| Sport | Volleyball |
|---|---|
| Founded | October 19, 2021 |
| Founder | Katlyn Gao |
| First season | 2025 |
| CEO | Katlyn Gao |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country | United States |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Official website | LOVB.com |
LOVB Pro (/lʌv/ "love", League One Volleyball) is an American women's professional indoor volleyball league. The league is owned by LOVB, a volleyball body founded in 2020.
History edit
LOVB was founded in 2020 as a network of youth volleyball clubs across the United States with the intent of eventually creating a professional league.
On October 19, 2021, LOVB formally announced the creation of LOVB Pro.[1]
On September 28, 2022, LOVB raised $16.75 million in a Series A funding round, headlined by Billie Jean King and Kevin Durant.[2]
On March 9, 2023, LOVB announced its first professional cities as Atlanta, Georgia, and Houston, Texas.[3] On April 27, LOVB added a team in Madison, Wisconsin.[4] On September 27, LOVB raised $35 million in a Series B round led by Lindsey Vonn, Jayson Tatum, and Candace Parker.[5] In December, LOVB announced it would be building a dedicated training facility for LOVB Madison in the Madison suburb of Sun Prairie.[6]
Teams edit
Current edit
LOVB teams do not have traditional team names, and instead compete as "LOVB" followed by the city name.
| Team | Location | Venue | Capacity | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOVB Atlanta | Atlanta, Georgia | TBA | – | 2025 |
| LOVB Austin | Austin, Texas | TBA | – | 2025 |
| LOVB Houston | Houston, Texas | TBA | – | 2025 |
| LOVB Madison | Madison, Wisconsin | TBA | – | 2025 |
| LOVB Omaha | Omaha, Nebraska | TBA | – | 2025 |
| LOVB Salt Lake | Salt Lake City, Utah | TBA | – | 2025 |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Chappell, Bill (October 19, 2021). "Are you ready for some volleyball? A new women's pro league hopes the answer is yes". NPR.
- ^ Smith, Chris (September 28, 2022). "League One Volleyball looks to accelerate growth after Series A funding round". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ "LOVB, eyeing 2024 pro volleyball season, announces Atlanta and Houston locations". Volleyballmag.com. March 9, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ Jacques, Mike; Nijhawan, Shaina (April 27, 2023). "Professional volleyball coming to Madison". WMTV-TV. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ Feldman, Jacob (September 27, 2023). "League One Volleyball Raises $35 Million to Serve Growing Fanbase". Sportico.com. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ Jacobs, Kylie (December 4, 2023). "LOVB Madison to open first pro facility; announce first pro player". WMTV-TV. Retrieved April 24, 2024.