San Francisco, CA
A new pro volleyball team wants in on San Francisco’s women’s sports boom
Want more ways to catch up on the latest in Bay Area sports? Sign up for the Section 415 email newsletter here and subscribe to the Section 415 podcast wherever you listen.
Kelsey Robinson Cook is one of the most decorated American volleyball players of all time. An icon of the sport — a standout. Yet in her everyday life, she’s used to blending in.
That all changed the moment she stepped inside Rikki’s, a women’s sports bar in the Castro, where volleyball fans instantly recognized the three-time Olympic medalist.
It’s that enthusiastic, deep-rooted, and still-under-cover local passion for the sport that led League One Volleyball (LOVB) to bet on San Francisco. A new professional women’s sports franchise, LOVB SF is following Bay FC and the Golden State Valkyries into the market in January 2027.
“We have the bold ambition to be the Bay Area’s next great sports team,” newly appointed team president Stephanie Martin told The Standard.
After witnessing a Bay Area-based NWSL team and WNBA franchise launch in back-to-back years to record attendance numbers and instant cultural relevance, big aspirations are the norm amid a local women’s sports boom.
With roughly a year to go before LOVB SF takes the court, Martin, who also joined the team’s women-led ownership group, will spearhead the buildout of the franchise. With 15-plus years working in the local sports scene, Martin led marketing efforts for the 2013 America’s Cup and Super Bowl 50 and joined the LOVB executive team in 2023 before moving into her role with the San Francisco franchise in January.
Bay FC and the Valkyries set a lofty precedent, but they also offer a credible blueprint for Martin’s team to follow.
“Both of those organizations really understood that you want to be a part of the community first. You want to listen and engage with the community early,” said Martin, who is already planning a team-naming contest and a mascot-creation competition to engage local fans.
1 day ago
4 days ago
Friday, Jan. 23
Martin has sought advice from Valkyries president Jess Smith and Bay FC’s Founding Four (Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton, and Aly Wagner are all members of LOVB’s ownership group), who all knew the market was underserved.
“There has been such a demand for women’s sports here for so long that this fanbase is unparalleled,” Martin said. “It’s incredible to see it skyrocket.”
As LOVB SF’s ownership group sees it, the case for professional volleyball in San Francisco has already been written — just as it was for soccer and basketball.
The Bay Area has one of the strongest volleyball cultures in the country, anchored by Stanford’s dynasty (10 NCAA championships) and bolstered by successful programs at Saint Mary’s, the University of San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Cal. Youth volleyball clubs dot every corner of the region and adult recreational leagues fill courts across the city. By LOVB SF’s estimate, around 300,000 people play adult recreational volleyball in the Bay Area.
The team could host games anywhere, but LOVB SF is committed to playing matches inside San Francisco city limits.
“San Francisco is a place where volleyball has a really robust community already,” Martin said. “It’s a community that already cares about volleyball, understands it, understands the values of what it stands for.”
The team is scouting venues, targeting an arena that can hold 3,000 fans with the hope of growing into a larger, permanent home over time.
“You go to a Valkyries game and it’s the best time you could have. Bay FC games, same thing. It’s inviting, welcoming, and it’s a party. Those are the experiences we want to create,” Martin said.
As easy as Bay FC and the Valkyries might have made it look, launching a franchise and building a fan base is daunting. For Martin’s crew, it’ll be soup to nuts each day until the first match in 11 months. And for LOVB SF, there’s an added challenge.
If the NWSL and WNBA are young, 12 and 29 years old, respectively, then LOVB is a newborn. Only in its second season, LOVB doesn’t have an established fanbase. It does, however, have a media rights package that places matches on ESPN and USA Network and a content hub within Victory+, a streaming service that also airs NWSL games.
Without stars with household names — an element that has propelled both the WNBA and NWSL to massive recent growth — Martin and the ownership group know the lack of awareness around players represents LOVB SF’s biggest hurdle. That’s why they’re hosting weekly LOVB watch parties at Rikki’s and eager to connect future players with local youth clubs.
Martin is also confident that once people experience the action live, selling the product will be easy. Volleyball, she says, is uniquely electric because it’s fast-paced, highlight-heavy, and dramatic. Olympic viewership backs that up, too, as volleyball consistently ranks among the most-watched events.
To thrive in San Francisco and beyond, LOVB also must outpace its competitors as it’s one of three pro domestic volleyball leagues, in addition to the Pro Volleyball Federation and Athletes Unlimited. LOVB views its club-to-pro model as a differentiating quality that can make the league sustainable.
