As the league marches towards its inaugural pro season following the 2024 Paris Olympics,  LOVB sends signal to the volleyball community that its level of play will be unprecedented as elite-level athletes continue to come on board.

LOVB today announced the signing of four new super star athletes to its pro roster - Kimberly Drewniok, Dani Barton Drews, Zoe Fleck and Madi Kubik. Known for their championship records and prowess in the sport, each of these athletes will be major contributors to their LOVB teams, with team assignments to be announced later this year.

“At LOVB, we’re not only focused on launching a pro league, it’s our goal to make major league volleyball a reality in the United States, and to do so, our athletes must be world-class,” said Rosie Spaulding, COO of LOVB Pro. “With Dani, Madi, Zoe and Kimberly signing on, we are continuing to signal to the volleyball community and beyond that LOVB Pro will deliver a level of play unprecedented in the United States.”

The introduction of Zoe, Kimberly, Madi and Dani builds on the firepower already seen through the LOVB Pro athletes announced to date, including its founding athletes Carli Lloyd, Haleigh Washington, Logan Eggleston, Jordan Thompson, Jordyn Poulter, Justine Wong-Orantes, Kelsey Robinson Cook, Micha Hancock, Lauren Carlini and Fabiana Claudino.

To play volleyball professionally today, U.S. athletes must play abroad, but LOVB is changing this paradigm. 2023 NCAA champion Zoe Fleck (US National team, University of Texas, Libero), Madi Kubik (All American, University of Nebraska, Outside Hitter), and Dani Drews (4x All American, University of Utah, Club V, Outside Hitter) are all currently playing overseas, and through LOVB Pro, will have the opportunity to play professionally at home and at the same level of play that they are currently experiencing abroad.

“I am so excited and grateful to play the game I love in the United States!” said Drews. “I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to be a part of building this league and I am looking forward to all of the good things to come with LOVB.”

“I am so excited to be joining League One Volleyball! LOVB represents our best opportunity to create the professional league our fans and athletes deserve – a world-class organization where the best domestic and international players compete to win a championship on U.S. soil,” said Fleck. “The infrastructure and community surrounding LOVB will connect our league with young volleyball players and, for the first time, show them a direct path to turn their passion into a career. The success of this league will create so many amazing growth opportunities for our sport in the U.S. and I can't wait to get started!”

LOVB Pro is also attracting some of the world’s top international talent, with Kimberly Drewniok (German National team, 3x German Super Cup MVP, Sarıyer Belediyesi (Turkey), opposite hitter) joining the league as its second international athlete and first German player.
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“The unbreakable bonds formed within the volleyball community are truly beautiful and inspiring. LOVB’s vision created a spark within me that I couldn't ignore. Volleyball represents a world beyond just a sport - a gateway to endless opportunities that can transform your life,” said Drewniok. “I am very much looking forward to exploring the roots of America's exciting sport and connecting with the great athletes and individuals who have made it what it is today.”

LOVB Pro will kick off following the 2024 Paris Olympics in six volleyball-obsessed markets of Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Madison, Omaha, and Salt Lake to start. Pre-season will start in November 2024, with first serve in January 2025 and the LOVB Pro Championships in April 2025.

With volleyball viewership shattering records and just this past December, the NCAA championship game between Texas and Nebraska generating 19,727 fans in attendance, and averaging 1.7M viewers opposite Sunday NFL games, LOVB Pro is launching at a time when volleyball is breaking through into cultural zeitgeist in the United States.