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Welcome Vegas Thrill, Southern Nevada’s Newest Pro Sports Team

Author Larry Martino
A professional women's volleyball player dives onto a wooden indoor arena volleyball court for a "dig shot."

Get ready Southern Nevada! Our newest professional sports franchise has revealed their name, logo, and home court. Back in October, we found out that we are getting a new professional women’s volleyball team which will be part of the Pro Volleyball Federation.

Newest Professional Sports Franchise Reveals Name, Logo, Home Court

The Vegas Thrill has arrived! Well, they’ll really arrive in 2024 in their inaugural season. According to an article by Larry Hamel on VolleyBallMag.com, the team will play their games at the Dollar Loan Center Arena in Henderson.

As you know, that state-of-the-art 5,567 seat arena is also home to the Henderson Silver Knights hockey team of the American Hockey League. They are the minor league affiliate of our Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights. Additionally, the NBA G League Ignite, and the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Indoor Football League play there. Now, the Vegas Thrill will call Dollar Loan Center Arena their home.

More Details About The Pro Volleyball Federation

Beginning in 2024, there will be seven teams in the inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball Federation. Besides the Vegas Thrill, the league includes the Columbus Fury, the San Diego Mojo, the Grand Rapids Rise, the Orlando Valkyries, the Atlanta Vibe, and the Omaha Supernovas. That information also comes from Hamel’s article, where you can also see the new logo for the Vegas Thrill. Or, catch this report by Nick Walters on KTNV.com by clicking here.

In addition, the VolleyBallMag.com article goes on to explain that the PVF will start with a 24-game season. Basically, this will allow each team to play every other team two times at home, “and twice on the road.” League officials are also working on finalizing plans for both streaming and television broadcasts.

Hamel’s article quotes league co-founder Dave Whinham, who believes that this is the right time to start the Pro Volleyball Federation. He states that NCAA women’s volleyball is “the third-most-viewed college sport behind football and men’s basketball.”

Exciting times in the Las Vegas valley for sports fans. Scroll down for more content which you might enjoy.

Larry Martino has been the afternoon drive personality on 96.3 KKLZ since 2007. He is also Music Director and Assistant Program Director. He’s been a professional radio broadcaster since 1980, serving as on-air talent, Program Director, and Music Director during his career. As a content creator for 96.3 KKLZ, Larry specializes in writing articles about music, recording artists, movies, food/restaurants, and hockey.

Play America's Fastest Growing Sport Pickleball In Las Vegas

America has a new favorite sport and although the name may be misleading, it doesn’t involve “real” pickles.

Invented in 1965, Pickleball started as a backyard game for children. The game can be played indoors or outdoors between two players (singles) or four players (doubles) using solid-faced paddles and a perforated hollow ball (similar to a whiffle ball). The appearance and manner of which it’s played resembles tennis however a pickleball court is less than a third of the size with its net height at 36-inches as compared to three-and-a-half feet for tennis.

The “ball” is made of hard polymer which produces less bounce than a standard tennis ball. The lack of bounce combined with the non-volley zone results in a high pace game of strategy and athleticism.

Basic rules of play: All serves are made with an underhand stroke and the ball must bounce once on each side of the net before either team can volley (hitting the ball in the air before it hits the ground). Players hit the ball back and forth over the net until one side commits an infraction. Only the serving team may score a point.  The official rules of how to play can be found here.

With the sport’s low startup costs, low learning curve, and appeal to a wide range of ages, Pickleball has become the fastest growing sport in the United States with nearly 5 million players according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. Washington adopted Pickleball as their official state sport in 2022.

Pickleball has recently grabbed the attention of several NBA stars including LeBron James, Draymond Green, and Kevin Love who have joined in a professional venture to invest in Major League Pickleball.

Here are a few notable places where you can play Pickleball here in Las Vegas:

The Plaza Hotel & Casino offers free weekly Pickleball lessons every Saturday from local Pickleball Pro, National Champion and certified instructor, Steve Cole.

Beginner Clinic – 8am
Intermediate Clinic – 10am

Sunset Park Pickleball Complex
2601 E Sunset Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89120

More information available on the Clark County Parks and Recreation website. Check out the Pickleball video below:

Larry Martino is the long-time afternoon drive personality on sister station, 96.3 KKLZ. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of Larry Martino and not necessarily those of Beasley Media Group, LLC.

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