If you’re still feeling the excitement of Texas A&M women’s volleyball’s first national title in program history, then look no further than League One Volleyball (LOVB) to serve up more elite action.
The second season of LOVB (pronounced ‘love’) gets underway Wednesday, Jan. 7, and opening week is filled with five marquee matchups, including a semifinal rematch Sunday between LOVB Atlanta and LOVB Austin, the defending champions.
A handful of All-American collegiate stars will make their professional debuts, including a trio that played in the NCAA title match. Texas A&M opposite hitter Logan Lednicky signed with LOVB Houston and middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla LOVB Salt Lake. Kentucky outside hitter Eva Hudson heads to LOVB Atlanta.
The players on LOVB’s six teams have a combined 21 NCAA Division I titles, 101 AVCA All-American awards and 23 Olympic medals. Here’s what you need to know ahead of season two:
College stars will add instant impact
Here’s a handful of college players that will begin their rookie season:
Rebekah Allick, Nebraska, LOVB Madison: The 6-4 middle blocker racked up a team-high 128 blocks (19 solo) and 259 kills on .450 hitting. She was named AVCA second-team All-American.
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, Texas A&M, LOVB Salt Lake: The 6-foot-2 middle blocker lead the nation with 199 total blocks (22 solo) and had a team-high 1.69 blocks per set. The AVCA first-team All-American was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.
Eva Hudson, Kentucky, LOVB Atlanta: The 6-1 outside hitter was named the SEC Player of the Year after hitting .319 with 4.59 kills per set and 546 total kills. She was a finalist for national player of the year finalist after leading Kentucky to the 2025 title game.
Logan Lednicky, Texas A&M, LOVB Houston: The 6-3 opposite hitter led the Aggies’ championship squad in points (534), kills (467) and kills per set (4.10) and hit .310. She recorded double-digit kills in 29 of 33 matches her senior season and was named a AVCA second-team All-American.
Bailey Miller, Arizona State, LOVB Austin: The 6-foot-3 outside hitter was named first-team All-Big 12 after recording 462.5 points, 392 kills, 3.29 kills per set and 39 service aces.
Maya Sands, Missouri, LOVB Houston: The 5-foot-7 Illinois native was named the SEC Libero of the Year after recording 511 digs, including a career-high 32 against South Carolina on Oct. 24. She also had 108 assists.
LOVB Austin reloads ahead of title defense
Despite finishing the regular season with a 5-11 record, LOVB Austin got hot in the postseason and cemented itself as the inaugural champion. They did so with reverse sweeps of LOVB Salt Lake in the quarterfinals and top-seeded LOVB Atlanta in the semifinals, before taking down LOVB Omaha in the title match behind dominant performances by Logan Eggleston (22 points) and Madisen Skinner (21 points). Skinner, who finished the season ranked fourth overall in points (227) and kills (201), was named the Finals MVP.
Skinner and Eggleston are among 10 players returning as LOVB Austin looks to defend its title. Skinner, Eggleston, Asjia O’Neal, Zoe Jarvis and newcomer Bella Bergmark all won an NCAA title together at Texas in 2022. Skinner, Bergmark and O’Neal successfully defended the Longhorn’s title in 2023. Skinner, who also won a NCAA title with Kentucky in 2020, has won four championships in the past five years.
LOVB Austin suffered a major offseason blow after Chiaka Ogbogu, the middle blocker of the year with a league-high 53 blocks, accepted an offer to play in Turkey. But head coach Erik Sullivan will rely on Molly McCage and O’Neal to shore up Austin’s league-leading defense. McCage had 39 blocks last year, fourth in the league. Austin has the talent to pull off a repeat, but it’s paramount they get off to a better start.
LOVB Nebraska looks to continue momentum
LOVB Austin wasn’t the only team to undergo a dramatic postseason turnaround. LOVB Nebraska (formerly LOVB Omaha) finished at the bottom of the standings with a 5-11 record, but went on a Cinderella run in the playoffs. LOVB Nebraska took out LOVB Madison in the quarterfinals and reverse swept LOVB Houston in the semifinals. LOVB Nebraska was subsequently swept in the finals by LOVB Austin, but its deep playoff run highlighted the team’s potential.
LOVB Nebraska will be led by team co-owner Jordan Larson, who finished top 5 in the league in aces (14). She’s not the only Nebraska alum. Libero Lexi Rodriguez is returning and will look to take on a more prominent role after two-time U.S. Olympic medalist libero Justine Wong-Orantes left to move closer to home.
LOVB Nebraska also signed renowned Brazilian middle blocker Ana Carolina da Silva. The 34-year-old led the Brazilian national team to two Olympic medals — silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics — in addition to two world championships. LOVB Nebraska was the only team shut out of the end of season awards last season, but that’s likely to change if the team can recapture its postseason magic.
