Debut by star-studded League One Volleyball seemed extra like an exhibition than a contest.

I get it that the gamers have been oh-so overjoyed to be part of a landmark occasion and that quite a lot of the ladies are pals (or a minimum of pleasant) as a result of they practice within the USA nationwide staff’s health club.

However the entire sweetness and lightweight and glad, smiling faces made the match between visiting LOVB Salt Lake and LOVB Atlanta come off as extra of a scrimmage — and even an open health club — than a critical tussle that counted within the standings. Even the postmatch celebration by the Salt Lake staff after its four-set victory had an understated “one other day on the workplace” vibe.

Salt Lake Coach Tama Miyashio mentioned, “It wasn’t simply one other volleyball match,” however from an depth standpoint, it positive seemed like “simply one other volleyball match” to me.

Fireplace may be an excessive amount of to anticipate in a primary match (though, was it, actually, when the league received’t get a second probability to make the very important first impression?) however I didn’t even see quite a lot of spark. The gang of three,239 at intimate Gateway Middle Area within the Atlanta suburbs might need sensed it, too, as a result of. for probably the most half, the spectators sat on their palms.

The organizers of startup LOVB did an admirable job of assembling expertise for its six groups, snagging the lion’s share of the gamers from our Olympic staff that earned the silver medal and Paris, a few of whom have been golden within the 2021 Tokyo Video games. However the entire gamers draw their paychecks from one supply, LOVB, and the league assigned them to their groups. Maybe that has added to the all-for-one-and-one-for-all bonhomie I noticed on the courtroom throughout the supposedly historic “First Serve” match.

Because the schedule proceeds and the standings change into related, I hope to see the gamers exhibit a extra applicable “sport face.” An excellent time to begin could be the match on Thursday evening between host Austin and Houston, which will likely be streamed on the subscription ESPN+ platform at 7 p.m. Central.

Now for a couple of phrases on the TV presentation I watched final evening on ESPN+. It was fairly good. I noticed quite a lot of squawking on social media in regards to the telecast’s frequent use of low-angle courtside photographs and wider-angle views from the baseline, however in my estimation, they added to my viewing expertise.

Was it completely different? Sure. But it surely introduced the viewer nearer to the motion and these photographs have been a breath of contemporary air from the standard reliance on the sideline “excessive arduous digicam” that’s seen on matches with lesser manufacturing values. Even the excessive sideline digicam’s view was tighter than regular, a welcome change.

On Opening Night time, I might have loved seeing the entire gamers launched on TV, which might have given all people tuning in additional context. However, regrettably, participant introductions are as uncommon as hen’s tooth on up to date sports activities tv. On the very least, a extra complete graphic with first and final names and footage of every participant ought to have been ready for the groups’ beginning lineups.

As could be anticipated from elite-level athletes with worldwide expertise, the standard of the volleyball was darned good, even when it lacked a lot sense of urgency. LOVB commissioned skilled announcers Anne Marie Anderson and Kevin Wong for the ESPN+ stream they usually did knowledgeable job calling the match with an emphasis on mainstream sports activities followers.

The dwell stats on LOVB’s web site stayed on zeros till halfway by means of the third set, a minor inconvenience, however one which ought to be addressed.