New Venue For Iowa High School Volleyball Tournament In 2022

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For the past 31 years, Iowa high school volleyball teams have been making the trip to Cedar Rapids to compete for state championships. That three decade tradition has officially come to an end.

The Iowa Girls State Volleyball Tournament is moving to a new venue in 2022. On Friday, the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) announced that next year's event will be held at Xtream Arena in Coralville.

The 5,100-seat venue will be only the second venue where the state volleyball tournament has been played since the sport was sanctioned by the IGHSAU in 1973, according to a press release from the organization. Alliant Energy PowerHouse (formerly the U.S. Cellular Center) in Cedar Rapids has hosted the tournament since 1991. Prior to that, various high schools across the state hosted the event.

“We are excited to bring the State Volleyball Tournament to Xtream Arena and Coralville,” IGHSAU Executive Director Jean Berger said in the press release. “Xtream Arena is the premier volleyball venue in Iowa. We look forward to our partnership with the staffs at the Arena and Think Iowa City.”

“We are incredibly honored by the opportunity to host the IGHSAU Girls State Volleyball Championships,” said Josh Schamberger, President of Think Iowa City and the Iowa City Area Sports Commission. “We know that we have very big shoes to fill with the standard that has been set for the past 31 years by Cedar Rapids. We are excited by that challenge and deeply appreciative of the confidence Director Berger and her board have placed in us.”

Xtream Arena opened in September of 2020 and is the current home of the University of Iowa volleyball team and the Iowa Heartlanders of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). In addition to seating for more than 5,000 spectators, there is additional floor seating that's connected to the five court 53,000-square foot GreenState Family Fieldhouse that is accessible from the event level. The facility also has two high-definition video boards, a 360-degree ribbon board, LED lighting along with 12 suites and a 180-person club suite.

Officials did not immediately release any details regarding the length of the contract. Berger and Schamberger planned to hold a 3 PM news conference Friday via zoom.