STAMFORD, Conn. – January 7, 2026 – USA Sports’ coverage of the 2026 League One Volleyball (LOVB) season begins tonight with LOVB’s First Serve premiering live on USA Network at 6 p.m. ET, featuring a 2025 championship rematch between defending champions LOVB Austin and runners-up LOVB Nebraska.

Former University of Nebraska star libero Lexi Rodriguez makes her league debut with LOVB Nebraska tonight and will face fellow U.S. National Team player Madisen Skinner, the star outside hitter who was named the inaugural LOVB Finals MVP with LOVB Austin last season.

USA Network is serving up LOVB’s Game of the Week live in primetime nearly every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET from January to April, with two-time Olympic medalist Courtney Thompson and long-time volleyball commentator Shelby Coppedge leading the network’s coverage as lead analyst and play-by-play commentator, respectively. USA Network will also present LOVB’s second semifinals match (April 12) and both championship matches (April 16 and 18), where the 2026 LOVB champions will be crowned live to a primetime audience.

"I'm excited to be joining the broadcast team as USA Network brings LOVB's Game of the Week to fans across the nation live in prime time every Wednesday," said Courtney Thompson, 2x Olympic Medalist and LOVB Head of Player Experience. "Having worked closely with these amazing athletes both on and off the court, I look forward to sharing their incredible stories and working to grow professional women's volleyball in the U.S. as part of USA Network's inaugural season presenting LOVB."

“I was thrilled to be a part of LOVB’s inaugural season in 2025 and I can't wait to be back for 2026 with the “Game of the Week” on USA Network," said play-by-play announcer Shelby Coppedge, whose announcing experience also includes MLB, NFL, NBA and the NCAA. "I've been around volleyball most of my life as a player and now as a broadcaster, so it's an absolute honor to be calling these groundbreaking matches for LOVB as we showcase the best of our wonderful sport.”

On Sunday, two-time Olympic medalist and LOVB Salt Lake player Haleigh Washington walked the Critics’ Choice Awards red carpet alongside U.S. National Teammate and LOVB Houston athlete Amber Igiede. The pair spoke to Keltie Knight on Live From E!: Critics Choice Awards red carpet show and participated in E!’s red carpet Glambot as part of a cross-promotional effort between LOVB, E! and USA Network ahead of the First Serve. See photos and video here, courtesy of E!.

Tonight’s LOVB Game of the Week kicks of USA Sports’ 1,000-plus hours of women’s sports programming across its platforms in 2026, which will include 50-plus WNBA games beginning in May, land live coverage of every LPGA Tour event, as well as college and amateur sports.

USA Network’s 2026 LOVB Schedule

Jan. 7 | LOVB Nebraska at LOVB Austin | 6 p.m.

Jan. 14 | LOVB Austin at LOVB Atlanta | 8 p.m.

Jan. 21 | LOVB Austin at LOVB Madison | 8 p.m.

Jan. 28 | LOVB Houston at LOVB Atlanta | 8 p.m.

Feb. 4 | LOVB Atlanta at LOVB Austin | 8 p.m.

Feb. 25 | LOVB Salt Lake at LOVB Austin | 8 p.m.

March 4 | LOVB Houston at LOVB Madison | 8 p.m.

March 11 | LOVB Austin at LOVB Houston | 8 p.m.

March 18 | LOVB Atlanta at LOVB Nebraska | 8 p.m.

March 25 | LOVB Salt Lake at LOVB Houston | 8 p.m.

April 1 | LOVB Houston at LOVB Nebraska | 8 p.m.

April 12 | Semifinal Match 2 | 2 p.m.

April 16 | Championship Match 1 | 8 p.m.

April 18 | Championship Match 2 | 8 p.m.

About USA Sports

USA Sports is home to premier sporting events airing on USA Network, Golf Channel, and CNBC across the calendar year, including NASCAR, PGA TOUR, Premier League, WWE, WNBA, Pac-12 Football and Basketball, USGA, R&A, LPGA Tour, PGA of America, Atlantic 10 Basketball, DP World Tour, Augusta National, League One Volleyball (LOVB), and more. Golf Channel – the first-ever single-sport cable network which was founded in 1995 – delivers comprehensive live golf tournament, studio and shoulder programming and is the television home of the sport and industry in the United States. USA Sports is a division of VERSANT (Nasdaq: VSNT), an industry-changing media and entertainment business with a powerful portfolio of iconic and innovative brands, including USA Network, CNBC, MS NOW, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel, along with digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass and SportsEngine. 

About LOVB

Founded in 2020, LOVB’s mission is to reimagine the future of volleyball. With a unique community up approach, LOVB is one holistic ecosystem - from club to pro. The largest community of youth clubs in the country, LOVB launched the first serve of its pro league in January 2025, featuring some of the very best players in the world including American silver medalists and players from the last Olympics. For more information on LOVB as it embarks on its second season, its clubs, and its professional teams in Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Madison, Omaha, Salt Lake, and soon to be Los Angeles, Minnesota and San Francisco, please visit www.lovb.com or on social channels like Instagram.

– USA Sports –

USA Sports

Jamie Palatini

VP, Communications

Jamie.palatini@versantmedia.com

(908) 347-1472

Emily Carman

Publicist

Emily.Carman@versantmedia.com

(714) 742-8301