Several players came up through LOVB-affiliated clubs, training in the same gyms where they now compete at the highest level. The organization also works with high school athletes and their families to demystify recruiting, NIL deals, and career pathways in the sport, all to make volleyball feel less like a dead end and more like a viable profession.
That philosophy carries into how LOVB compensates players, who earn base salaries of $60,000, receive year-round healthcare, and live in housing provided by the league during the season.
“One of the things that gets me fired up is being part of a team that’s owned by women who have done it in their spaces … it’s going to create an environment that athletes want to play in, be a part of, and feel loyal to — to start and end their careers in San Francisco,” Robinson Cook, who played pro volleyball abroad for more than 12 years and is part of LOVB SF’s ownership group, said.
If LOVB SF succeeds, the next generation of local volleyball stars will be able to spend their entire careers in the United States. And it won’t just be Rikki’s where the top players are treated like celebrities.
The 4,140-sq-km bay is the largest estuary on the west coast of the US. Before 2018, this species of whales wasn’t known to stop seasonally or consistently in the bay, bypassing it on their migration route down to Baja California and back up the Arctic, said Josephine Slaathaug, who led a recent study on gray whale mortality in the bay.
One of San Francisco’s busiest freeways remained shut down Saturday, creating major traffic delays and dampening business for some local restaurants and shops.
All eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 just before the Bay Bridge are closed as crews work around the clock to rehabilitate the roadway. The 55-hour shutdown, which began on Friday night, is scheduled to last until Monday morning in time for the commute.
The closure has forced drivers onto detour routes, leading to heavy congestion for those trying to reach the East Bay, including Oakland and Berkeley.
The impact is being felt beyond the roadways.
At MoMo’s, a restaurant across from Oracle Park, staff found business noticeably slower.
“A little bit more mellow than usual. We usually see a little bit more foot traffic, a little bit more people on Saturdays,” said Daniel Bermudez, executive chef at MoMo’s.
Bermudez believes the freeway closure may be discouraging visitors from coming into the city this weekend, despite favorable weather.
“The weather is beautiful today. It’s nice and sunny. So we have plenty of tables outside,” he said.
With the San Francisco Giants playing an away game, the restaurant had hoped fans would still gather to watch, but turnout during game time remained light.
“This is kind of like our off-season Saturday. A lot slower than our baseball weekend,” said Casandra Alarcon, general manager at MoMo’s.
Other small businesses in the Mission Bay and South of Market neighborhoods reported similar trends, saying most of their customers are regulars who live nearby rather than visitors.
“A little bit slower for sure. Before, we had tourists come and walk to the baseball park,” said Ajaree Safron, manager at Brickhouse Cafe & Bar.
Caltrans has shut down eastbound lanes between 17th and 4th streets to repave the 71-year-old roadway. The goal is to extend the life of the Bayshore Freeway by another decade.
City and transportation officials said the timing of the closure was intentional, noting fewer major events scheduled in San Francisco this weekend, aside from the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Westbound lanes remain open, and officials said traffic heading into San Francisco from the East Bay has not been significantly affected.
“Getting into the city, it wasn’t too bad. Regular [traffic], what we expect on a Saturday morning,” said visitor Andrea Inouye.
While the closure has posed challenges for businesses, some workers said they are taking it in stride.
“Hopefully, it’s not for too long and we get past it, and get back to our normal routine,” Bermudez said.
Despite early concerns about widespread gridlock, transportation officials said the region has avoided the worst-case scenario. Traffic remains heavy in areas near detours, but the anticipated “carmageddon” has not materialized, in part because many drivers chose to avoid the area or take public transit.
Bay Area High School baseball fans are treated to a rare opportunity Saturday (April 18) with three games at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, including the famed Bruce-Mahoney clash between West Catholic Athletic League rivals St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart Cathedral.
The first pitch of the 20th annual Dante Benedetti Baseball Classic starts at 11 a.m. and pits two more San Francisco private schools as University (9-7), winners of four straight, taking on Riordan (5-11).
That will be followed by the Bruce-Mahoney game at 2:30 between St. Ignatius (12-5, 4-2 WCAL) and the Irish (7-10, 1-5) and finished off with a North Coast Section clash between North Bay’s Marin Catholic (9-7) against Acalanes (7-6-1).
The Benedetti Classic, founded by Dante’s Boys Foundation board member Tom Lounibos and Giants president Larry Baer, benefits the DBF which honors the spirit of Benedetti who for nearly 40 years owned San Francisco’s Mr. Baseball nickname for his kindness and generosity to baseball-playing youth in the area.
