Laura Dijkema, Grace Frohling, Tia Jimerson, Sara Loda and Anna Stevenson Hall Join LOVB
As we build towards the start of LOVB Pro, we are excited to reveal more of the exceptional talent who will be taking the court later this year. Today, we’ve announced Laura Dijkema, Grace Frohling, Tia Jimerson, Sara Loda and Anna Stevenson Hall have joined our pro roster.
“These new LOVB Pro athletes continue to help LOVB raise the bar on the professional level of play that we’ll be seeing LOVB,” said Tom Hogan, director of sport for LOVB Pro. “Laura, Grace, Tia, Sara and Anna are remarkable players and we can’t wait to see them in action.”
Anna is a 2x All-American from Louisville University. The Laurens, South Carolina native helped her team finish as a semifinalist in the 2021 NCAA Tournament and she also played on the Women's Collegiate National Team. As a middle blocker of the US National Team, she was part of the 2022 FIVB World Championship team who finished fourth. Anna has played professionally in Italy and Turkey, where her teams won gold at the 2021/2022 BVA Cup and bronze at the CEV Challenge Cup.
“To know that this coming professional season, I won’t have to fly across the world and be apart from family for seven months is an amazing feeling. I’m so grateful that playing professionally in the USA is possible now,” said Stevenson Hall. “My husband has been with me overseas for the past two seasons, and I’m so excited that now he can pursue what he wants while I follow my dream. I’m so ready for the season to start!”
An opposite from Los Angeles, California, Grace is an All-American from the University of San Diego. She was the West Coast ConferenceFreshman of the Year in 2019, a four-time All-WCC First team selection, was an AVCA National Player of the Week in 2022 and was named Best Opposite in the West Coast Conference in 2022/23. She's played professionally in Germany.
Hailing from Sugar Hill, Georgia, Tia played for Ohio University where she received All-American Honorable Mention Honors. She earned MAC Freshman of the Year and was named to the All-MAC team four times, being named MAC Player of the Year in 2019. She's played professionally in Hungary, Portugal and Germany, where she was named the Best Blocker at the 2022/23 Challenge Cup and Best Blocker at the 2022/23 Portuguese Cup.
"Three years ago when I decided to play volleyball professionally, I would have never imagined that I'd have the opportunity to play professionally in my hometown," said Jimerson. "Through LOVB, we are honored to create pathways not only for myself, but for all of the young female athletes that have dreamt of continuing their career after college."
LOVB has continued to attract top international players, adding its first player from the Netherlands in Laura Dijkema. The setter from Beilen, Netherlands has played professionally since the age of 16, when she started with TFM/DOK. She got her first opportunity to join the Dutch National Team in 2010, and has won two silvers and a bronze at the European Championships, and a bronze at the World Grand Prix. Laura has been part of multiple national championship teams who won in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Russia, and she received Best Setter honors at the 2017 European Championship.
"To play professionally in the USA has been a long time on my wishlist. I am very excited to be part of the LOVB for next season and to make that dream come true!" said Dijkema. "I am looking forward to meeting the other LOVB players, experience the American sports culture and to meet American volleyball fans. I think this league will be something special, so let’s write history together!"
LOVB has also added Sara Loda, an outside hitter from Sarnico, Italy. Sara started her career on the Bergamo youth team, playing both youth and the senior team in Serie A1. She began playing for the Italian National team in 2014, with whom she won a silver medal at the 2017 World Grand Prix. She's played professionally in Italy for clubs including Savino Del Bene, Pro Victoria Monza and Bergamo, where she served as captain in 2021, and most recently with Aydin in Turkey.
“I am very happy to play for LOVB next season, it will be a wonderful experience both on a personal and volleyball level,” said Loda. “Many volleyball stars will be in this league and the level will certainly be very high. The care and attention that I am already feeling right now from the LOVB team makes me feel really lucky to have this opportunity.”
