KU volleyball headed to first-ever Final Four — things to know if you go

By Sara Shepherd     Dec 14, 2015

Kansas University volleyball players dog-pile after their five-set victory over USC on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, in San Diego.

In this town, everyone knows what to do when the Kansas University men’s basketball team makes the Final Four, a regular occurrence.

This week another team of Jayhawks joins that elite club: The KU women’s volleyball team will play in its first-ever Final Four Thursday night in Omaha, after upsetting No. 1 seed USC in a late-night thriller Saturday in San Diego.

Since the volleyball team’s feat is unprecedented, we thought you could use some tips for following the team for the big match.

What

2015 Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship

Kansas University volleyball players rush the court after their Elite Eight victory over USC.

When

KU plays Nebraska in the semifinal match — aka the Final Four — at 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Texas and Minnesota face off at 6 p.m. Thursday. The championship is at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Where

CenturyLink Center, 455 N. 10th St., Omaha, Neb. (A three-hour drive from Lawrence, via Interstate 70 east and I-29 north.)

Tickets

Tickets are sold out for Thursday’s match and in short supply for Saturday’s championship, according to Ticketmaster. But you may be able to get them through unofficial sources — see kusports.com for more on tickets.

Fan events

KU’s open practice time is set for 2:55 p.m. to 4:25 p.m. Wednesday at the CenturyLink Center. On Thursday, the Jayhawks’ arrival at the arena is anticipated between 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. An autograph session is planned after the match.

Other events — including a meet-and-greet with U.S. National Team players — are planned throughout the weekend. For more, see the women’s volleyball championship page at ncaa.com.

Broadcast information

Can’t make it to Omaha? Thursday’s matches and Saturday’s championship match will be broadcast live on ESPN2. If you’re in Omaha with no tickets, the KU Alumni Association lists Fox and Hound, 506 N. 120th St., as an official KU watch site.

Online

The Journal-World will have full coverage online at kusports.com. On Twitter, follow @kusports, sports editor Tom Keegan @TomKeeganLJW and sportswriter Matt Tait @mctait. The volleyball team’s official Twitter handle is @KUvolleyball.

Meet the team

Seven of the women on KU’s 16-member squad are 6 feet or taller. Many are from Kansas and Texas, but they hail from all over the United States, including Puerto Rico. Read more about head coach Ray Bechard and his squad on the team roster at kuathletics.com.

Things to do in Omaha

Omaha has a great zoo, for one. The 130-acre Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium boasts the world’s largest indoor desert and the largest indoor rainforest in North America. Wintertime admission is $13.95 for adults, with discounts for children, seniors and military.

CenturyLink Center is within walking distance of Omaha’s historic — and cobblestone-laden — Old Market shopping, dining and gallery district. The Omaha area has at least nine craft beer breweries, too, for which the Omaha Visitors Center offers a tour brochure.

With Christmas around the corner, there are also a few holiday events, including a free nightly Holiday Lights Spectacular light show. For more see visitomaha.com.

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