LOVB Nebraska will open its third season against two-time defending LOVB Pro champion LOVB Austin in First Serve on Wednesday, Dec. 16, at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. The match will begin the 2026-27 LOVB Pro season one day before the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship semifinals begin at the Alamodome. First Serve tickets go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 10 a.m. CT at LOVB.com.
LOVB Nebraska renews rivalry with LOVB Austin
The Nebraska-Austin matchup will renew an emerging LOVB Pro rivalry. In the teams’ most recent meeting, Nebraska pushed Austin to five sets during the final week of the 2026 regular season. Austin won the decisive fifth set to secure a playoff berth before capturing its second consecutive LOVB Pro championship.
LOVB Nebraska President of Business Operations Kirsten Bernthal Booth said the opener will give the team an opportunity to showcase its roster and establish the tone for the season.
“We could not be more excited to be part of LOVB First Serve with the talented team we have assembled,” Bernthal Booth said. “Opening against the two-time defending champions will be a tremendous opportunity to showcase LOVB Nebraska and set the tone for the season ahead. San Antonio will be the epicenter of the volleyball world that week. Bringing the college and professional games together in one city creates a powerful opportunity to celebrate the sport, inspire the next generation and show just how bright the future of volleyball is.”
Jordan Larson returns to professional competition
First Serve will mark Jordan Larson’s return to professional competition. Larson announced her return to LOVB Nebraska for the upcoming season on July 10. The four-time Olympic medalist is a former Nebraska All-American and national champion.
LOVB Nebraska’s roster features six players with NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship Week experience. Rebekah Allick, Larson, Lindsay Krause Wildeman and Lexi Rodriguez combined for 11 NCAA semifinal appearances and played in 16 NCAA semifinal or championship matches during their collegiate careers. Reagan Rutherford helped Kentucky win the 2020 national championship, while Springfield, Neb., native Sabrina Starks helped Pitt reach its first two NCAA semifinal appearances in program history in 2021 and 2022.
First Serve aligns with NCAA Championship Week
The NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship semifinals will be played Thursday, Dec. 17, followed by the national championship match Sunday, Dec. 20, at the Alamodome. Frost Bank Center is approximately four miles from the championship venue. Additional First Serve details, including match time and broadcast information, will be announced later.
Sandra Idehen, commissioner of LOVB Pro, said the event will connect professional volleyball with the college game and the next generation of players.
“San Antonio will be at the center of the volleyball world in December, and we’re excited to bring LOVB Pro to the city to open our new season,” Idehen said. “First Serve brings together everything that makes this moment in volleyball so exciting – the stars fans grew up watching, the players they have followed through college and the next generation preparing to take the stage. With the NCAA champions crowned just days after LOVB’s First Serve, we have an incredible opportunity to celebrate the full spectrum of the sport to give fans an unforgettable week of volleyball.”
Tickets and season memberships
First Serve tickets will be available Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 10 a.m. CT through LOVB.com. LOVB Nebraska season memberships for the 2026-27 home schedule are available, with season-ticket deposits increasing 41% after the team’s roster announcement. The deposits reached the highest level in team history.
LOVB Nebraska began play in 2025 as an inaugural member of LOVB Pro. The league includes professional teams in Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Los Angeles, Madison, Miami, Minnesota, Nebraska, Salt Lake City and San Francisco. Match time and broadcast information for First Serve remain pending.
FSB Take
LOVB Nebraska will open its third season against the reigning LOVB Pro champion in a San Antonio event positioned directly before NCAA Championship Week. The matchup also brings Jordan Larson back to professional competition and places a Nebraska roster with significant championship experience on a prominent early-season stage.
The next confirmed details are the First Serve match time and broadcast information. For now, the schedule gives LOVB Nebraska a Dec. 16 opener against LOVB Austin at Frost Bank Center before the NCAA semifinals begin Dec. 17 at the Alamodome.
Source: Original report