LOVB sets Madison franchise; PVF’s Columbus, Grand Rapids teams get names, logos
League One Volleyball (LOVB) will have a franchise in Madison, Wisconsin, two Pro Volleyball Federation teams announced their names and logos, and PVF said two more of its teams will be announced soon with an eye on having eight franchises its first season.
LOVB in Madison
League One Volleyball “announced that Madison, Wisconsin, will become home to its professional team in the region, and the league will be developing a brand new, state-of-the-art pro training facility in partnership with its Madtown Juniors club in the region, where its pro players will be able to train alongside club players, and create an instant connection and an ecosystem of fandom from the ground up,” the organization said in a news release.
“When we were looking for our next pro team location, it was clear Madison was it,” said Katlyn Gao, co-founder and CEO of LOVB. “The market has everything we’re looking for – record breaking crowds, off the charts talent and passion that can’t be manufactured. It’s like capturing lightning in the bottle and by laying down roots here in the right way, LOVB will not only have the opportunity to help much deserved athletes carve out a whole new path to pro, but become the anchor as we bring together fervent volleyball communities during this watershed era for women’s volleyball.”
LOVB previously announced that it will also have franchises in Atlanta and Houston. It plans to have its first season in the fall of 2024.
For more about League One: lovb.com
Columbus Fury, Grand Rapids Rise
The Pro Volleyball Federation, which begins play with a 24-match season in February 2024, has announced franchises in Atlanta; Columbus, Georgia; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Omaha, Nebraska. The league said it will have a total of eight teams with two more to be announced soon.
In the meantime, Columbus and Grand Rapids now have team names and logos.
The Columbus team will be known as the Fury. The franchise also announced it will play in Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus.
From the Fury: “The Columbus Fury logo features very distinct colors. While it features its own unique shade of red, the fiery Fury Red in the team’s color palette is a nod to both the Ohio State women’s volleyball program and also the team’s Nationwide Arena brethren, the (NHL’s) Columbus Blue Jackets.”
For more about the Fury: ColumbusFury.com
The franchise in Grand Rapids is going to be called the Rise. The logo features a fiery phoenix, with talons gripping the word Rise set in front of a glowing sun beneath Grand Rapids.
The Rise reported that “through the franchise’s “Name the Team” contest that ran from January 31-February 10, a total of 2,132 names were submitted through 829 entries received from people in 18 states from coast to coast.
“Five contestants — all from Michigan — submitted Rise: Tom Cathey of Grand Rapids, Kirk Helferich of Jenison, Luis Hernandez of Byron Center, Tucker Huff of Hudsonville, and Scott Vernon of Grand Rapids. As the first person to submit the name, Hernandez won the grand prize package that includes two season tickets for the 2024 season, a volleyball signed by the inaugural team, and an assortment of team merchandise. The four subsequent winners will receive two tickets to and recognition at the 2024 home opener, a team-autographed item, and two team t-shirts.”
For more about the Rise: grrise.com
For more about Pro Volleyball Federation: provolleyball.com
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