Orange County natives Kathryn Plummer Boden and Rachel Fairbanks are set to play for the Los Angeles Orbit, a new professional women's volleyball team.
Aliso Viejo's Kathryn Plummer Boden, a 6’6” standout who played in Southern California's indoor club leagues before joining the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team, previously had limited options to play professional indoor volleyball in the United States. She noted that "In America, nobody played indoor professional volleyball here," requiring her to play overseas in countries like Japan, Turkey, or Italy, or switch to beach volleyball.
Now 27, Boden is returning to Southern California to play for the Orbit, a League One Volleyball (LOVB) expansion team owned by Reddit co-founder and women's sports investor Alexis Ohanian. The team, which includes Tustin native Rachel Fairbanks on its roster and Newport Harbor High alum Misty May-Treanor on its advisory board, announced its name, roster, and investors on September 25 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, where it will play its inaugural season.
The team's launch aligns with growing momentum in women’s professional sports. ESPN reported a 17% jump in WNBA viewership year over year, and a 22% increase for National Women’s Soccer League club Angel City FC. Deloitte projects global revenue from elite women’s sports to top $3 billion this year, a 340% increase since 2022. However, Deloitte also indicates that women’s sports still hold a smaller market share, with an estimated $1.4 billion in commercial revenue and $765 million from broadcasts this year, trailing men’s sports significantly. For instance, the NFL alone generates approximately $8.5 billion annually, more than half from media rights.
This discrepancy highlights the path women’s professional leagues must travel to convert growing interest into stable sponsorships, media deals, and ticket sales. Player salaries also reflect this gap. Orbit players will have a 20-match season with home and away games, with starting salaries at $60,000. LOVB officials confirmed that players will receive year-round insurance, paid housing and travel, parental leave, and mental health support.
Alexis Ohanian stated that the Orbit are part of a broader initiative to transform the fastest-growing youth girls' sport into a thriving professional business. Ohanian, who founded Reddit in 2005, is also an investor in Chelsea Women’s FC, Athlos, and the Los Angeles Golf Club. Other Orbit investors include Savannah James and Issa Rae.
LOVB, the parent company overseeing the 10-team professional volleyball league, has raised $160 million since its 2020 founding, including a $100 million round announced in 2024 before its first professional season. The Orbit has secured Yaamava Resort and Casino as its first corporate sponsor, with Ohanian noting about six more sponsorship deals are in progress.
Ohanian plans to adapt strategies used at Angel City FC to grow the Orbit. The Wall Street Journal reported that Angel City FC brought in $11 million in corporate partnerships during its first season in 2022 and about $30 million in revenue the following year. The New York Times reported in 2024 that Angel City FC was valued at $250 million when control shifted to Willow Bay and Disney CEO Bob Iger. Ohanian indicated that the Orbit are already outpacing Angel City’s initial ticket sales, though exact figures were not provided. The club evaluated several Southern California venues, including the Honda Center in Anaheim, before selecting Intuit Dome. Ohanian believes that when the arena is "packed with screaming fans," it will shift perceptions of what is possible.
Beyond players like Boden and Fairbanks, Orange County is seen by Orbit leaders as a vital source of fans and corporate interest due to its large youth volleyball community. The challenge for the team's executives is to convert young players and their families into paying fans who will travel to Inglewood for games. Orbit President Ana Mendy noted the team is collaborating with youth clubs to organize buses and team outings to facilitate attendance, and the 11-game home schedule was planned with Southern California traffic in mind. Mendy emphasized a "multi-year build" for the franchise.
For Boden, the opportunity to play professionally at home holds personal significance. She shared that playing overseas presented difficulties such as isolation and being far from family, who rarely saw her play professionally in other countries. Now, her parents will be able to watch her live at Orbit home games. Boden expressed that "It’s hard to say no to staying home in California."
