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Volleyball

LOVB Hits the Court for Inaugural Pro Volleyball Season

January 9, 2025 by Tara S

Just Women’s Sports

League One Volleyball Pro (LOVB) ​kicks off its inaugural season on Wednesday, as the largest brand in youth volleyball enters its professional era.

LOVB’s debut season will feature six teams playing a collective total of 60 games over 14 weeks of play, with all squads taking aim at mid-April’s league Finals.

Also on the inaugural schedule is a winner-take-all in-season tournament called the LOVB Classic, which will begin on Friday, February 14th, running through the Valentine’s Day weekend.

Capitalizing on markets known for their rabid NCAA volleyball fanbases, LOVB has rooted its six teams in Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Madison, Omaha, and Salt Lake City. Austin’s roster, for example, includes eight former NCAA champions from the University of Texas, allowing Longhorns fans to easily follow recent college stars like Logan Eggleston and Madisen Skinner into their professional careers.

Similarly, Omaha’s lineup will allow the Cornhusker faithful to see University of Nebraska legends Justine Wong-Orantes and Jordan Larson — the most decorated US indoor volleyball Olympian in history — back in action.

LOVB Austin outside hitter Leah Hardeman taps the ball over in a scrimmage against LOVB Houston last month.
Former NCAA volleyball stars will feature on LOVB’s court. (LOVB Austin)
The LOVB youth league pipeline goes pro
With 54 junior clubs currently entrenched across the US, League One Volleyball already has an established pipeline for many NCAA stars interested in turning pro, including several members from Team USA’s 2024 Olympic silver medal-winning squad.

That infrastructure aided LOVB in raising over $160 million in funding before its first serve, with sports icons like retired WNBA star Candace Parker and Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn backing the league.

In another testament to the league’s anticipated success, LOVB’s inked a broadcast deal with ESPN in May 2024. The contract guarantees that 10 of this season’s matches will air across the sports giant’s networks this season, with 18 contests set to stream on ESPN+.

“As viewership numbers for the Olympic Games and marquee collegiate games have proven once again, there is a massive audience appetite for women’s volleyball around the globe, and we can’t wait to bring an elite level of professional volleyball,” said LOVB president Rosie Spaulding.

LOVB pro volleyball players jump above the net to spike a ball.
LOVB kicks off its first season with six teams across the US. (LOVB)
How to watch the first-ever LOVB pro volleyball match
LOVB is kicking off its professional league with an historic clash, as Atlanta’s three-time Olympic medalist Kelsey Robinson Cook will face fellow Team USA stars Haleigh Washington and Jordyn Poulter of Salt Lake City for the first time on US soil on Wednesday.

Atlanta will host Salt Lake in the league’s debut match, which will stream live at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN+.

Filed Under: Volleyball

Penn State women’s volleyball’s Katie Schumacher-Cawley named Big Ten Coach of the Year

December 4, 2024 by Tara S

  • By Michael Siroty | Onward State

Penn State women’s volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley was named Big Ten Coach of the Year, the conference announced Wednesday.

In her third year at the helm of the Nittany Lions, Schumacher-Cawley led the Nittany Lions to a 29-2 regular season, including going 19-1 in conference play and 16-0 at home.

Despite the one loss in the Big Ten, Penn State won a share of the conference title and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament while being ranked No. 2 in the final regular-season AVCA Poll.

Schumacher-Cawley became the first Penn State head coach to win the award since Russ Rose did so in 2019.

The Nittany Lions will begin NCAA Tournament play against 16th-seeded Delaware State at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 6, at Rec Hall. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.

Filed Under: Volleyball, Women in Sports

Record Setting 1.659 Million TV Viewers for Women’s Volleyball Match Continues Historic Season For Big Ten Women’s Sports

November 2, 2023 by Tara S

BIG 10 Sports

ROSEMONT, Illinois – Big Ten women’s volleyball averaged 1.659 million viewers Sunday afternoon on FOX — the largest TV audience on record for a college volleyball match. The regionalized coverage of Wisconsin women’s volleyball hosting Minnesota, and Ohio State taking on Michigan, nearly tripled the previous record established just one week ago when #1 Nebraska defeated the #2 Badgers. 

“The profile of women’s athletics in the Big Ten Conference is at an all-time high, with some of the biggest names and brands anywhere in sports,” said Commissioner Tony Petitti. “The collaboration between our staff, our schools, and our broadcast partners has been critical in elevating the platform we provide. With the introduction of strategic scheduling principles overseen by Chief Operating Officer Kerry Kenny and Senior Director Television Administration Grace McNamara, the future of Big Ten women’s sports has never been brighter.”

