Kentucky Volleyball to play Nebraska in AVCA First Serve Showcase

The American Volleyball Coaches Association First Serve Showcase is set for the 2024 season. It will be held on August 27 in Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center and feature some of the nation’s top volleyball programs, including Kentucky, Nebraska, Louisville, and Wisconsin.

The two-match event will look like a double header of sorts, where Kentucky and Nebraska’s first serve is set at 7 P.M. and Wisconsin and Louisville will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the UK/NU match.

As the First Serve Showcase will be held at the KFC Yum! Center, the 2024 NCAA Division I volleyball season will both begin and end in Louisville, as it’s also the site of the 2024 National Championship games in December.

Nebraska is one of the most renowned volleyball programs in the country. The Huskers last won the National Championship in 2017 but were runner-ups in 2018, 2021, and 2023.

Nebraska leads the ‘Cats 11-2 in the all-time series, including a Huskers win over Kentucky last year 3-1 in Lincoln. But, the 2020 National Champions are not to be overlooked. UK is consistently in the Top 25 throughout the seasons and they shine in postseason play.

Kentucky has won the SEC Championship in each of the past seven seasons and has consistently made deep runs in the NCAA tournament. Their preseason trip to Japan is likely to propel them to success early this fall.

The ‘Cats will be playing alongside some of the top programs in the nation, including Wisconsin, which claimed the 2021 national title. Louisville has quickly become a dominant force in the volleyball community as well, with an Elite Eight appearance in 2023 and national runner-ups in 2022.

“The AVCA is very excited to bring together four teams of this caliber to get the new season started,” said AVCA CEO Dr. Jaime Gordon. “AVCA First Serve offers another way to showcase the sport and continue the momentum from the record-setting 2023 season.”

Tickets for AVCA First Serve will go on sale Friday, June 14 at 10 am at the KFC Yum! Center box office and ticketmaster.com. There will be a presale period from June 10-13. For more information on the AVCA First Serve Showcase, click here.