Volleyball On SI

League One Volleyball Houston Introduces 2027 Roster

The 2026 regular-season champions are back with a talent-filled roster.

Nicole Reitz

LOVB Houston is hot off a 2026 regular-season championship.
LOVB Houston is hot off a 2026 regular-season championship. / LOVB Houston

Hot off a regular-season championship, League One Volleyball (LOVB) Houston has packed its 2027 roster full of veteran leadership, international stars, and emerging talent. 

Sanja Tomaševic, the 2026 LOVB Coach of the Year, is confident that this is the roster that will push Houston to its first championship. Returners include Olympians Jordan Thompson, Micha Hancock and Justin Wong-Orantes. Thompson put up one of the strongest seasons in league history in 2026, as she finished with more than 120 points and earned both MVP and Best Opposite Hitter awards. Hancock led the league in aces, while Wong-Orantes brings extreme veteran experience to the court. 

New additions include German National Team star Isabel Martin, Bulgarian National Team middle blocker Nasya Dimitrova and Ukrainian National Team member Svitlana Dorsman.

"We're incredibly excited about the group for Season 3," Tomašević said in a press release. "This roster reflects the standard of excellence we're building in Houston, combining proven leaders and emerging elite competitors who share a commitment to winning. Our returning athletes provide a strong foundation with their experience, while our new additions bring a fresh and competitive mindset. Together, this group has the talent, character and work ethic to continue elevating our club to compete at a championship level. We're eager to get back on the court and build on the momentum we've created."

LOVB Houston Roster 

  • Karin Palgutova, Outside Hitter, St. John’s University 
  • Amber Igiede, Middle Blocker, University of Hawaii 
  • Justine Wong-Orantes, Libero, Nebraska 
  • Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, Middle Blocker, Texas A&M 
  • Nasya Dimitrova, Middle Blocker 
  • Gillian Grimes, Libero, Penn State 
  • Erika Pritchard, Outside Hitter, Penn State and Maryland 
  • Micha Hancock, Setter, Penn State 
  • Isabel Martin, Outside Hitter, Florida and UNLV 
  • Jess Mruzik, Outside Hitter, Penn State and Michigan 
  • Jordan Thompson, Opposite Hitter, University of Cincinnati 
  • Svitlana Dorsman, Middle Blocker 

Houston’s Rebrand 

LOVB Houston announced in June that the franchise was planning to rebrand for the first time since the league’s inception in 2020. The rebrand is set to include a new team name, which would help embody the passion and ambition of both the organization and the city of Houston. 

Fans have been invited to vote for their favorite team name. 

  • Houston Hype
  • Houston Halo
  • Houston Heights
  • Houston Hive
  • Houston Charge

“This rebrand is about more than a new name – it's about creating something that our fans, players and the volleyball community can rally around," LOVB Houston Chief Business Officer Lisa Walker said in a press release. "As we continue building professional volleyball in Houston, we want our identity to reflect the passion, energy and drive of the people who call this city home. The best brands are built together, which is why we're crowdsourcing our fans to help choose our team's new name and play a direct role in shaping our future. This is their team, and together we'll build a brand that reflects the power of H-Town and helps grow the game of volleyball for years to come."

Four expansion teams (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, and Minnesota) will join LOVB in 2027, alongside the existing six teams, in an effort to introduce an Eastern and Western Conference format. 

More information on the schedule will be released at a later date. Fans can get ahead with a 2026/27 LOVB Houston Season Membership.

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Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018. Her work has been published in various publications like Softball On SI, Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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