LOVB Atlanta seeks redemption
LOVB Atlanta is stacked. The team is made up of three-time Olympic medalist Kelsey Cook, the league’s inaugural MVP, in addition to McKenzie Adams (outside hitter of the year) and Tia Jimerson (who ranked second in blocks with 52). The team dominated the regular season with a 13-3 record, but was upset in the semifinals by LOVB Austin. ‘There was just a lot left out on the court,’ Cook said after the shocking loss.
Another season brings a chance at redemption, although LOVB Atlanta will be without their superstar outside hitter. Cook announced her pregnancy in October out for the 2026 season. Adams is capable of carrying the load, ranked top five among outside hitters in the league last season in points (193), kills (163), digs (146), blocks (20) and aces (10). LOVB Atlanta also added Kentucky grad Eva Hudson, who should fit seamlessly into the lineup after being named the SEC player of the year and a national player of the year finalist.
LOVB is expanding (teams + moms)
LOVB is expanding from six teams to nine next season in 2027, with the addition of LOVB Los Angeles, LOVB Minnesota and LOVB San Francisco, but that’s not the only way to the league is growing. Three-time Olympic medalist Kelsey Cook is one of several LOVB players preparing for motherhood.
Cook (LOVB Atlanta) announced her pregnancy in October and her U.S. national teammate Justine Wong-Orantes (LOVB Houston) is expecting a baby boy in March. In fact, Cook and Wong-Orantes revealed they are due two weeks apart.
LOVB Madison middle blocker Anna Hall is returning to LOVB after giving birth to son Louie last September. Hall revealed she was pregnant with her son during LOVB’s inaugural season.
2026 LOVB team rosters
Here’s a look at each team’s roster, by position:
LOVB Atlanta roster
Head coach: Paulo Coco
Liberos: Beatrice Negretti, Piyanut Pannoy
Middle Blockers: Magdalena Jehlarova, Tia Jimerson, Onye Ofoegbu, Jess Robinson
Outside Hitters: McKenzie Adams, Kelsey Cook, Miroslava Paskova, Julia Sangiacomo, Eva Hudson
Opposite Hitters: Carly Dehoog, Tessa Grubbs, Ivonee Montano
Setters: Rachel Fairbanks, Ella May Powell
LOVB Austin roster
Head coach: Erik Sullivan
Liberos: Kotoe Inoue, Zoe Jarvis
Setters: Carli Lloyd, Brie O’Reilly
Outside Hitters: Madi Banks, Logan Eggleston, Leah Hardeman
Opposite Hitters: Khat Bell, Juliann Faucette, Madisen Skinner, Bailey Miller
Middle Blockers: Bella Bergmark, Magdalena Jurczyk, Molly McCage, Asjia O’Neal
LOVB Houston roster
Head coach: Sanja Tomašević
Liberos: Lauren Briseño, Justine Wong-Orantes, Maya Sands
Middle Blockers: Anita Anwusi, Raphaela Folie, Amber Igiede, Jazmine White,
Outside Hitters: Julia Brown, Madi Kingdon Rishel, Sara Loda, Jess Mruzik, Karin Palgutova
Opposite Hitters: Grace Frohling, Jordan Thompson, Logan Lednicky
Setters: Kaisa Alanko, Micha Hancock
LOVB Madison roster
Head coach: Matt Fuerbringer
Liberos: Milica Medved, Anna Pogany
Middle Blockers: Ana Beatriz Correa, Anna Hall, Annayka Legros, Callie Schwarzenbach, Rebekah Allick
Outside Hitters: Claire Chaussee, Anna Haak, Mariena Hayden, Andrea Mitrovic, Indrė Sorokaitė
Opposite Hitters: Xiangyu Gong, Temi Thomas-Ailara
Setters: Lauren Carlini, Argentina Ung
LOVB Nebraska roster
Head coach: Suzie Fritz
Liberos: Annie Cesar, Lexi Rodriguez
Middle Blockers: Ana Carolina da Silva, Candelaria Herrera, Emily Thater, Iga Wasilewska
Outside Hitters: Anne Buijs, Alexis Hart, Jordan Larson, Vicky Savard, Jaali Winters, Julia Hanson
Opposite Hitters: Kimberly Drewniok, Audriana Fitzmorris
Setters: Gabby Blossom, Laura Dijkema
LOVB Salt Lake roster
Head coach: Tama Miyashiro
Liberos: Manami Kojima, Mary Lake
Middle Blockers: Tori Dixon, Sophie Fischer, Serena Gray, Haleigh Washington, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla
Outside Hitters: Dani Drews, Alexa Gray, Maddie Haynes, Claire Hoffman, Roni Jones-Perry
Opposite Hitters: Heidy Casanova, Skylar Fields
Setters: Madi Bugg, Jordyn Poulter
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