League One Volleyball: Everything to know with 2025 season starting

Welcome to the first-ever For the Win guide for League One Volleyball (LOVB ― pronounced love).

On January 8, LOVB begins its inaugural season as one of three American professional volleyball leagues. It joins the Pro Volleyball Federation and Athletes Unlimited as an additional option for athletes turning pro to stay stateside.

So you might be wondering: What should I expect this upcoming season? Which teams should I know? How do the playoffs work if a team makes it to the postseason?

Not to worry. This guide is for the fans who want to know more about the league. This guide is also for fans who might be new to volleyball and want to learn more. Whatever LOVB news and info you’re looking for, we’ve got you covered.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 season.

LOVB storylines from 2024 into 2025

• ESPN media deal

  In May 2024, LOVB signed a media rights agreement with ESPN. As part of the new deal, 10 matches will air across ESPN networks starting this month, and 18 games throughout the season will stream on ESPN+. Additionally, LOVB matches will be telecast in select countries and territories like Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America.

• Over $150M in funding

  In November 2024, LOVB surged to $160M in investments after Atwater Capital, Ares Management and Left Lane Capital added $100M in new funding. The groups joined a star-studded list of league investors, including Olympic skiing champion Lindsey Vonn, three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker, actress Amy Schumer and14-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant.

LOVB teams in 2025

• LOVB Atlanta

  The LOVB Atlanta Volleyball roster features athletes from six countries, including Olympic medalist Kelsey Robinson-Cook. Nine players also have national team experience. LOVB Atlanta is coached by Paulo Coco, who helped the Brazilian National Team win Olympic medals, and two-time Olympian Yoko Zetterlund.

• LOVB Austin

  LOVB Austin Volleyball has eight former Longhorns who played on three championship teams. Austin is led by founding athletes Carli Lloyd, Logan Eggleston, Chiaka Ogbogu, international coach Marco Bonitta and former U.S. standout Stacy Sykora.

• LOVB Houston

  The LOVB Houston roster has 12 athletes who have competed on national teams, including two-time Olympic medalists Micha Hancock and Jordan Thompson. Houston's coaching staff is headlined by Italian coach Massimo Barbolini, who helped bring Italy its first Olympic gold last summer in Paris, and Hall of Famer and two-time Olympic medalist Paula Weishoff.

• LOVB Madison

  Olympic silver medalist Lauren Carlini leads LOVB Madison Volleyball's roster along with two-time Olympic medalist Annie Drews Schumacher. LOVB Madison athletes have a combined 16 All-American honors, 14 collegiate semifinal appearances and three national titles. Madison is coached by Matt Fuerbringer, who has assisted the U.S. Men's team during its two Olympic medal runs, and Brazilian assistant Giuliano Ribas.

• LOVB Omaha

  LOVB Omaha Volleyball boasts five players who played collegiately at Creighton or the University of Nebraska. The roster is deadlined by two-time Olympic medalist Justine Wong-Orantes and the most decorated American indoor Olympian ever, Jordan Larson. LOVB Omaha athletes have a combined six NCAA titles and 18 All-American honors. Omaha is coached by longtime collegiate coach Suzie Fritz and former Nebraska assistant Remi Pourrat.

• LOVB Salt Lake

  LOVB Salt Lake is led by two-time Olympic medalists and 2020 gold medal winners Haleigh Washington and Jordyn Poulter. The roster has a combined 21 All-American honors and features several college standouts, including Dani Drews, Roni Jones-Perry and Mary Lake. Salt Lake is coached by U.S. National Team assistant Tama Miyashiro and Bruno Chateau.

How to watch LOVB

LOVB offers many ways to watch games. Here is the essential information you need to know to watch all the action.

WHERE TO WATCH ON TV AND STREAMING PLATFORMS:

In 2025, 28 games will be available on ESPN platforms (10 on ESPN networks, 18 on ESPN+). Anne Marie Anderson will provide play-by-play coverage, with Kevin Barnett contributing as a play-by-play commentator and analyst. Analysts Kevin Wong, Salima Rockwell, and Shelby Coppedge will also contribute.

LOVB will have 16 matches on Women’s Sports Network (WSN). WSN will host LOVB’s doubleheader weekends, with most double-headers airing on Saturdays.

DAZN, the largest broadcaster in Europe, will also air 16 LOVB matches globally.

Finally, the streaming platform Mobii will support all 60 LOVB matches available on LOVB Live via lovb.com.

How the LOVB season works

The inaugural season of the LOVB starts the week of January 6 and will include all six teams playing each week. Matches will rotate throughout team cities and consist of one weekday game between two teams and three games during the weekend.

Example:

There will also be an in-season tournament called the LOVB Classic, which features all teams and has a winner-take-all format.

LOVB Finals will be held in April.

Basic LOVB information to reference

• Operation History:

  LOVB was founded in 2020. The first season begins in 2025.

• Number of games:

  There are 60 matches in a 14-week season.

• Key Dates:

  November ― Pre-season began

  January 8 ― First serve

  February 14, 15 and 16 ― LOVB Classic

  April 10, 11 and 13 ― LOVB Finals

• Arenas:

  Atlanta ― Gateway Center Arena

  Austin ― H-E-B Center at Cedar Park and Strahan Arena

  Houston ― Fort Bend County EpiCenter

  Madison ― Wisconsin Field House and Alliant Energy Center

  Omaha ― Baxter Arena and Liberty First Credit Union Arena

  Salt Lake ― Maverik Center and Salt Lake Community College Bruin Arena

LOVB lingo you might hear

• Ace: A player delivers a serve that is not returnable, resulting in a point.

• Block: One or more players jump near the net to deflect a ball back into the opponent’s court.

• Dig: A defensive move that a player makes to keep the ball from hitting the court.

• Kill: A ball that hits the opponent's court without being returned.

• Libero: A specialist who typically wears a jersey of a different color than that of teammates and can't attack the ball above the net's height. Libero's help make digs and passes amongst the team.

• Pancake: A player extends their hand flat on the floor (like a pancake), and the ball bounces off of the back of their hand.

• Setter: A player who "sets" or passes the ball to other players, typically without making a second touch.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: League One Volleyball: Everything to know with 2025 season starting