The appointment marks a strategic transition for the U.S.-based women’s professional volleyball league as it scales from six to nine teams and expands its commercial infrastructure ahead of its second season.
League One Volleyball (LOVB) has appointed Sandra Idehen, a former Nike and Jordan Brand executive with more than 15 years of global sports experience, as the first commissioner of LOVB Pro, the organization’s U.S. professional division. The appointment positions the league to accelerate growth following its inaugural season and signals a strategic shift toward building volleyball’s commercial infrastructure within the United States.
Idehen, who most recently served as vice president and general manager of Jordan Basketball and Sport, joins LOVB at a pivotal moment. The U.S. league has expanded from six to nine professional teams ahead of its second season, added five new ownership groups, and secured more than 30 commercial partners.
Scaling the U.S. “Youth-to-Pro” Ecosystem
As commissioner, Idehen will oversee league operations, long-term strategy, and the league’s integrated youth-to-pro ecosystem. This model is unique to the U.S. market, designed to create direct pathways for athletes from grassroots American youth clubs through to professional careers.
Planned leadership succession
Idehen succeeds founding president Rosie Spaulding, who led LOVB Pro from its conceptual phase through the inaugural U.S. season launch. The transition was a deliberate, long-planned move, with Spaulding remaining in an advisory role to ensure continuity across leadership and strategy.
Since 2020, Spaulding has been central to establishing the league’s competitive framework. Under her leadership, LOVB Pro was built around athlete experience and community connection—integrating 80 youth clubs across the U.S. with professional teams into a unified ecosystem.
About League One Volleyball (LOVB)
League One Volleyball operates a massive youth-to-pro volleyball ecosystem in the United States, connecting more than 17,000 youth athletes with a nine-team professional league. The organization serves as the primary infrastructure for athlete development, commercial partnerships, and media distribution in U.S. women’s volleyball.
