The group includes NBA championship coach Steve Kerr, longtime soccer star Julie Foudy, the WNBA’s Lexi Hull, ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, Rachel Springett and Muse Capital/Muse Sports’ Asiya Grazioli-Vanier, as well as three-time Olympic volleyball player Kim Yeon-kong.
They join a group that has collectively won 32 Olympic medals and already includes prominent names in women’s sports and media, including Abby Wambach, Leslie Osborne, Brandi Chastain, Ali Riley and Natalie Coughlin.
“We’re designing more than a traditional ownership structure, we’re assembling a group of builders who see where volleyball is going in this country and want to help shape it here in the Bay Area,” LOVB San Francisco owner and president Jess Wolfe said in a statement. “Together, we are creating something that reflects this community and sets a new standard for professional team sports and the positive impact it can have on its athletes.”
LOVB has recently seen an increase in the number of investors.
Last week, former NFL players Terrence C. Murphy Sr. and Reggie Bush acquired LOVB Salt Lake. In November, Houston Texans Chairman and CEO Cal McNair and his wife, Houston Texans Foundation Vice President Hannah McNair, acquired LOVB Houston through their company, Lone Star Sports & Entertainment.
In October, the league added a seventh franchise, led by the ownership group Seven Seven Six, the investment firm of Reddit founder and venture capitalist Alexis Ohanian. The Austin franchise is owned by David Blitzer, founder of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), which also includes the New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia 76ers, Joe Gibbs Racing and Crystal Palace FC.
LOVB is the largest volleyball organization in the United States, with divisions ranging from youth/grassroots to pro leagues.
Its professional league officially launches in Austin in January 2025 with six founding franchises: Omaha, Neb.; Austin, Texas; Madison, Wis.; Salt Lake City, Houston and Atlanta are each located in markets with deep youth and collegiate volleyball roots.
The league operates a vertically integrated model that connects 3,400 junior athletes and 3,000 coaches from 28 states directly to their pro clubs.
LOVB’s profitable youth academy model attracted investors early on. As a start-up, LOVB raised $160 million in 2024, including a $100 million round led by Atwater Capital with continued support from Ares Management and Left Lane Capital.
LOVB’s Pro League will hold its championship in Long Beach, California later this month.
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