, Chanelle Gardner, Monique Harris, Jenelle Jordan, Sha’Dare McNeal, Haleigh Washington and Allegra Wells.
They Didn’t Just Show Up — They Won
Team Dream arrived at the national tournament with limited practice together, but that didn’t stop them from going 7-0.
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According to University of Texas Athletics, the women fought back from a two-set deficit in the semifinal before advancing to the championship match. They then defeated Hoosier Exterminators in a five-set thriller, 21-25, 25-21, 26-24, 20-25, 15-10.
Eckerman was named tournament MVP.
USA Volleyball confirms Team Dream captured the Women’s Open title in Dallas. The accomplishment carried additional weight because the women were creating visibility in a sport where Black athletes had not always seen themselves represented together at that level.
Team Dream Tells Its Own Story
“We Belong Here” doesn’t use an outside narrator. Instead, the women tell the story themselves, reflecting on their love of volleyball, friendships, humor, pride and the systemic barriers they encountered along the way.
“Team Dream’s origin story is a powerful reminder of what happens when Black women step into their strength together,” OWN President Tina Perry said. “The way these women united shows their power, their joy, and their unwavering belief in one another, which embodies the spirit of OWN Spotlight.”
That emphasis on representation feels especially timely. Women’s basketball, tennis and soccer are commanding greater cultural and commercial attention, while women’s volleyball has also been building its audience. Team Dream’s story offers a reminder that Black women have been helping push that visibility forward on the volleyball court, too.
From the Volleyball Court to OWN
The documentary arrives eight years after Team Dream’s championship and follows its premiere at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival.
For the players, however, the legacy extends beyond one trophy. Their championship gave young Black volleyball players something powerful to see: an entire team of women who looked like them competing together at an elite level — and winning.
“We Belong Here” turns that moment into something bigger than a sports victory. It’s a story about Black women creating their own space, trusting one another once they got there and leaving the door wider for those coming behind them.
“We Belong Here: The Story of Team Dream” premieres Saturday, Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on OWN. Watch the trailer above.
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