Nebraska volleyball heading back to Louisville for spring tournament

Nebraska volleyball continues to be a leading option for unique volleyball events.

Next spring, Nebraska will join Louisville, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Stanford and Wisconsin in a two-day “volleyball championship event,” dubbed the AVCA Match Point tournament. The American Volleyball Coaches Association and Husker Athletics on Thursday announced that two teams will be added to the field at a later date. Each team will play three matches over two days, April 10-11, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. It will be a “bracketed format.”

Volleyball has “tremendous momentum,” said Jaime Gordon, chief executive officer of the AVCA. He said the event will help build fandom with the sport throughout the year.

“AVCA Match Point is an important first step. It brings some of the best programs in the country together for meaningful spring competition and gives fans another reason to connect with our sport,” Gordon said in a news release. “We believe there is still tremendous room for volleyball to grow, and high-quality events like this helps move the sport forward.”

AVCA’s tournament is the latest novel volleyball event to which NU has been invited. This year alone, the Big Red played in the inaugural Players Era Showcase in Las Vegas and first-ever Spikes Under the Lights exhibition tournament in Dallas. Also, Nebraska faced off with Missouri at Wrigley Field in Chicago that was ultimately suspended in the first set due to the floor being too wet from high humidity.

The Huskers last played in Louisville for the 2024 Final Four, which was played at the KFC Yum! Center, a newer venue downtown. Penn State pulled off a reverse sweep in that semifinal match against NU. Freedom Hall hosted Louisville men’s basketball games from 1956 to 2010 and is still used for concerts, conventions, horse shows and now volleyball events.