Why Is LOVB Is Must-See TV? Volleyball Star Amber Igiede Explains
League One Volleyball’s Amber Igiede explained why everyone will love the sport, airing on USA Network. Plus, she detailed her pro journey and why she’ll always embrace “being a strong woman.”
Amber Igiede is one of the shining stars of League One Volleyball, and she's excited for another season of epic wins, big plays and must-see TV moments.
The LOVB Houston middle blocker spoke to E! News about her journey on and off the court and what makes her sport a must-watch.
The below article first appeared on E! News. E! News and USA Insider are both part of the Versant family.
LOVB is seeing ongoing spikes in viewership—and for good reason.
Since its debut in 2025, League One Volleyball (known as LOVB, pronounced “love”) has quickly become one of the fastest-growing women’s sports leagues in the country. In addition to its six professional teams, LOVB also offers programs for girls starting at 12, just one of the many, many reasons it’s a must-watch on USA Network.
“Tune into LOVB because it is professional women's sports in the US!” LOVB Houston’s middle blocker Amber Igiede told E! News in an exclusive interview. “What else reason do you need?”
Need we say more? Well, just in case, Amber did.
“Also, volleyball—it's one of the best sports ever,” she added. “It's so much fun. You are with a team, but also everyone has their own individuality that I think is so cool, that makes the team. This is such a cool sport that is obviously growing. And for sure, there's so many amazing models to look up to and inspire you.”
Her inspirations include Foluke Akinradewo and Robyn Ah Mow, both of whom Amber now finds herself being compared to.
Not only has she already cemented herself as a rising star in the sport—she was a two-time All-American player at the University of Hawaii, played on the U.S. National Team and competed professionally in Italy—but her name is also being volleyed around for the 2028 Olympic team.
But for the 25-year-old, it’s one step at a time, as it’s always been.
“I am still young, and I feel like a lot of my accomplishments have been through really understanding the big goal,” she explained, “but also setting the small ones and trying to hop over the small ones one step at a time.”
In fifth grade, having never played volleyball before, that goal was to simply make the team. Then in eighth grade, it was to make varsity the next year. In high school, to be able to play at the collegiate level—and so on. Needless to say, she aced them.
“I've always had these big goals of like, ‘One day, USA national team,’” she detailed. “But then when I bring it back to Earth, I'm like, ‘Okay, let's just make the varsity team.’ So, it's like the little goals really matter. And it helps you. It helps you feel less overwhelmed.”
So, while Amber admitted she is “really trying to live in the moment” when she hears Olympic rumblings—after all, the Games are still years away—she also isn’t shying away from dreaming big.
“I think it really is important to establish the goal that you want in your mind,” she said, “because it's something to fight for, and it's something to push for.”
In the meantime, Amber is focusing on her game and quietly reveling in the position she finds herself in: Being a role model. Among the snaps on the athlete’s Instagram grid is a video of Amber flexing alongside a group of young fans.
“It honestly makes me almost emotional because I used to really be insecure about my arms,” she shared. “As women we are always like, ‘Oh, how do I look in this dress? How do I fit into these jeans?’ Just always worried about our bodies, especially as athletes. And I’ve had these arms since I was 3, genuinely.”
But instead of dwelling on what she can’t change, Amber embraced her physique—and all it has allowed her to achieve.
“We do such hard things as women in general, and plus as athletes,” she said. “So I think it's really fun to embrace being a strong woman, physically and mentally. And then also embracing softer side and embracing different relationships: Being with your friends, cooking, being at home, just embracing different sides of you—I think at the end of the day, it really brings depth as a person.”
To follow Amber’s matches with LOVB Houston, tune into USA Network Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET—or catch her spikes in person: Tickets are available on LOVB’s website.
