Louisville gets 2012 volleyball Final Four

The National Collegiate Athletic Association will bring the 2012 Division I Women???s Volleyball Championship to the 22,000-seat downtown arena currently under construction.

Officials with the NCAA, the University of Louisville and Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government made the announcement Friday afternoon.

The $238 million arena, which will be the new home for the University of Louisville men???s and women???s basketball programs, is expected to open in time for the beginning of the 2010-11 season.

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The volleyball championships are slated to be held Dec. 13 to 15, 2012, the NCAA said in a news release.

???The committee had several great bids to consider,??? Marie Robbins, chairwoman of the NCAA Division I Women???s Volleyball Committee, said in the release. ???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.???

City government and NCAA officials cited Louisville???s standing as a ???volleyball community??? in helping the city land the event.

The AVP professional beach volleyball tournament makes an annual stop at Waterfront Park, and the city is the annual host of AAU, Club and Junior Olympic national championships in age group volleyball. Some Louisville high schools also have developed nationally ranked girls??? volleyball programs.

???We are honored that the Division I Women???s Volleyball Committee put this very important NCAA Championship in our hands in 2012,??? U of L athletic director Tom Jurich said in the release. ???It gives us an opportunity to showcase the city of Louisville and our intense love of this sport.???

Louisville Arena Authority Chairman Jim Host added that it also gives the university and the city the opportunity to show that they are capable of holding large-scale athletic tournaments, which could be a large economic boon to the community.

There are dozens of restaurants, bars and retail shops, and more than 4,300 hotel rooms within walking distance to the arena.

???The Division I National Women???s Volleyball Championship is exactly the type of sporting event this arena is being built to host,??? Host said.