The Nebraska State Volleyball Tournament will be held in Grand Island for at least the coming three years. This year’s tournament was already decided to be played in Hastings High, Grand Island from November 9th to the 12th.  The unanimous voting that took place on Tuesday between the State Schools Association conformed that the next two years will be held at the same place.

Grand Island to Host State Volleyball Tournament

Though the voting had started in May, the final voting was delayed till now to clear the final location for the tournament. The other contender that submitted its request to host the state tournament for this year was Lincoln. Grand Island submitted a four-site offer that included the Heartland Events Center, Grand Island Senior High, Grand Island Central Catholic and Northwest High School as well as it submitted a six-site bid.

It still undecided by the NSAA whether to go for the four-site location or the six-site location till Tuesday however it was finally decided that Hastings High and Adams Central High School would be the two locations that the tournament will be hosted in.

Lincoln had hosted this tournament from 1981-2009. Their bid for this year’s tournament had not included the usage of the NU Coliseum or the Devaney Sports Center.

At another location, the new Haymarket Arena is still under construction is and expected to be completed by the fall of 2013.

The chairman of the Greater Grand Island Sports Council, Brian Gallagher, was in the committee that decided the venue for this year. He said that the tournament last year was a huge success and that it why this year’s competition was also given to Grand Island.

“The NSAA board went out of their way to compliment this area again today during the discussion about the hospitality and the professionalism that was displayed in year one,” Gallagher said. He also said that “In fact, in some discussions we’ve had in the meantime, we’ve had people say, ‘We can’t wait to see year two.’

The committee decided that the facilities and the arrangements of Grand Island were perfect to host the tournament once again and that is why they were given the responsibility. Even the managers and coaches who went out to the location to check it out were impressed with it and said that it [Grand Island] would play good host to the tournament.

Looks like Lincoln will have to wait another three years before it can bid on the location again! For now, it’s over to Grand Island.

Tags: Devaney Sports Center, Grand Island, Nebraska State Volleyball Tournament, Volleyball