AVCA and Intersport Partner for New 2027 Match Point Event in Louisville

Intersport and AVCA launch AVCA Match Point, a two-day women's volleyball event in April 2027

Kentucky Wildcats outside hitter Brooklyn Deleye (17) attacks the ball as Wisconsin Badgers outside hitter Grace Egan (32) and Wisconsin Badgers middle blocker Lynney Tarnow (20) jump to block during the third set of their match at the AVCA First Serve event at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Aug. 21, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Intersport and AVCA announced a formal partnership, elevating volleyball through new events and opportunities throughout the year.

AVCA Match Point is one of the new events and will be a two-day women's volleyball championship on April 10-11, 2027, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky.

"Volleyball has tremendous momentum, and our partnership with Intersport will help us build on it by creating more opportunities for athletes, coaches and fans to engage with the sport throughout the year," said Jaime Gordon, CEO of the American Volleyball Coaches Association. "AVCA Match Point is an important first step. It brings some of the best programs in the country together for meaningful spring competition and gives fans another reason to connect with our sport. We believe there is still tremendous room for volleyball to grow, and high-quality events like this helps move the sport forward."

Intersport & the AVCA are excited to announce a formal partnership to promote volleyball.
The partnership will launch with the creation of AVCA Match Point, an elite two-day women’s volleyball championship on April 10-11, 2027, in Louisville.
https://t.co/F8dyrU14ee#WeAreAVCA pic.twitter.com/cxzZOEboxR

— AVCA (@AVCAVolleyball) October 1, 2026

AVCA Match Point will give volleyball fans an opportunity to watch high-quality competition during a traditionally quieter weekend in the collegiate volleyball calendar. It will feature a bracketed format, with each team playing three matches over the two-day event. Each team will play two matches on April 10 and a third on April 11.

It has not been announced at this point how long each set and match will be.

The event will feature historic volleyball powerhouses, Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Stanford, and Wisconsin. Two additional teams will be added at a later date to create an eight-team field.

Nebraska and Stanford have combined to win 14 NCAA National Championships. Kentucky and Wisconsin have each won a national title in the last decade. Louisville has played in two national championship matches since 2022 and Pitt has reached five consecutive NCAA championship semifinals since 2021.

All six teams announced are ranked among the top 15 in the AVCA poll as of October 1st.

The event will also provide hundreds of youth volleyball players, coaches, and families from across the country the opportunity to connect with the best of the best in collegiate volleyball, as the event coincides with the Junior Volleyball Association World Championships and the JVA 18U National Championships, also being held in Louisville.

"This partnership with the AVCA reflects our shared belief in volleyball's continued growth and the value of creating more stages for the sport's athletes and programs," said Intersport Senior Vice President Mark Starsiak. "Intersport and the AVCA were the first organizations to prioritize these significant exposure opportunities for women's volleyball with the AVCA First Serve and the State Farm Volleyball Showcase both launching in 2024. Our shared vision of growing the sport is further demonstrated by launching AVCA Match Point alongside the JVA World Challenge, one of the largest and most anticipated grassroots events on the youth calendar. Bringing elite collegiate programs and the youth volleyball community together creates a unique opportunity to deepen connections among players, coaches and fans of all ages."

Full team list, schedule, and ticket details will be announced at a later date

About Intersport

Intersport is an award-winning agency that fills the space between marketing campaigns and consumers, helping brands make more meaningful connections. Its industry-leading team offers expertise in content marketing, experiential marketing, hospitality, partnership consulting and platform development. The Chicago-based agency also owns and operates events across the professional and collegiate sports landscape, including basketball, football, golf, pickleball and volleyball. Intersport has been headquartered in Chicago since its inception in 1985 and has an additional office in Detroit. Learn more at www.intersport.global and on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

About the American Volleyball Coaches Association

Founded in 1981, the American Volleyball Coaches Association works to advance volleyball by placing coaches at the center of leadership, advocacy and professional development. Its membership includes more than 10,000 coaches and industry partners across the collegiate, professional, high school, club, youth and Olympic levels. The AVCA provides educational and professional development opportunities, recognizes elite players and coaches, promotes volleyball competition and supports a professional network committed to growing the sport at every level. Learn more at www.avca.org.