Love volleyball? LOVB Atlanta is the newest pro sports team

The idea of the league began in 2019 and culminated this season, according to League One President Rosie Spaulding. The players, 10 of whom played for the U.S. in the Paris Olympics along with nine others, make a living wage (at least $60,000), they have benefits and access to continuing education and development programs, and their matches are televised by ESPN.

“We’re very serious about making volleyball a major league sport, and that our athletes are the best of the world,” Spaulding said. “It’s really important to us that we take good care of them, that have the personal, professional development opportunities, that they feel supported, and that they’re really the center of this league.”

League One pursued Atlanta, and partnered with A5 and Rio Volleyball club, because of popularity of the club sport in the city. The two clubs have more than 1,600 participants on teams.

The league has a single-entity ownership model, similar to MLS, that includes numerous financial partners, including Lindsey Vonn, Candace Parker, Amy Schumer, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, Billie Jean King and Chelsea Handler, along with Adidas, Spanx, Revolve, ESPN, Sport Imports, USA Volleyball, and Mikasa. Spaulding said it raised $160 million in funds. She said that in a few years there may be team-specific ownership groups added.

The business model is why Robinson Cook, who won a bronze medal with the U.S. in Rio de Janeiro, a gold in Tokyo and a silver in Paris, said she agreed to join, along with many of the other Olympians. Robinson Cook ialso is a financial partner.

Training and working with the younger players were also important reasons.

“I think now we’ve set this foundation, and this ability for these girls to see it every day and dream about that being them,” she said. “It’s so special to get to work with these kids like not only here, but after the games, and talk to them and listen to their hopes and their dreams and try to instill that this can be them.”

Tia Jamerson, a Sugar Hill native and A5 Gwinnett alum, said she never dreamed of being able to play professionally in her hometown, much less get to talk to younger players, which she said never happened when she was younger. Her recent lessons were about mindfulness.

“I think it makes it extremely personal and intimate, knowing that some of the coaches here at A5 have trained me just like they’re getting trained, and I think it allows them to have more trust in their coaches,” Jamerson said. “You can train a player who’s playing professionally. Maybe I need to listen to the things that you’re telling me.”

The LOVB season started Jan. 6 and will conclude with the finals in Louisville in April. Each home market will host eight matches: two weekday matches, and two weekends. After this weekend, Atlanta’s remaining home matches will be Feb. 21 against Madison, March 7 against Houston and March 8 against Austin. Matches are streamed on LOVB.com or ESPN-plus.

“I‘m super excited for what’s to come, so I have a lot of hope for this league,” Robinson Cook said. “I think just what they’ve been able to do with the crowds, the marketing, the women that are part of this league, the level of the league that has far exceeded any hope for what it could be.”