League One Volleyball

As we mark our 50 days to go from our First Serve in Atlanta on January 8, we are excited to share that we’ve announced $100 million in committed new funding, led by Atwater Capital, alongside existing investors, Ares Management Corporation and Left Lane Capital. This new investment will continue to fuel our mission to transform volleyball from the grassroots to the professional level, while supporting our launch of LOVB Pro’s inaugural season this January. This announcement comes at a time when we are experiencing incredible momentum, coming off a banner year where we doubled the size of its youth programs – expanding to 58 clubs with more than 16,000 athletes across 26 states and 66 locations – and our pro league announcing partnership with industry-leading brands and media partners including adidas, ESPN, REVOLVE, Spanx and iHeartRadio Radio. As the sport of volleyball continues to grow not just in size but in popularity, we are humbled to be rolling up our sleeves alongside leading investors like Atwater, Ares, Left Lane Capital, David Blitzer’s BOLT Ventures and Verance Capital, and individuals like Lindsey Vonn, Candace Parker and her daughter Lailaa, Amy Schumer, Linda Henry, Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s Boardroom Sports Holdings and Chelsea Handler to enable volleyball to become the next major league, and support the next generation of players throughout their volleyball journeys. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gusnDRpD

Celebrating 50 days until we launch our historic first season! ? ?? On January 8, 2025, our inaugural League One Volleyball season will be underway when LOVB Atlanta Volleyball hosts LOVB Salt Lake Volleyball in the first-ever LOVB Pro match at Atlanta’s Gateway Center. We're excited for what will be an electric match featuring three-time Olympic Medalist Kelsey Robinson Cook lining up against U.S. National Team teammates and fellow Olympic Medalists Haleigh Washington and Jordyn Poulter in the trio’s first professional match on U.S. soil.? But more importantly, we're excited to create opportunities for these elite athletes to play at home in front of friends, families and the communities who have supported them throughout their entire volleyball journeys. Read more ?? https://lnkd.in/gvzDe-MW

We're excited to announce our partnership with REVOLVE, the premier fashion retailer for Millennial and Generation Z consumers! REVOLVE is the official online fashion retail partner for LOVB, which will highlight our athletes as influential voices they are at the intersection of sports and fashion. By curating looks from REVOLVE’s extensive portfolio of brands, this partnership will showcase the authentic style personalities of LOVB athletes. “We’re continuously innovating REVOLVE’s strategy to align with cultural trends and expand our market reach,” said Raissa Gerona, Chief Brand Officer, REVOLVE Group Inc. “With volleyball being one of the most popular women’s sports, LOVB’s athletes represent a new wave of influencers who resonate with young audiences by showcasing athletic talent and originality. Partnering with LOVB allows us to strategically merge fashion and sports, creating fresh opportunities to engage customers and drive brand growth.” The partnership will bring the REVOLVE brand to life within our game-day experience, with the REVOLVE logo prominently displayed on the back of LOVB pro jerseys across all six professional teams, worn by 84 players throughout the season. Fans can expect an exclusive “Players' Tunnel Walk presented by REVOLVE,” where athletes will showcase curated fashion looks through a high-energy tunnel walk experience. Our league launches on January 8, 2025 when LOVB Atlanta takes on LOVB Salt Lake at the Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta. Read more: ?? https://lnkd.in/gTrd2Axz

LOVB Salt Lake Founding Athlete and 2x Olympic Medalist Haleigh Washington, and our CEO and Co-Founder?Katlyn Gao joined the 9th Annual Women's Leadership Day with JPMorganChase to discuss new opportunities in sports, business, and professional careers for women. Haleigh spoke her dream to leave a legacy for the sport of volleyball and those who play it by creating pathways to pro in the United States. "Over 44 million girls play volleyball. It's been an honor and a privilege to grow this dream." Just 70 days until the launch of League One Volleyball and our historic First Serve in Atlanta on January 8. We can't wait to bring the next level of professional volleyball?to Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Madison, Omaha and Salt Lake this January. More learn: https://lnkd.in/gKsVsYap

We're excited to officially introduce the LOVB Classic, our in?inaugural in-season pro volleyball tournament, that will run alongside the prestigious youth tournament, 2025 Triple Crown NIT. This will mark the first time volleyball fans of all ages will gain a front row seat to dynamic professional matches alongside elite-level club play.?And we can't wait! Join us in Kansas City during Presidents' Day Weekend 2025 - tickets are on sale now. ??? https://lnkd.in/gjfriAqG

