Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville (HCCA) is pleased to team with Explore Asheville, the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission to host The Blue Ridge Volleyball Classic Presented by Ingles Markets.
The inaugural Asheville event of the Lightstrike Hard Refresher will take place on September 5-6, 2025.
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
The team lineup includes women’s volleyball teams from:
- Western Carolina
- Bradley University
- College of Charleston
- UNC at Charlotte,
Each team plays 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.
New Event for Harrah’s and Asheville
This is the first collegiate volleyball event to be hosted at HCCA. It precedes the 2025 Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Volleyball Championship in November 2025
“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.”
Rich regional Tradition
This tournament is sure to draw crowds to our city, given the region’s rich highschool volleyball tradition.
“Western North Carolina has become a hotbed for quality high school volleyball. With Brevard, Polk County, and West Henderson claiming recent state championships and with the storied tradition netting a state record – 12 championships at Hendersonville High, 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.”