Sunday’s historic viewership is the latest highlight in an exciting fall for Big Ten women’s sports. Earlier this month, 55,646 fans filled Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium for a women’s basketball exhibition between the Hawkeyes and DePaul Blue Demons, the largest crowd in the history of women’s basketball.

In August, Nebraska volleyball hosted the University of Nebraska-Omaha inside Memorial Stadium in front of the largest crowd to ever witness a women’s sporting event in the United States – 92,003 – breaking the previous record of 90,185 established at the 1999 World Cup soccer final between the U.S. and China at the Rose Bowl.

This undeniable momentum is expected to continue into the winter season when Big Ten women’s basketball tips off in November, with all 126 conference games to be nationally produced and distributed for the 10th consecutive season. The 2023-24 campaign marks the most coverage on nationally distributed platforms in Big Ten women’s basketball history, including six Big Ten regular-season games televised on a broadcast platform, the most in conference history. In addition, the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Championship Game will air on CBS, the event’s first appearance on broadcast television.

Filed Under: Volleyball, Women's Sports

CATARINA MACARIO, CHLOE KIM AND MORE: 20 FEMALE ATHLETES TO KNOW IN 2022

December 21, 2021 by Tara S

Top 22 Female Athletes of 2022

As 2021 comes to an end, it’s time to look forward to the year ahead in sports.

With the Winter Olympics in February, March Madness on the calendar and a landmark NWSL season to come, women’s sports fans are in store for an exciting year.

Here are the 20 athletes to know or get reacquainted with in 2022: 

[Read more…] about CATARINA MACARIO, CHLOE KIM AND MORE: 20 FEMALE ATHLETES TO KNOW IN 2022

Filed Under: Athlete Spotlight, Golf, Gymnastics, Hockey, Lacrosse, Olympics, Paralympics, Racing, Running, Skiing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Team USA, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball, Women in Sports, Women's Basketball, Women's Golf, Women's Hockey, Women's Soccer, Women's Sports, Women's Tennis, Women's Wrestling

The Most Surreal Thing I’ve Ever Done’: UNC Student Emma Schieck Reflects on Paralympic Gold Medal

September 14, 2021 by Tara S

UNC Student, Emma Schieck, Reflects on Paralympic Gold Medal

Posted by Michael Koh

When she returns to Chapel Hill after taking the semester off, UNC student Emma Schieck will have some extra hardware to show off from her time away: a Paralympic gold medal.

Schieck is a member of the United States national sitting volleyball team, which won gold at this year’s Tokyo Summer Paralympics. Schieck served the winning ace in the gold medal match against China. What was going through her head when she prepared her final serve?

“To be completely honest, nothing. I hardly even remember it,” Schieck told 97.9 The Hill. “I remember the second I realized I was gonna be going in, because my coach had told me a few points before, if Katie [Holloway], number five, our captain, gets back, ‘You’re going in and serving for her.’ And at that moment, I was like, ‘Oh crap. Like, don’t miss this. Don’t mess this up. This is it.’”

Schieck is a junior at Carolina. She said the entire experience of representing Team USA in Tokyo, almost 7,000 miles from her hometown of Statesville, N.C., is one she hasn’t fully taken in yet.

“It was the most surreal thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “It’s still kind of processing. Honestly, it really didn’t hit fully until I got home, and was walking to the airport. And I was like, ‘Wait, this just happened. I just did this. This is the experience I just had.’”

Schieck has permanent nerve damage that prevents her from fully straightening or rotating her left arm, but that didn’t stop her from playing standing volleyball competitively through high school. Schieck cited a need to prove others wrong as a motivating factor.

[Read more…] about The Most Surreal Thing I’ve Ever Done’: UNC Student Emma Schieck Reflects on Paralympic Gold Medal

Filed Under: AOTM, Athlete Spotlight, Paralympics, Volleyball, Women's Sports Tagged With: Emma Schiek

USA Retain Women’s Sitting Volleyball Crown After They Defeat China in Dramatic Final

September 7, 2021 by Tara S

USA Sitting Volleyball Olympics

Celebrations as USA overpower China 3-0 in a thrilling final to retain their Paralympic crown while Brazil claim bronze on the final day of competition at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

USA continued their dominance of women’s sitting volleyball by overpowering China in a thrilling final to retain their Paralympic crown.

The squad, which brought an end to China’s unbeaten run at the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016, did it again in impressive form to win 3-1 (25-12, 25-20, 22-25, 25-19) on the last day of competition at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

It was a fast and furious match with China’s ZHAO Meiling opening the scoreline with the first spike, but the Americans immediately responded with two from Kathryn Holloway and Lora Webster.

Setter Kaleo Kanahele Maclay, who won silver in London 2012 and gold in Rio 2016, was the USA’s key player in keeping the points flowing. Holloway slammed home another spike at 10-6 and the team motored towards the end of the first set, with Heather Erickson taking it in 25-12 in just 19 minutes.

