TriCounty News

The NCAA's Division I women's volleyball national championship will be decided in Tampa this season.  To set the stage, the University of South Florida is hosting what might be the most impressive in-season tournament – of any sport – in the school's history.  It's called the "Tampa Twice'' tournament – and the participants would obviously love a return trip to Tampa for volleyball's Final Four.

"It's a tremendous opportunity for our program and it's a chance to really grow the sport in our area,'' USF coach Claire Lessinger said. "For people who are into volleyball – or for anybody who wants to see the sport played at its highest college level – this is going to be something worth watching.''

The Tampa Twice field includes Washington (ranked No. 5 at the close of 2008), Florida (No. 10), Minnesota (No. 14) and USF (which finished 17-14 last season).

It begins on Friday, Sept. 11 at the USF Sun Dome with Washington facing Minnesota at 6 p.m., followed by USF against Florida at 8.

Saturday, Sept. 12 is a full day of volleyball at all levels. The college players will hold a two-hour clinic for kids at 9 a.m. Elite high school teams Berkeley Prep and Venice meet at 3 p.m. Then the Tampa Twice event concludes with Florida against Washington at 6 p.m., followed by USF against Minnesota at 8.

Interesting subplot: Lessinger and her USF assistant, Nikki Shade, played for the Gators and Coach Mary Wise. More than anyone, they know the quality of UF's program.

The Gators have won at least a share of 18 consecutive SEC championships – or each season of Wise's tenure, which began in 1991. Wise is 578-61 in her UF career.

A few seasons ago, when UF was gunning for its second straight men's basketball national championship, Gators coach Billy Donovan was presented with an all-too-familiar question. Could Florida, the football school, also become a basketball school?

"Actually,'' Donovan said, "we are a volleyball school.''

The Gators have experience at volleyball's top level – Lessinger herself was on three Final Four teams at UF – but she would like to see the sport's depth develop even more.

"Our hopes are to contend for the Big East championship and make the NCAA [field],'' Lessinger said. "We know to be the best, you have to play the best, and this tournament fits right in with that goal.''

Another goal is to increase volleyball exposure in Florida, which is hosting the NCAA Final Four for the first time. Lessinger and Rob Higgins, executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, which is helping to put on the event, said they are developing a state-wide network of coaches and volleyball supporters to help promote the presence of the sport's highest-profile event.

"The Tampa Twice is a nice launching pad and we want to keep that drumbeat rolling right up until the Final Four,'' Higgins said. "We had a preseason event for women's basketball [when the Women's Final Four was in Tampa for the 2007-08 season] and we heard that the players from Tennessee had posters of the Tampa skyline in their lockers. They knew they wanted to come back here, and we think the same mindset could develop for volleyball.''

Gainesville will hold one of the four regional events with the winner advancing to the Final Four on Dec. 17 and 19 at the St. Pete Times Forum.

For information on the Tampa Twice tournament, go to www.gousfbulls.com.