OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The Nebraska Elite volleyball program has around 750 girls go through its program yearly. For the past couple of years, space has become limited and expanding is more of a need than a want.
- The current training center is maxed out, limiting club participation and hosting teams for events.
- The new complex will include 12 indoor volleyball courts, 6 basketball courts, and 2 sand volleyball courts.
- The expansion aims to provide more opportunities for young athletes to train and develop.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Growth in Northwest Omaha is spiking. I'm Jill Lamkins near 180th and W Maple where plans are in place to turn part of this into a new youth sports complex dedicated to volleyball.
Nebraska Elite Volleyball is an organization that has around 750 girls go through its program every year.
For the past six years, players and coaches have come to work at the Union Bank and Trust Sports Complex in Elkhorn.
But director Tony Carrow tells me expanding to a new training center is more than a want but a need.
"We actually maxed out about a year and a half ago as far as just available court space. Which is limiting how many people we can have participating in that. You know, it's not something we wanna do is have to turn people away. But we're literally at that point," said Carrow.
Carrow says a bigger complex will allow them to have more club players, court space for practice times and opportunities to host more events.
It's something 13-year-old player Georgia Kluver is excited for.
"I come from Norfolk and I drive two hours and the schedule will be more flexible for me because I get home at midnight. So I think more teams will get to practice at the same times," said Kluver.
At the Elkhorn location, there are eight volleyball and six basketball courts.
At the new location, there will be 6 basketball, 12 volleyball, and 2 sand volleyball courts.
"And it's just great because not a lot of facilities have sand volleyball courts," said Kluver.
Right now, Carrow says the goal is to keep both facilities to expand opportunities for every young athlete.
"The ability to take more players in and give them the opportunity to train and grow and develop, to get to the point where they can go on and compete at the high school level and then on at the college level," said Carrow.
Construction on the complex is anticipated to start in the spring of 2025.
