Candelaria Herrera Brings Her Global Game to the Heartland’s New Pro Volleyball League

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Argentine Olympic Team member and former Iowa State University player Candelaria Herrera is now part of the LOVB Omaha professional volleyball team.
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By Christina Fernández-Morrow, Hola America

Candelaria Herrera has loved volleyball since she was a little girl watching her dad play in her hometown of San Juan, Argentina. Today, she’s making history as a professional volleyball player in the heartland. Herrera and her team took the court on January 10 for their first pro match as League One Volleyball (LOVB) Omaha, America’s newest professional volleyball league. 

The idea for LOVB – pronounced ‘love’, began in 2020 to champion volleyball and those who play it. Today it has over fifty youth clubs and six pro leagues in cities known for their history of volleyball participation from youth leagues to collegiate play. Nebraska, known by fans as the volleyball capital of the US, is home to Herrera and her fourteen LOVB Omaha teammates. For Herrera, an Iowa State University graduate, it’s the latest step in a journey that took her from local club games in Argentina to the world’s biggest sports stages.

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Herrera’s accolades started early when she was named the best middle blocker in the 2015 and 2016 Pan American Cups. Three years later, she made the Argentinian National Team and went on to represent her country at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. With several awards and medals during her time as an international volleyball player in Argentina and France, LOVB Omaha is her first US team outside playing conference honors at her alma mater.

“All these players are amazing, and we have an amazing team, so I’m feeling very excited about this time in my career,” says Herrera. 

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When looking at the talent on the team, it’s easy to understand her excitement. Teammates are from various countries and states, each with long lists of athletic achievements as impressive as Herrera’s. From the most decorated American indoor Olympian ever, to NCAA title winners and All-American Honors athletes, Herrera is in good company. Centrally owned, LOVB made teams as evenly matched as possible, with equal levels of talent and budgets, all with globally renowned coaches, which is different from other pro sports structures where franchises differ widely in talent, resources and support. For Herrera, this means that she gets to focus on what she does best – moving the ball quickly and blocking to help her team with offense and defense. “We are in one of the best leagues in the world. I would love to be dominant in my position and win the championship with this team,” says Herrera of her goals for the season. 

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Argentine Olympic Team member and former Iowa State University player Candelaria Herrera is now part of the LOVB Omaha professional volleyball team.
Photo by Tar Macias / Hola America

They are well on their way. At their opening match in Texas, Herrera scored 11 points, five kills and six blocks in her team’s 25-19, 25-20, 28-26 victory sweep over LOVB Houston. “I was a little anxious,” she said after the match. “This is a new league, a new team, but it felt so easy inside of the court.” LOVB Omaha remains the top team in the standings with a 3-1 record   

While her teammates celebrate their strong start, Herrera faces some unique challenges. “Volleyball in the US is very strong,” she states. “For us Argentinians, we have to go overseas or to the U.S for a better chance to grow as players.” This means that she has spent many years away from her family, and they are too far to attend her pro matches. “They cannot come see me play, but they always find a way to see the game. So, it’s a motivation for me, but an emotional challenge.” Thankfully, LOVB games are streamed on ESPN Plus and the ESPN app. Her LOVB Omaha international teammates from Canada, Germany and the Netherlands face the same hurdle, but they have been forming deep bonds since they started practicing together in early November, which has been helpful. “They are amazing people first and then amazing players,” Herrera says of her teammates. “So, it was very easy to connect. Good team environment from the first day.” 

For home matches, Herrera and the LOVB Omaha team play at the Liberty First Credit Union Arena in Ralston, Nebraska or at Baxter Arena in Omaha, Nebraska. Tickets can be purchased on the league’s website. Fans can follow the team’s journey on HolaNebraska.org in both English and Spanish.

For Herrera, joining LOVB represents a convergence of her international experience and a chance to help shape volleyball’s future in the US. She understands how monumental this league can be. “Every time I play for my country I get chills, I get emotional. I’m feeling the same with this league,” she says, her voice filled with enthusiasm for being part of something that can change the landscape of volleyball in this country. Every time she takes the court, Herrera carries with her the dreams of athletes from both sides of the equator, while making her mark in volleyball history.

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