Reflections from Rosie Spaulding, LOVB Pro President
May 7, 2025 - League One Volleyball (LOVB) News Release
With our inaugural season now at a close, I wanted to share a few reflections.
It's been an extraordinary time for the sport of volleyball in the United States. Seeing passionate groups of fans - in-person and online - support LOVB athletes, their teams and the league reinforced what we also believe so passionately at LOVB - that with its fast pace, intense rallies and incredible athleticism, volleyball is one of the most exciting sports to watch.
In our first season, we had a simple but important focus - to lay the foundation for long-term commercial sustainability so that LOVB Pro could benefit generations to come. Just as we worked intentionally to build our club business, we've put intentional focus on planning alongside our athletes, and testing and learning throughout the season so we can continuously improve the experience of every person who interacts with LOVB.
One of the things I'm most proud of is how we enabled our players to play at the highest levels of competition - right here in the U.S. Previously, they had to go abroad to compete at this level, but through LOVB, they were able to stay at home and play in front of family and friends, many for the very first time.
What was also remarkable to see was the level of play throughout the season. LOVB brought together 94 of the very best players in the world to compete in our inaugural season - including Olympic medalists, internationally-renowned superstars and championship caliber coaches - and the outcome has been better than we could have imagined.
We gained recognition for the league's elite level play from industry experts and coaches from across the globe, and that's something we don't take lightly. It was important to us to launch with parity across the league, and the competitiveness week-in and week-out reflected that effort, with 75% of our matches going 4 or 5 sets. We saw Houston rise to our mid-season tournament, Atlanta take the regular season, and Omaha and Austin riveted by the crowds with two reverse sweeps to play in the Finals, with the entire season punctuated by the explosive and powerful play of our LOVB athletes.
We're also incredibly proud that from the beginning, we've centered this league around the modern women athlete. That means supporting that athlete as both a player and as a person, including essential health and wellness benefits, mental health resources, considerations such as schedule design, and ensuring athletes would benefit from the league's commercial success from year one. We are grateful to our incredible group of Founding Athletes who continue to work with us to design a league that would be on par with their past professional experiences on the court, and off the court, place a premium on their experience and enable them to be seen as their true authentic selves.
Some of the most memorable moments of the season for me have been seeing the countless interactions between our club and pro athletes. Whether it's at practice, at a match or in the community, the impact these moments have on the future of our league and our sport is so powerful. The energy in the stands - especially from young girls and women - is truly special. Fans are screaming the names of their favorite players, even when they're not the home team, and with tens of thousands of autographs, friendship bracelets exchanged and photos taken, the bonds being built between our athletes and our fans is already strong. As the country's only youth-to-pro league, we've also focused on engaging with our fans digitally, where we've been able to reach industry-leading engagement rates, and millions of fans around the world.
This year, we welcomed 30 partners who helped us to champion our athletes and connect with our growing women-led Millennial and Gen Z fanbase, including industry-leading brands and media partners including adidas, ESPN, REVOLVE, SPANX and iHeartRadio. We're grateful to have them join us on our journey in Season 1 and for the impact they've partnered with us to create in communities across the country.
We learned a great deal this first year, and just as we have really listened to our athletes and partners, we have appreciated hearing from fans throughout the season. Your feedback will help us to continue to shape LOVB Pro and provide new experiences that we hope will bring you even closer to the game. It's been exciting to see the passion of volleyball fans and that community continue to grow this year, and it has never been more clear to us that volleyball can be the next major league in this country.
Now, we're hitting the ground on Season 2 and beyond. This includes adding more talent on the court, building upon our partnership portfolio, and growing resources to show even more of the world how LOVB is continuing to raise the bar as a league. We look forward to sharing more about our growth roadmap and expansion plans soon.
The trajectory for women's professional volleyball in the U.S. is on the rise. At LOVB, we will continue to build as intentionally as we have done from the beginning, ensuring that we're building a sustainable commercial league that will benefit the next generations of great professional volleyball players.
With LOVB,
Rosie Spaulding
President, LOVB Pro
League One Volleyball Stories from May 7, 2025
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
