Meet the stars of Houston's new pro volleyball team for League One's inaugural season

Mo Haider Image
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Meet the stars of Houston's new pro volleyball team for League One's inaugural season
Houston is one of six cities getting a women's pro volleyball as part of the inaugural season for League One Volleyball (LOVB).

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houstonians now have a new sports team to cheer on as one of six cities getting a women's pro volleyball as part of the inaugural season for League One Volleyball (LOVB).

The team has 12 members who have competed for their country's national team, including two USA Olympic Medalists.

Madi Rishel brings a decade of experience overseas to H-town.

"I've played 10 years of international volleyball. I played two years in South Korea, a year in China, four years in Turkey, a year in Italy. This summer, I played in Indonesia for three months," Rishel said.

She and others are happy to call the Bayou City home.

"The pro league overseas is like eight months long, so we're living abroad for eight months of the year and then coming home, you miss a lot," Rishel said.

"I'm about four hours away from home by drive, so that's super exciting," Amber Igiede said.

Aside from aiming for wins and championships, the team serves a greater mission-- to inspire young players wanting to go pro.

"For us to be role models for them, and for them to see us, getting to play professional volleyball and knowing it's a thing, is really important for the sport," Rishel said.

The game's popularity is growing, according to the non-profit USA Volleyball.

Since 2013, there's been a 40% jump in girls joining volleyball clubs.

"Volleyball is such a big, growing sport, and just by promoting and spreading the word is just going to help girls our age have avenues and opportunities to play the sport that they love," Igiede said.

The first game is against Austin on Jan. 9 at the Fort Bend County Epicenter.

For updates, follow Mo Haider on Facebook, X and Instagram.

Copyright © 2024 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.