League One Volleyball CEO & Co-founder, Katlyn Gao, spoke with Jabari Young at the 2024 #ForbesWomenInSports Summit last week. Take a look at how LOVB is building a sustainable commercial model that will last. ??: Forbes

We're excited to share League One Volleyball announced?we’re deepening our commitment to volleyball in Nebraska with a ground breaking of a 66,000 square foot training center in Gretna. This state-of-the-art club and pro performance center will feature ten premium courts with clear height averages of 32 feet, equipped locker rooms, pro shop, cafe, and modern development and strength training rooms where nationally ranked club Premier Nebraska Volleyball and our LOVB Omaha pro team will prepare themselves for their competitive seasons ahead. “I am the living embodiment of LOVB’s commitment to creating pathways from youth to pro. I grew up playing for Premier Nebraska. To be able to help increase access to the sport of volleyball and train for LOVB Omaha Volleyball in the same facility as my club roots is an incredible full circle moment for me, I can’t wait to inspire the next generation of incredible Nebraskan athletes to pursue their volleyball dreams.” - Jordan Larson, 4x Olympian and LOVB Omaha Outside Hitter Learn more: https://bit.ly/3Y5jl77

We are excited to share that League One Volleyball has been named to the 2024 LinkedIn Top 50 Startups List! ? With a community of 60 junior club locations serving more than 14,000 athletes, and our pro league launching later this year, we are committed to championing the sport of volleyball - and every athlete who plays it - in unprecedented ways. We are incredibly proud of our passionate team of people who are committed to making LOVB the best place to work and belong. "We are thrilled to be included as part of LinkedIn's Top Startup List for 2024. At LOVB, we are not only setting out to create the next major league, but generating a movement - powered by our incredible community of junior club to pro players, their families,?partners, teammates, and fans - who believe, just as we do, that volleyball has the opportunity to not only revolutionize women's sports, but to create entirely new opportunities on and off the court. As we march towards the launch of our Pro season, I am so proud to be in the trenches alongside such an incredible community of determined and visionary team members, who give us everything they have every?day to turn a dream of what could be into a reality." - LOVB CEO and Co-Founder, Katlyn Gao #LinkedInTopStartups

Made with LOVB. Made for the modern woman athlete. Introducing the inaugural LOVB x adidas jerseys that will revolutionize athletic wear in volleyball. “In designing our professional league, we’re being intentional about how we build for the specific needs of women athletes, and in adidas, we have found a partner who is as athlete-centric as we are. It’s not about just doing right by our athletes, but also providing them with apparel that will enable them to reach new professional heights.” -Rosie Spaulding, President of LOVB Pro Read more: https://lnkd.in/gGvfMnA3

We're excited to announce the appointment of Rosie Spaulding as president of LOVB Pro. Congratulations Rosie! ? Building upon her established, 20+ year reputation as the architect behind some of the world’s largest global sporting events and leagues, Rosie is being elevated from her role as our LOVB Pro COO as we prepare for our debut with preseason this November. “Since the moment she joined our organization, Rosie has lived and breathed LOVB’s ethos; helping us not only lay the right foundation, but also taking us to where we are today. There is no one more qualified to be president of Pro to take us into the first serve and beyond,” said Katlyn Gao, co-founder and CEO of LOVB. “With Rosie’s experience and continued success in envisioning, building and scaling teams and leagues, she is the right leader to help us deliver the type of league that our athletes deserve.” One of Rosie’s signature philosophies is approaching players as whole athletes, and from the very beginning she has designed this league with both the player and the person in mind - ensuring essential health and wellness benefits, and mental health resources; considerations such as schedule design, and providing off-the-court opportunities and developmental support. With less than five months until LOVB’s first serve in January, Rosie and our LOVB Pro team are focused on league readiness, welcoming the athletes to their new homes for the first time, and inviting more fans into the vibrant volleyball community. “It has been a privilege to work with Rosie from the very beginning on LOVB Pro, and every step of the way, I’ve seen the tremendous love and care that she has put into building the league,” said LOVB Founding Athlete and three-time Olympic Medalist Kelsey (Robinson) Cook. “She is incredibly deserving of this position, and I’m excited for all that is to come next for Rosie, the athletes and for LOVB.” Read more ?? https://lnkd.in/gcZipfq8