SPOKANE, Wash. — It will likely be the busiest weekend Downtown Spokane has seen since the beginning of the pandemic as two major sports events get underway. The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament begins on Friday, while the Pacific Northwest Qualifier (PNQ) volleyball tournament starts Saturday.
The PNQ is one of the biggest annual events in Spokane. The tournament brings in $12 million in revenue for local businesses as well as more than 15,000 visitors, according to numbers provided by Visit Spokane in 2021.
This year’s event will be held over two weekends, March 26-28 and April 1-3. Matches will be played at The Podium, Spokane Convention Center, Hub Sports Center, and Eastern Washington University.
Whether you are playing in the PNQ or just wondering why there are so many more people in town over the weekend, here’s what you need to know about the event.
What is the Pacific Northwest Qualifier volleyball tournament?
The Pacific Northwest Qualifier brings teams from across the nation to Spokane. The tournament is one of USA Volleyball’s national qualifying tournaments.
The tournament covers three days. In all divisions, the first two days are pool play. For the USA and American divisions, the third day is a single-elimination bracket. Open divisions have various formats on the final day.
Ticket information
Tickets for the PNQ are available through TicketsWest. Tickets cost $30 for the full weekend or $15 per day. Children under 10 are free and do not require a ticket.
All tickets are digital and must be purchased online. One ticket covers each of the event venues.
There are no current COVID-related restrictions for the event.
The PNQ is advising fans about a clear bag policy that is in effect at The Podium. On Facebook, PNQ said, “Teams will enter via a separate entrance and are allowed their team bags and backpacks. Spectators will enter through their own entrance (see website for entry point areas) and will only be allowed clear bags.”
Click here for more on The Podium clear bag policy and entry point information.
PNQ event schedule
The matches are played in two waves each day. Generally, the AM Wave starts at 8:00 a.m. and the PM Wave begins at 3:00 p.m.
Here are the playing sites and waves as posted on the PNQ website as of Wednesday morning. The site notes that the schedule is subject to change at any time.
Week 1
- 15 USA: AM Wave - Spokane Convention Center
- 15 Open: AM Wave - Spokane Convention Center
- 16 American: AM Wave - The Podium
- 16 Liberty: PM Wave - Spokane Convention Center
- 16 USA: PM Wave - The Podium
- 16 Open: PM Wave - The Podium
- 17 American: AM Wave - Eastern Washington University
- 17 Liberty: AM Wave - HUB Sports Center
- 17 USA: PM Wave - HUB Sports Center
- 17 Open: AM Wave - Spokane Convention Center
- 18 American: PM Wave - Spokane Convention Center
- 18 Liberty: PM Wave - Eastern Washington University
- 18 USA: PM Wave - Spokane Convention Center
- 18 Open: AM Wave - The Podium
Week 2
- 11 National: AM Wave - Spokane Convention Center
- 12 American: AM Wave - Spokane Convention Center
- 12 USA: PM Wave - Spokane Convention Center
- 12 National: PM Wave - Spokane Convention Center
- 13 American: PM Wave - Spokane Convention Center
- 13 Liberty: AM Wave - The Podium
- 13 USA: PM Wave - Spokane Convention Center
- 13 Open: AM Wave - The Podium
- 14 American: AM Wave - Spokane Convention Center
- 14 Liberty: PM Wave - The Podium
- 14 USA: AM Wave - The Podium
- 14 Open: PM Wave - The Podium
- 15 American: AM Wave - HUB Sports Center
- 15 Liberty: PM Wave - HUB Sports Center