Columbus, OH / Frisco, TX – Iconic United States volleyball star Kerri Walsh Jennings was announced Thursday as the lead owner of a new Pro Volleyball Federation team in San Diego, becoming the sixth announced team of the new women’s professional volleyball league.
Walsh Jennings joins a strong ownership group in bringing the exciting, fast-paced sport of women’s indoor volleyball to San Diego. She is joined by longtime business associate Mitch Grossbach and his company Someone Great Management, LLC, along with other business partners, in the founding of Pro Volleyball Federation’s first team on the West Coast.
Pro Volleyball Federation is the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America and boasts teams from coast to coast. The League most recently announced a team in Orlando, FL. The San Diego team makes six announced franchises for the inaugural 2024 season, with additional team announcements expected soon.
“This is one of the most exciting days of my professional career,” Walsh Jennings stated. “I have been very fortunate to be in a position to achieve so many dreams in my life, but today marks the beginning of me being able to establish a true legacy. I am passionate about the vision of Pro Volleyball Federation and making this San Diego team the very best it can be.”
Pro Volleyball Federation will launch its inaugural season in February 2024 with world-class players and coaches. League matches will be played at a major-league level in marquee arenas with elite athletes who, for the first time, have an opportunity to be paid a living wage while playing professionally without leaving the country.
In addition to San Diego and Orlando, Pro Volleyball Federation boasts teams in Atlanta, Grand Rapids, MI, Columbus, OH, and Omaha, NE.
“Kerri is a legend who is not only a world-class athlete, but also a world-class person,” said Dave Whinham, a co-founder of Pro Volleyball Federation. “Her joining our League as a founding partner is a significant moment in our brief history. Kerri’s passion and enthusiasm is infectious, and the drive she has to leave a lasting legacy in the sport is an inspiring thing to witness. There is no doubt that with Kerri as a part of Pro Volleyball Federation, we will continue to have a massive impact on the sport and those who play and coach it.”
Walsh Jennings is also joining Pro Volleyball Federation as an equity holder in the League. She joins other well-known founding partners from inside and outside the sport, including Super Bowl and Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow, along with his parents Jimmy and Robin Burrow, who are also League equity partners. The Grand Rapids franchise is owned and operated by Dan DeVos, chairman of the Orlando Magic, while the Omaha team is owned in part by global entertainment superstar Jason Derulo.
“What an honor it is to have Kerri join us in Pro Volleyball Federation,” said Pro Volleyball Federation CEO Jen Spicher. “She is a strong, powerful female leader on and off the court. Highlighting great female role models is one of our core initiatives, whether it’s our players becoming role models to young volleyball athletes across the country or Kerri being a role model for people in all walks of life, and through Kerri’s involvement we can demonstrate the incredibly important roles women can have in sport and in the board room.”
In addition to Spicher, two legends of the sport – former USA Volleyball Board chair Dr. Cecile Reynaud and former Olympian Laurie Corbelli – are also intimately involved with the League, leading its volleyball operations division.
The San Diego team will host a celebratory event in the coming weeks where it will introduce its team identity and logo, its head coach, and initial players signed to the team’s roster. At that time the team will also introduce additional members of the ownership group, along with making an announcement associated with its playing venue.
Those wishing to become a part of the San Diego team, whether as a player, coach, investor, sponsor, vendor, or media partner, email info@sandiegoprovb.com.
ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION
Pro Volleyball Federation is REAL pro volleyball and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation will begin play in February 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world class and the very best offered in North America.
For Media Inquiries or to arrange interviews, contact:
Rob Carolla, (214-208-1876 / rcarolla@yahoo.com)