Hammond Sportsplex becomes battleground for three top volleyball conferences at South Shore CVA’s sixth annual Midwest Crossover Volleyball Tournament

Hundreds of collegiate volleyball players from schools throughout the Midwest came to the Hammond Sportsplex for opening day of the Midwest Crossover Volleyball Tournament on Friday, October 16. Teams play their first slate of games on Friday, and the games continue into Saturday, October 18. This event is hosted by the South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority (CVA).

More than 600 athletes from 37 teams participate in this annual tournament. NCAA Division II teams from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC), Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic (GLIAC), and Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) are all represented in this two-day tournament.

The 2026 Midwest Crossover Volleyball Tournament marked the 17th year of this event, and the sixth straight year at the Hammond Sportsplex. Jim Naumovich, commissioner of the GLVC, has admired how much the community has supported this event since it transitioned to this facility.

“The officials, student athletes, coaches – it takes a lot of people to pull this off,” Naumovich said. “Having local hotel accommodations, restaurants to feed the teams while they’re in town, and other entertainment activities when they’re not playing make this a great event every year.”

Throughout the regular season, conference opponents are often seen as major rivals. The Midwest Crossover Volleyball Tournament is unique because players are often cheering for other squads in their conference.

“The teams are actually thinking beyond their own success. In our case, the GLVC schools all want to see each other do well,” Naumovich said. “They’ll root for them throughout the day, and then the same applies for the GLIAC and GMAC.”

Another benefit from this event is the opportunity for players to network with others from different schools. Some players might cross paths with someone who they used to play with or against prior to the collegiate level.

“So many of these athletes competed against each other in club volleyball, grade school, or high school,” Naumovich said. “Now, they go to different colleges, but they’ve established and maintained relationships. It’s the one time all year on a weekend that they can all come together, watch one another compete, and reunite.”

Brian Erminger, athletic supervisor of the Hammond Sportsplex and volleyball club director of Velocity 219, considers the Midwest Crossover Volleyball Tournament to be one of the biggest events that the Hammond Sportsplex hosts each year.

“Bringing 37 schools from a five-state region into our neck of the woods is such an exciting opportunity for us,” Erminger said. “Some of these kids came to this facility during their club volleyball days, so it’s great to see them revisit it at the college level and spend some time in Northwest Indiana.”

This year also featured games across all the courts, as last year’s tournament took place during a construction period. Erminger noted that this facility is built to support the preferences of the players while also being spectator-friendly.

As the South Shore CVA is always looking for ways to encourage tourism in Northwest Indiana, the Midwest Crossover Volleyball Tournament has been a prime example of showcasing what the Region has to offer to a large visiting population. Erminger appreciates the work that the South Shore CVA has done to continue elevating this tournament over the years.

“Kudos to the South Shore CVA who brought us this years ago,” Erminger said. “With all three conferences, we’re doing everything to make sure they love the facility, the access, and accommodations. There’s great volleyball being played here by some of the top-ranked teams in the country.”

The Midwest Crossover Volleyball Tournament will continue for the second day of games on Saturday, October 18.

To learn more about the South Shore CVA, you can visit southshorecva.com.