Among their philanthropic efforts are glove and baseball equipment drives, field renovations and contributions to scholarships and sponsorships.
After starting the season 0-4 — three of those losses were by one run — University, under head coach Andrew Suvunnachuen, has found its way, winning the last four, all in Bay Counties League play, by a combined 51-6 count over Lick-Wilmerding (16-1 and 11-3) and San Domenico (13-2 and 11-0).
Senior catcher and pitcher Jett Messenger leads the way with a .447 average, while getting on base at a .638 rate. He also leads the team with 20 stolen bases. Junior third baseman Tate Gebhart is hitting .419, while Leo Felder and Behbart share the RBI lead with 15 each.
Junior Matthew Foley is 3-2 on the mound with a 2.38 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 17.2 innings.
Riordan, under second-year head coach Craig Sargent, was 5-5 in nonleague games but lost six straight in the rugged WCAL, losing two tough games this week to Mitty (3-2 and 7-4). Junior third baseman and pitcher Santiono Williams leads the team in batting average (.371), on-base percentage (.488) and stolen bases (nine). He’s also been the team’s top pitcher at 4-2 with a 2.84 ERA.
The teams have split two previous games in their history, with Riordan winning 2-0 in 2023 and University prevailing 5-0 in 2021.
St. Ignatius, led by ninth-year head coach Brian Pollzzie, has already secured the Bruce-Mahoney trophy with four straight wins — one each in football, girls volleyball, boys basketball and girls basketball — but this rivalry is always spirited.
The Wildcats, who are ranked fourth in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle, are coming off a tough 3-0 home loss to No. 2 St. Francis on Friday after beating the host Lancers 10-6 on Tuesday.
The team is led by Stanford-bound Archer Horn, who is hitting .486 with four home runs and a .604 on-base percentage. The shortstop and pitcher also has not allowed an earned run in three pitching appearances while registering one save.
Pitching is a team’s strength with a 2.59 ERA, led by a brigade of strong arms including Leo Rhein (2-0, 2.38), Tycco Giometti (2-1, 2.62), Charlie Stecher 1-1, 0.72) and Chase Gordon (1-0, 2.80). The team is missing standout Finn Demuth, out of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Sacred Heart Cathedral, led by fourth-year head coach Gregg Franceschi, has scored 60 runs on the season and given up 61. The Irish are coming off two losses to eighth-ranked Valley Christian (5-2 and 10-1).
They are led offensively by junior outfielder Brody O’Sullivan (.381) and senior infielder Jacob Vines (.378). Johnny Nepomuceno and Max Nylander are other run-producers. Zach Stallworth (37 strikeouts, 29.2 innings) and Cooper Rogers Lewis (0.25 ERA) have been the team’s top pitchers.
The series has been remarkably close since 2005 with Sacred Heart Cathedral holding a 27-20 edge, though St. Ignatius won both games last season (5-0 and 6-3) after the Irish won 9-7 and 1-0 in 2024.
Marin Catholic hopes to get back to winning after starting the season 9-1, but have since lost six straight, four in Marin County Athletic League play, including 4-2 to Novato on Thursday. Senior outfield Luke Martin is the team’s leading hitter at .478 while senior infielder and pitcher Cooper Mitchell is at .455. Senior infielder Walker Untermann leads the team with 15 RBIs.
Acalanes is at the other end of the spectrum, winners of five of six after a 2-5-1 start. Junior infielder Tyler Winkles, also a highly recruited quarterback in football, leads the team with a .383 average and nine stolen bases. Riley Gates (2-3, 2.49 ERA, 30 strikeouts) is the team’s top pitcher.
The teams have played three times, all since 2022, with Marin Catholic owning a 2-1 lead. Acalanes won last year’s game 8-7.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
Politics38 seconds agoSupreme Court weighs phone searches to find criminals amid complaints of ‘digital dragnets’
-
Sports13 minutes agoRyan Ward has a solid debut, but bullpen blows it again as Dodgers lose to Rockies
-
World25 minutes agoSchools, shops shut in northern Israel to protest the Lebanon ceasefire
-
News55 minutes agoCommunities launch cleanup after severe weather and tornadoes churn across Midwest
-
Detroit, MI3 hours agoGame 21: Tigers at Red Sox, Garrett Crochet battles both Detroit and the weather
-
San Francisco, CA3 hours agoWhy do gray whales keep dying in San Francisco’s waters?
-
Dallas, TX3 hours agoDallas Mavericks Owners Might Be Making Big Mistake in Search for New GM
-
Miami, FL3 hours agoDefense dominates, Mensah flashes in Miami’s spring game – The Miami Hurricane