With the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship headed to Tampa, the University of Florida volleyball team has accepted an invitation to participate in the Tampa Twice Tournament Sept. 11-12.
The tournament is being hosted by the Tampa Sports Commission and the University of South Florida and will be held at the St. Pete Times Forum. Joining the Gators, who were ranked No. 10 in last season’s final poll, and the host Bulls will be national powers Washington and Minnesota. Washington finished No. 5 last season, while Minnesota finished 14th.
The opening night pairings on Friday, Sept. 11 at the St. Pete Times Forum will have Washington meeting Minnesota at 6 p.m. and the Gators battling the Bulls in the 8 p.m. nightcap. Then on Saturday, Florida will battle Washington at 6 p.m. and USF will play Minnesota at 8 p.m.
Tickets are currently on sale at the St. Pete Times Forum and USF.
The 2009 Volleyball Final Four will take place in the St. Pete Times Forum Dec. 17-19. Florida will host one of the four Dec. 11-12 regionals feeding the Final Four (the other regionals are at the Sports Pavilion at the University of Minnesota; the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb., and the Maples Pavilion at Stanford University).