League One Volleyball (LOVB), a women’s volleyball development and promotion company based in Hermosa Beach, California, has announced that it has chosen Salt Lake City to be the location its fourth professional team. The professional league, which will begin play in the fall of 2024, has previously announced teams in Madison, Wisconsin; Houston and Atlanta.
In preparation for the professional league, LOVB also announced contract signings with{mprestriction ids="1,3"} professional players Micha Hancock, Carli Lloyd, Jordyn Poulter and Lauren Carlini, who will join previous signees Kelsey Robinson, Haleigh Washington and Justine Wong-Orantes.
LOVB said it chose Salt Lake City due to the region’s deep participation in women’s volleyball. “From youth to pro, volleyball has taken a stronghold of the Intermountain area, quickly emerging as one of the fastest-growing USA Volleyball regions in the country,” a LOVB release said.
“At LOVB, we are propelled forward by the community’s tremendous excitement in what we’re building,” said Katlyn Gao, co-founder and CEO of LOVB. “From the outstanding athletes like Carli and Lauren that want to be part of our league, to the cities like Salt Lake that are welcoming us with open arms into their region, to our growing family of club players, their parents as well as the insatiable fans of the sport, we are proud to be at the center of this transformational moment of our sport. This league is nothing short of exhilarating, and our passion, fueled by the power of our community, will help LOVB set the standard for years to come.”
LOVB said it will be affiliated with North Salt Lake-based Club V, where its professional team will train. In addition to Club V, which has 75 teams, LOVB is affiliated with a number of clubs in Salt Lake, including Club 801, with 32 teams.
“Utah loves volleyball and the sport is growing faster here than in most other states,” said Matt Carlson, club director at Club V. “With more athletes, coaches and parents getting involved from the grassroots to the college game, volleyball is the sport that is bringing the community together. Adding a women’s professional team here will not only inspire a new generation of athletes to do things never done before but will add a new layer of depth to an already incredible ecosystem.”
Founded in 2020, LOVB is backed by notable investors including Billie Jean King’s Elysian Park Ventures, Rich Kleiman and Kevin Durant’s Thirty-Five Ventures and Real Salt Lake partner David Blitzer’s Bolt Football Holdings.{/mprestriction}
