SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 5, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Amid its pursuit for an MLB and NHL franchise, Utah’s capital city has landed another professional sports team.
Salt Lake City was announced Monday as the home of the fourth League One Volleyball team, joining Houston, Atlanta, and Madison, Wisconsin, in the first full-season professional women’s volleyball league in the U.S.
LOVB officials said Salt Lake City was selected to host a team because of the region’s high participation and support of women’s volleyball.
LOVB, founded in 2020, also is affiliated with several youth volleyball clubs in Utah, including Club V in North Salt Lake, where the new pro team will train in preparation for the season that begins in November 2024.
“Utah loves volleyball and the sport is growing faster here than in most other states,” said Matt Carlson, CEO 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. The athletes need this, fans want this and Utah will shock the world just how much they love sports — specifically volleyball.”
League officials Monday also announced the addition of five U.S. volleyball stars to LOVB: Jordan Thompson, Micha Hancock, Carli Lloyd, Jordyn Poulter and Lauren Carlini. They’ll join a league that already includes U.S. stars Kelsey Robinson, Haleigh Washington and Justine Wong-Orantes.
“At LOVB, we are propelled forward by the community’s tremendous excitement in what we’re building,” said Katlyn Gao, LOVB co-founder and CEO. “From the outstanding athletes … [who] 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.”
For more information about LOVB, visit www.lovb.com.
