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NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball National Championship Awarded to Louisville
Feb. 6, 2009
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Louisville, Ky. - For the first time in the history of the tournament, the 2012 NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship is headed to the Derby City. The University of Louisville, partnered with the Louisville Arena Authority, the Kentucky State Fair Board, the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau and Greater Louisville Sports Commission will host the championship to be held December 13-15, 2012 in the new downtown arena. "The committee had several great bids to consider," said Marie Robbins, chair of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Committee. "I think our focus was on continuing the growth that the volleyball championship has experienced over the last four years. We felt Louisville demonstrated a level of commitment to this championship that will not only translate into a great student-athlete experience, but also a continuation of the championship's recent growth." "We are honored and excited to have been chosen to host the 2012 NCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship," Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear said. "The new arena will be available and, with the University of Louisville as host, Kentucky will make this one of the most exciting championship tournaments that volleyball has ever seen." In 2008, the Volleyball Championship was held in Omaha, Neb. at the Qwest Center, featuring Nebraska, Texas, Stanford and eventual National Champion, Penn State. The Nittany Lions went undefeated at 38-0 in 2008 and won their second straight title. "Whether it's the Kentucky Derby or the worldwide Ryder Cup, Louisville can roll out the red carpet like no other city," Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson said. "We look forward to welcoming the Women's NCAA Volleyball Championship in 2012. It is guaranteed to be the most exciting National Championship that volleyball has ever seen." Louisville has long been a volleyball community. The City annually places one or more high school teams in the national top ten rankings, serves as a stop on beach volleyball's AVP tour and acts as host of AAU, Club and Junior Olympic national championships in age group volleyball. "The facilities we're building and the success we've had in hosting major activities clearly show that the University and the city of Louisville are ready to take on this important national event," U of L President James Ramsey said. "This is another feather in Louisville's cap and we are happy to play a leading role in bringing the women's volleyball championship to our city." The University of Louisville spearheaded the bid process with the new downtown arena as the destination for the sport's showcase event. "We are honored that the Division I Women's Volleyball Committee put this very important NCAA Championship in our hands in 2012," said U of L Vice President Tom Jurich. "It gives us an opportunity to showcase the city of Louisville and our intense love of this sport. Louisville is the home of so many great high school, club and collegiate players, it's only fitting that the downtown arena's first national championship will be the NCAA Division I National Women's Volleyball Championship." "The Division I National Women's Volleyball Championship is exactly the type of sporting event this arena is being built to host" said Chairman of the Louisville Arena Authority, Jim Host. "With a seating capacity of more than 22,000, the new downtown arena is designed for NCAA athletic competitions. It will be within walking distance of the Kentucky International Convention Center and more than 4,300 hotel rooms. We are delighted to join U of L in bringing this level of championship sporting event to Louisville's downtown arena and look forward to attracting many more NCAA championships." Construction is underway on the downtown arena which is slated to open in November, 2010. The $238 million multipurpose facility will feature a multitude of amenities for fans. |
