For young volleyball players across the DMV, the path from the gym to the professional court is about to get a little shorter.
DC Flight has unveiled its identity as the District’s first professional women’s volleyball team, officially putting a name, face and vision behind Washington’s newest professional sports franchise ahead of its 2027 debut.
“Volleyball is taking off, and women are leading the way,” said Jason Levien, chairman of All United Sports and Entertainment and principal managing owner of DC Flight with Steve Kaplan.
The team is the newest addition to Washington’s professional women’s sports landscape, joining the Washington Mystics, Washington Spirit and DC Power FC.
But the DC Flight did not arrive overnight.
The franchise was formally launched as Washington’s Major League Volleyball team in March, with Kate Greenberg named team president to lead its business, operations and community efforts. Greenberg previously led business operations for the DC Defenders and served as chief marketing and development officer for Washington Nationals Philanthropies.
In May, the organization named Deitre Collins-Parker its first head coach, making her the first head coach of a professional women’s volleyball team based in Washington, D.C. Collins-Parker, a former Olympian and accomplished coach, was tasked with building the franchise from the ground up and helping inspire the next generation of volleyball players in the region.
Now, with its official identity in place, DC Flight is beginning to show the DMV what that future can look like.
“Our brand took shape with our athletes in mind,” Greenberg said. “Every element is built for motion. We are grounded in the city we represent, and we are ready to take professional volleyball to new heights at The Anthem, where every seat puts fans close to the court and every match will feel like a home game.”
DC Flight adds another professional women’s team to a market that has continued to build its women’s sports presence.
For the new volleyball franchise, that presence extends beyond professional competition and into the young athletes who could one day fill those courts themselves.
That connection with the next generation of players is already taking shape.
Volleyball is the most popular team sport for high school girls in the United States, and DC Flight estimates the D.C. region is home to 1 million youth volleyball players. The team’s inaugural merchandise collection was designed with those young athletes and their families in mind.
But DC Flight’s community presence has extended beyond its merchandise. During its launch week, coaches and players joined youth clinics with Metro Volleyball Club at Georgetown Day School, giving the team an early opportunity to connect with young players in the area.
The club also met with members of the D.C. Council at the John A. Wilson Building and attended collegiate matches at Howard University and Georgetown University, connecting with different parts of the local volleyball and sports community.
Those early efforts give DC Flight a chance to build relationships with the people who will become part of its fan base before the team takes the court professionally in January.
The team will play all 13 of its home matches at The Anthem, a venue more commonly associated with concerts than volleyball. The court will be placed directly on the concert floor, with seating surrounding the action from courtside to the upper levels. The volleyball configuration will hold approximately 3,000 spectators.
“When we built The Anthem almost 10 years ago, we designed the space to be transformative,” said Donna Westmoreland, chief operating officer of I.M.P., which owns The Anthem. “That’s how we’ve hosted thousands of events featuring pop stars and presidents, and, now, world-class athletes.”
For DC Flight, The Anthem will provide the setting for the team’s first season and for Washington’s young volleyball players, a chance to watch the sport’s next level unfold in their own city.
“Washington is ready for a professional team of its own, and today DC Flight takes off,” Levien said.
This article is written in partnership with Listen In With KNN.
