Minnesota is already a hub for volleyball. Now, it’s getting a pro team.

Professional women s volleyball is coming to Minnesota League One Volleyball Pro LOVB one of three pro leagues in the United States declared Friday it will expand to Minnesota for the season Lots of details remain to be worked out like where LOVB Minnesota Volleyball will play who will coach and who will fill out the roster Minnesota natives Jordan Thompson Edina and Tori Dixon Burnsville and University of Minnesota product Alexis Hart already play in the league which launched last January with six franchises Minnesota is one of the great homes of volleyball with a passionate fan base and an incredible depth of talent across the state LOVB Pro president Rosie Spaulding disclosed in a announcement distributed by the league Bringing a professional squad here is about celebrating that passion and building a clear tangible path for the next generation In an interview with MinnPost Spaulding announced the league looked hard at Minnesota when selecting the original franchise sites It ultimately chose Omaha Nebraska and Madison Wisconsin in the Midwest along with Houston Atlanta Austin Tex and Salt Lake City Los Angeles was previously informed as a expansion franchise and Spaulding hinted there may be one or two more We consistently knew as we re showing now that Minnesota was an critical arena for us for a number of reasons Spaulding explained We know the high school and college scene is huge the club scene is huge and it s just such a passionate volleyball territory No doubt As a state Minnesota ranks ninth nationally in girls high school volleyball participation with more than athletes according to the latest survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations NFHS Nationwide volleyball continues to grow more girls play high school volleyball than any other sport except outdoor track and field Related Gophers volleyball injuries create learning opportunities for young players The University of Minnesota with six NCAA Division I Final Four appearances and nine-time Division II national champion Concordia-St Paul boast sustained volleyball success And St Thomas won a Division III NCAA title in before moving up to D The Gophers regularly draw crowds of around at Maturi Pavilion and ranked fifth nationally in attendance last season What a wise and thrilling decision by LOVB leadership Gophers Coach Keegan Cook declared in a report published by the league Minnesota is not only a thriving professional sports state but a passionate and committed volleyball society We cannot wait to welcome LOVB to the Twin Cities Post-collegians with pro and or Olympic ambitions generally play professionally overseas and LOVB sought to offer a domestic alternative It s competing for players with Major League Volleyball which begins its third season in January with eight teams none in Minnesota and Athletes Unlimited which brings athletes to hubs in Madison and Omaha for four weeks in the fall LOVB s season runs January through April LOVB pronounced love the B is silent really formed in with a unique business model It created a arrangement of youth clubs in cities across the country with the hope of generating enough aid and buzz to eventually form a pro league Billie Jean King NBA great Kevin Durant world champion skier Lindsey Vonn and former University of Minnesota standout Lindsey Berg were among the early investors Now about youth club athletes in states come under the LOVB umbrella In Minnesota LOVB partnered with Minnesota One commonly known as M and Kokomo Volleyball two of the leading clubs in the Twin Cities The fledgling pro league timed its launch to piggyback on the Paris Olympics with Olympic medalists signing up as founding athletes Matches can be seen on ESPN and the USA Structure Our long-term goal is to make volleyball a major league sport and to really grow the battle in this country and bring volleyball up there so it s recognized and culturally relevant alongside certain of the other larger sports that are there currently Spaulding announced Various franchises are owned by the league and particular by investors Spaulding declared the goal is to find local owners for each gang including LOVB Minnesota Teams don t have nicknames mirroring the first season of the Professional Women s Hockey League Teams generally play in medium-sized venues with capacities between and optimal Spaulding wouldn t say which Minnesota arenas are under consideration but the Maturi Pavilion and the new Anderson Arena at St Thomas fall into that range The league plans to hire a local patronage and business staff in the coming months Spaulding commented The post Minnesota is already a hub for volleyball Now it s getting a pro squad appeared first on MinnPost