League One Volleyball ( LOVB ) has raised$ 100 million, with a new commitment led by Atwater Capital, a women-founded private equity firm focused on media and entertainment. This square also included contributions from existing buyers Left Lane Capital and Ares Management.
The injection comes as LOVB prepares for the release of its master group, LOVB Pro, in January.
In a statement, Atwater Capital CEO and founder Vania Schlogel stated that” this investment is n’t just about generating financial returns or boosting growth.” We’re excited to expand LOVB’s impact by utilizing our experience in media and entertainment, delivering powerful stories and experiences that engage tennis followers in new, interesting ways and encourage the next generation of exceptional athletes.

LOVB was founded in 2020 by Kevin Wong, Katlyn Gao and Peter Hirschmann. In order to build a grassroots-to-pro network in support of the new club, it has established a network of clubs across the nation. The expert dress will start in January with six groups: Atlanta, Austin, Tex., Houston, Madison, Wis., Omaha, Neb., and Salt Lake City. The group has 17 Athletes from the Paris Games, including 10 users of the metal medal-winning Team USA.
When asked what the new funding will do for LOVB, Gao stated in a video interview that “it’s designed to keep executing the same perspective that we hatched almost precisely the year five years ago. ” I think the$ 100 million announcement is a significant milestone for us to move from, continuing to build on the youth volleyball community into the live launch of our pro league product,” said one player.
Prior to the new investment round, LOVB had raised$ 60 million, including$ 35 million in Series B funding led by Left Lane in 2023. In addition to institutional shareholders, LOVB has many supporters from the sporting world, including Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Candace Parker and Lindsey Vonn. Amy Schumer and Chelsea Handler, two performers who are partners with Fenway Sports Group, have also invested in LOVB.
Nebraska has the most renowned women’s tennis system in the nation, with the Cornhuskers being a part of 21 of the 36 most-watched events in NCAA story, including opening 92, 003 enthusiasts for a game against Nebraska-Omaha at Memorial Stadium in August of 2023. Stanford and Wisconsin are two different programs that have sold out of their games as also.

Next December, the broadcasting of Texas ‘ win over Nebraska in the 2023 national championship match drew 1.7 million people, a report for school tennis.
The top athletes in the sport compete in around 40 different professional leagues all over the world, but there has n’t been a successful effort to establish one in the US. By retaining the best American people at home and maximizing the focus from the Summer Games and the crowded NCAA, LOVB Pro, in the opinion of Gao, may be” the NBA for tennis.”
What percentage of new sports teams are successful? That’s not always a tremendous accomplishment rate”, said Gao. How can we view this in a way that is both reliable and disciplined, using a rigorous approach and method? We assembled the best group, the best talent, and of course the right investors who continue to pitch in agreement with our strategy.
Matches are broadcast on the Disney Sports team’s straight systems and ESPN+, and LOVB Pro has a media rights agreement with ESPN. In June, LOVB signed a multiyear partnership with Adidas, making the sport clothing large LOVB Pro’s dress provider. With the athletes ‘ type, Adidas will create the player’s shoes and dress.
Additionally, Revolve and the tennis circuit have an established retail partnership and sponsor Spanx.