The second set opened again with a point from China with XU Yixiao getting in the first spike, but after Maclay’s 39kmh serve, which was picked up by WANG Yanan, Erickson slammed home another spike, her seventh of the match.

It took just four minutes for the Americans to be up 8-3. China edged back with Wang getting a spike in after a dig error by Webster, but the USA pulled away and were soon up 12-6.

After time out at 13-6, China regrouped as TANG Xuemei, who was a gold medallist in London 2012, immediately smashed a spike passed Holloway. Zhang got a second in, but then Erickson hit home a winner, before Tang replied after a dig error by Matthews.

At 16-10 to the Americans it seemed only a question of time before they closed out the set, but China’s Xu and Wang had other ideas. They both set up a series of spikes and the scoreline got to 19-17. At two points adrift of their opponents, they levelled, but Matthews 11th spike of the match sealed the second set 25-20.

Going into the third, America was just a set away from back-to-back golds. Holloway opened with two points in quick succession. China got two back and the scoreline was drawn but Matthews got in her 12th spike to push them ahead. But Wang was pivotal in changing the score line with a series of spikes and the country was soon leading 10-8.

Holloway and Erickson levelled the score but China pulled away again. The points changed back and forth until China sealed the set 25-22 after 25 minutes.

The nation was more confident going into the fourth and denied the USA the opportunity to pull away with a series of points by Xu and LYU Hongqin. At 21-17 it was all to play for until USA claimed a block. China came back fighting with a point by Lyu, but Erickson, who had impressed throughout the match, set a spike at 24 and the matched was closed out after a reception error by Zhang at 25-19.

When the final bell went the USA team erupted in cheers and hugs. It had been a long battle. On their way to the final USA, who were also silver medallists in London 2012 and Beijing 2008 and bronze medallists in Athens 2004, had not conceded a set. They beat China in an earlier heat as well as Rwanda and the Russian Paralympic Committee before overpowering Brazil in the semifinal.

In the women’s bronze medal sitting volleyball match, Brazil came out on top with a 3-1 (25-15, 24-26, 26-24, 25-14) win over Canada. Their compatriot Para swimming legend Daniel Dias, who retired this week as the sport’s most successful Paralympian with 27 medals, was in the arena to cheer them on.

Filed Under: Paralympics, Volleyball, Women in Sports

NJCAA ANNOUNCES FOUR EMERGING SPORTS, INCLUDING WOMEN’S WRESTLING

December 30, 2020 by Tara S

Featured image for the story NJCAA ANNOUNCES FOUR EMERGING SPORTS, INCLUDING WOMEN'S WRESTLING

By NJCAA | Dec. 30, 2020

Charlotte, NC - During the December NJCAA Board of Regents meeting, the board considered increasing the association’s sports offerings following a survey to membership to gauge interest. Following the Board of Regents’ vote, the NJCAA will formally recognize competitive cheer (coed), clay target shooting (coed), men’s volleyball, and women’s wrestling as emerging sports within the association.

“The NJCAA is excited to offer competitive cheer, clay target shooting, men’s volleyball, and women’s wrestling as emerging sports,” stated Dr. Christopher Parker, NJCAA President & CEO.  “Athletics is a vital driver of enrollment for many NJCAA member colleges. The addition of these four sports will also provide a pathway to increase opportunities for student-athletes around the country.”

Each of the new emerging sports have garnered interest amongst NJCAA member colleges as club sports in recent years.  Survey results from NJCAA membership showed an interest from membership in declaring for each of the sports, with enough programs planning to begin programs over the next three years to sustain sponsored sport status. Programs will be permitted to field teams beginning in the fall of 2021 under the recognized emerging sport distinction.  There will not be an NJCAA championship opportunity during the 2021-22 academic year, however, teams will have the opportunity to participate in various season-ending events, whether through the sport’s national governing body or another organization. The timeline to begin NJCAA championships will vary based on sport, depending on participation.

The NJCAA will form sport committees for competitive cheer, clay target shooting, men’s volleyball, and women’s wrestling in preparation for the 2021-22 academic year.  These committees will be tasked with navigating all areas of strategic planning for the emerging sports including trends in sponsorship, commitment periods, sports procedures, and recommended timelines.

The adoption of the four emerging sports follows the NJCAA’s addition of beach volleyball in April 2018.  Prior to beach volleyball, the association last added half marathon and women’s lacrosse in 2003-04.  The NJCAA currently sponsors 28 sports across three divisions with 52 national championship events.

Filed Under: Clay Target Shooting, Competitive Cheer, Volleyball, Women's Sports, Women's Wrestling, Wrestling

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