League One Volleyball serves up their second season in 2026.
League One Volleyball (also known as LOVB) is fairly new to the sports conversation, as their inaugural season was just last season. The league averaged about 51,000 viewers that were streamed last season. Just from one season alone, LOVB has shown major promise that professional women’s volleyball is on the rise. But League One isn’t the only league in town. Major Volleyball League launched its first season back in 2024.
What are the differences between the two?
LOVB brings that player-first motto for the sport of volleyball, as the MVL is known more for bringing volleyball to the cities. Both leagues are very fun to watch as you are able to see all of your favorite former collegiate players on the professional floor.
Why does LOVB’s player first motto work well in terms of engagement?
Well, MVL does a great job of taking the more traditional way to run a sports league, but LOVB wants to focus on the athletes themselves that play in their leagues. LOVB’s main goal is to bring more stable opportunities that don’t just disappear after one season.
Both leagues are very good for the world of volleyball, but it can be confusing for fans as there are two different leagues; would it be better to merge the two to make one big volleyball league?
Well, make that decision as you will.
Both leagues have very different approaches on how they want their brand to look, and when you merge those two together, it would dilute both of those visions that the leagues want to have for themselves. A problem that every league faces in the pro world is the amount of roster spots and the amount of good athletes. When you have two leagues, it basically opens up twice the number of chances of playing professionally.
As women’s sports continue to grow and gain more attention, professional women’s volleyball in the United States will grow in that realm in one of the many sports that people watch. Even though both LOVB and MVL do take different approaches, it shows promise in the game itself of growth in women’s sports.