As League One Volleyball (LOVB) San Francisco prepares to bring professional volleyball to the Bay Area, club founders and Marin residents Jes Wolfe (Larkspur) and Stephanie Martin (Mill Valley) are focused on building more than a team. Their vision is to create a community-centered franchise that reflects the region’s strong connection to women’s sports and the sport of volleyball itself.
We spoke with Wolfe and Martin about what makes the Bay Area, and Marin County in particular, one of the most vibrant volleyball communities in the country, and why the county’s participation, passionate fan base, and strong youth pipeline make it the ideal place to build a professional team.
What excited you most about bringing LOVB to the Bay Area?
We have one of the most vibrant markets in the country for women’s sports. You see it in the support for women’s basketball, soccer and now new franchises across the region. There’s a culture here of people showing up for women athletes and investing in the future of the game. That, coupled with our history of incredible innovation, makes the Bay the place to build something new.
Volleyball also already has a huge presence here. Across Northern California, including Marin County, thousands of young athletes are playing the sport through youth clubs, high schools and colleges. Volleyball is one of the most popular sports for girls in the United States, with more than 44,000 girls playing high school volleyball in California alone. We’re not introducing volleyball to the community, but rather we’re building a professional home for a sport that’s already deeply rooted here.
Jes, as CEO of Rebel Girls, you’ve built a global platform centered on empowering girls. How do you see LOVB and Rebel Girls connecting?
At Rebel Girls, everything we do is about expanding what girls believe is possible for themselves. Sports play such a powerful role in that — it builds confidence, leadership and a sense of belonging.
LOVB San Francisco is an opportunity to bring that same impact to life in a new way. We’re creating more than a team, we’re creating visible pathways for girls to see themselves in sport — as athletes, leaders, owners and part of something bigger than themselves.
What excites me most is the ability to connect storytelling, community and sport in a way that shows girls they belong here, and that they can shape what comes next.
Why is Marin County such a strong volleyball community?
Volleyball is embedded in the county’s culture — you have kids discovering the sport for the first time, teenagers competing at a high level and adults who continue playing recreationally. It’s what makes Marin special. Nearly every high school in the county fields girls volleyball teams that compete in the Marin County Athletic League, which includes nine varsity programs competing each season. Beyond school teams, the club system is incredibly active.
Programs like Marin Juniors, Absolute and other Northern California clubs develop competitive teams that compete nationally and send athletes on to play in college programs across the country. And it’s more than youth. Adult volleyball is part of the culture here too, from beach volleyball along the coast to recreational leagues like the sand volleyball programs in nearby Sausalito parks.
This kind of lifelong connection to volleyball is exactly what a professional team can build around.
How are you approaching building LOVB San Francisco?
From the beginning, we wanted to build this team with the community. That means connecting with youth clubs, coaches, colleges and volleyball leaders throughout the Bay Area, and getting input and feedback, such as helping us officially name our team. We want our matches to become gathering places for the volleyball community, where players and fans of all ages feel connected to the team.
We’re also focused on how we can inspire the next generation. When young athletes walk into an arena and see professional players competing at the highest level, it changes what they believe is possible. We want to help be a spark in a young player’s development, as well as support coaches across the region and their own growth.
Fun Facts
- LOVB San Francisco kicks off its inaugural season in January 2027.
- League One Volleyball (LOVB, pronounced “love”) launched its pro league in 2025.
- 85% of the league’s players compete for their national teams.
- Larkspur native Bella Bergmark just completed her first season in LOVB, playing for the Austin team.
- The Bay Area will soon be home to The Twelfth, a women’s sports bar opening this summer in San Rafael, giving fans a dedicated place to gather and watch women’s sports together starting next season, and build community around the LOVB San Francisco team when it’s on the road.
Now that the Bay Area has the team, LOVB San Francisco wants you to help choose a name. Submit your ideas, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win 2027 season tickets and a prize pack for four. Visit lovbsf.com/nametheteam to enter and for more information.
Mimi Towle has been the editor of Marin Magazine for over a decade. She lived with her family in Sycamore Park and Strawberry and thoroughly enjoyed raising two daughters in the mayhem of Marin’s youth sports; soccer, swim, volleyball, ballet, hip hop, gymnastics and many many hours spent at Miwok Stables. Her community involvements include volunteering at her daughter’s schools, coaching soccer and volleyball (glorified snack mom), being on the board of both Richardson Bay Audubon Center. Currently residing on a floating home in Sausalito, she enjoys all water activity, including learning how to steer a 6-person canoe for the Tamalpais Outrigger Canoe Club. Born and raised in Hawaii, her fondness for the islands has on occasion made its way into the pages of the magazine.
