Sports Commission announces new volleyball tournament for this August
A new high school girls volleyball event is coming to the Civic Arena, a venue where teams invited could find themselves hoisting a state championship trophy not long after.
On Wednesday, the St. Joseph Sports Commission announced the dates for the Inaugural Pony Express Girls State High School Volleyball Tournament at the Civic Arena beginning Aug. 29 and ending Aug. 30. The Civic Arena will be the home of the Missouri State High School Activities Association girls high school volleyball state championships for the upcoming season, and 16 schools invited to this new tournament this August will get a taste of what the venue has to offer for the sport of high school girls volleyball.
Teams from St Joseph and the surrounding area invited as part of the 16-team field were Mid-Buchanan, Bishop LeBlond, Savannah, Central, Plattsburg and Maryville. In a release from the St. Joseph Sports Commission, the Civic will be separated into three courts for the two-day event with 32 games expected to be played in total.
“We are honored and extremely excited to get the opportunity to host the MSHSAA Girls Volleyball State Championship this coming November and in our continuing effort to create/attract events that fill fit and niche locally but also can engage participants, regionally, statewide and nationally, the creation of this event was an obvious fit and we are excited to see some high level volleyball the first weekend of the season in downtown St. Joseph,” Brett Esely, Executive Director of the St. Joseph Sports Commission said in a release Wednesday.
Different levels of success from last season will enter the Civic Arena for the tournament, including three state semifinal teams and six district champions from 2024.
St. Pius Festus and Bishop LeBlond will enter as the only teams that have appeared consecutively in the state semifinals of their respective classes over the last two seasons. St. Pius Festus was the Class 4 state champion in 2024.
