Inaugural Blue Ridge Volleyball Classic presented by Ingles is Set for September 5-6, 2025
Blue Ridge Volleyball Classic Presented by Ingles Markets sets inaugural date for September 5-6, 2025, at Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville
The four-team women’s volleyball tournament will feature Western Carolina, College of Charleston, Bradley University, and UNC at Charlotte
Tickets are on sale now via BlueRidgeVolleyballClassic.com.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Blue Ridge Volleyball Classic Presented by Ingles Markets, in conjunction with Explore Asheville, the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, and Lightstrike Hard Refresher, will host its inaugural event in Asheville, North Carolina, at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville on September 5-6, 2025. The lineup includes women’s volleyball teams from Western Carolina, Bradley University, the College of Charleston, and UNC at Charlotte, each playing three matches over two days. Tickets are available for purchase via BlueRidgeVolleyballClassic.com or Ticketmaster.com and at the iHeart Media Asheville Box Office located at the venue.
“Explore Asheville is thrilled to build upon Asheville’s collective and long-standing commitment to top-tier men's and women's sporting events such as the inaugural Blue Ridge Volleyball Classic and our relationship with Southern Conference championship events,” said Vic Isley, President & CEO of Explore Asheville. “We help our community win through investing in capital projects and attracting new events. The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority’s Tourism Product Development Fund (TPDF) investment in championship-quality, multi-sport courts for the ExploreAsheville.com Arena, in partnership with the City of Asheville, is enabling our community to recover the vitality of our economy, community, and region following Hurricane Helene."
WHAT: Blue Ridge Volleyball Classic Presented by Ingles Markets
WHEN: September 5-6, 2025
WHERE: ExploreAsheville.com Arena at Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville | 87 Haywood Street Asheville, NC * 28801
TICKETS: Tickets are available at the venue’s iHeart Media Asheville Box Office and Ticketmaster.com.
EVENT WEBSITE: Event Link
TO BOOK: HOTEL RESERVATIONS
This event is the first collegiate volleyball event to be held in the venue’s history. It will serve as the first collegiate event preceding the 2025 Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Volleyball Championship in November 2025.
“Western North Carolina has become a hotbed for quality high school volleyball. With Brevard, Polk County, and West Henderson claiming recent state championships and the storied tradition at Hendersonville High (state record of 12 championships), there’s little doubt that our region can compete with the best that the state has to offer. The Blue Ridge Volleyball Classic will show those athletes and area fans firsthand what it takes to compete at the college level,” said Chris Smith, President, Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission. “This event will serve as a great precursor to the Ingle’s Southern Conference Volleyball Tournament at the same venue in November.”
Western Carolina of the Southern Conference kicks off an extensive early season on the road as the host team for the Blue Ridge Volleyball Classic. Following a 8-21 record in 2024, two-time Southern Conference Coach of the Year Karen Glover, in her 15th year at WCU, returns nine letterwinners from the 2024 squad, including two of its top defensive threats from a season ago: senior Janelle Blue (111 blocks, 156 kills) and classmate Samantha Jo Mikosky (73 blocks). Learn more at https://catamountsports.com/sports/womens-volleyball.
Bradley University, led by Head Coach Alicia Williams, opens up its first high-level road trip schedule in Asheville after a 15-16 record in 2024 before diving into its Missouri Valley Conference schedule. The Braves are poised to bring their competitive “Hilltop” style of play to Asheville. Learn more at https://bradleybraves.com/sports/womens-volleyball.
Head Coach Benavia Jenkins leads the UNC at Charlotte 49ers, a member of the American Athletic Conference, to Asheville to rack up early wins with Seasoned returners like Jessica Ricks, Kristen Birmingham, and Lauren Nixon, who were mainstays in last year’s matches. Learn more at https://charlotte49ers.com/sports/womens-volleyball.
The College of Charleston Cougars finished 25-9 in the Coastal Athletic Association Conference and will face Bradley for the first time. Head Coach Jason Kepner hopes that the recent transfers of Emma Duffield, Rosa Brencic, Izzy Marinelli, Lauren Dow, and Lainee Mack will keep the 2025 team rolling with victories. Learn more at https://cofcsports.com/sports/womens-volleyball.
All four schools are also 2025 recipients of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award sponsored by INTENT. The award honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.
“Asheville, much like the rest of the country, is a volleyball community. Following the 2024 Ingles Southern Conference Volleyball Championship relocation due to Hurricane Helene’s damage in Western North Carolina, our venue partnered with AVL Hoppers, a local volleyball non-profit, to raise over $15,000 for local groups affected by the storm,” Christopher Corl, General Manager of Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville, said. “Xcel Volleyball continues to be the recognized leader in Western North Carolina's elite club scene, and multiple local and regional high schools continue to win state championships. This tournament will continue to grow because of our community’s commitment to this sport and our commitment to bringing high-level volleyball events like this to our community.”
Tickets for the championship tournament are on sale now for all-day at $10 and half-day at $5, with discounts available for youth, groups, and City of Asheville employees. Get your tickets and learn more at BlueRidgeVolleyballClassic.com today. Hotels for the tournament can be found at https://www.exploreasheville.com/places-to-stay.
ABOUT ASHEVILLE BUNCOMBE REGIONAL SPORTS COMMISSION
The Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission was formed in the fall of 2010 by a handful of civic-minded leaders with a vision to impact the local economy by bringing more sporting events to the region. The Sports Commission attracts sports events and related meetings to enhance the health, wellness, and quality of life for area residents and sports enthusiasts and will generate a positive economic impact by promoting our region as a recognized sporting destination.
ABOUT EXPLORE ASHEVILLE AND THE BUNCOMBE COUNTY TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Explore Asheville is the official destination marketing and management organization for one of the most vibrant destinations in the southeast. Explore Asheville is powered by the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, a public authority that has been investing in and building community since 1983. The authority has committed $96 million to more than 50 community capital projects including many sports venues.
ABOUT HARRAH’S CHEROKEE CENTER - ASHEVILLE
Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville (HCCA), which features the ExploreAsheville.com Arena and Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, annually hosts a diverse variety of events that reflect the creativity, uniqueness, and artistry that Asheville, N.C., and Western North Carolina are known for. In recent years, the facility has hosted world-class sporting events such as NBA Preseason Games, two Billie Jean King Cups Ties, the Ingles Southern Conference Basketball & Volleyball Championships, Blue Ridge Volleyball Championship, Asheville Championship, and the Camping World Maui Invitational as well as music and performances by Bob Dylan, The Lumineers, Dave Chappelle, John Prine, Old Dominion, Sturgill Simpson, Kacey Musgraves, Widespread Panic, Billy Strings, Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam, and more. For more information, visit HarrahsCherokeeCenterAsheville.com.