Qwest Center Tickets

Volleyball's "Final Four" coming back to Qwest

The top four teams in college volleyball will once again descend upon the Qwest Center for the NCAA Vollyeball Championships Dec. 18-20.

Two years ago, the Nebraska Cornhuskers took advantage of the de facto home-court advantage to win their third NCAA championship, and they look to be in position early on to make a return trip to volleyball's "Final Four" this season. A young and untested team has quickly gotten out to an 8-0 mark and holds the No. 2 ranking in the nation at the present time.

Defending national champion Penn State is one of the teams that could be in Omaha this December, as well as teams like Stanford, USC and Texas -- all of whom opened the season earlier this year at the Qwest Center along with Nebraska at the AVCA Showcase.

Regardless of who earns the trip to Omaha, you won't want to miss out on this great tournament that features the top volleyball talent in the country. Get your tickets for the NCAA Volleyball Championships now at Ticket Express -- where no event is ever sold out.

Records keep falling at Qwest Center

World records are under assault at the Qwest Center as the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials continues through the end of this week.

Natalie Coughlin and Aaron Peirsol both broke world records in their respective finals events of the 100-meter backstroke. Coughlin broke the record twice, breaking it in the prelims earlier in the day.

A lot of the credit goes to the athletes who continue to put maximum effort into their events, but some of the credit is also going to new swimsuits that seem to allow swimmers to move quicker through the water.

The Speedo LZR Racer suits are "a phenomenal leap forward in technology," according to Team USA coacah Mark Schubert, who told the Omaha World-Herald that he expected a number of records to be broke in the pool at Qwest Center during these trials.

The suits are sleeker full-body suits that have created some controversy in swimming circles. The fabric is more water-repellent and slicker, likened to shark skin. The pieces of the suit are welded together, rather than sewn, which eliminates seams that tend to cause drag in the water. It compresses the body to reduce vibration and holds the body in a more streamlined manner.

There are a number of suit designers who are not happy with the new suits, including Tyr, who has filed a lawsuit against Speedo claiming Speedo is stifling competition by suggesting that anyone not wearing one of their suits could wind up not swimming fast enough to qualify for the Olympics.

For now, though, the suits seem to be helping out already-outstanding athletes like Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff, and you can see them and many other top swimmers through the end of the week at the Qwest Center.

A limited number of tickets are left for the trials, so don't miss out -- get your U.S. Olympic Swim Trials tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no event is ever sold out.

Olympic Swim Trials have four finals tonight

The U.S. Olympic Swim Trials are into their third day at the Qwest Center, and four finals events are on the docket for Tuesday night's session.

On Monday night, Katie Hoff won her second event of the trials, taking the women's 400-meter freestyle title. Her time of 4:02.32 was just 12 hundredths of a second off her own U.S. record, set in 2006.

Brendan Hansen won the men's 100-meter breaststroke with a time of :59.93. He is the current world record holder and was eight-tenths of a second shy of matching his standard.

The most exciting finals race of the night was in the women's 100-meter butterfly. Christine Magnuson edged Elaine Breeden by a tenth of a second, touching the wall in 58.11 seconds. The race was close to the end, with seven of the eight finalists finishing less than a second apart.

Tuesday's finals include the 200-meter freestyle and 100-meter backstroke for the men, while the women will compete in the 100-meter breaststroke and 100-meter backstroke.

You can order U.S. Olympic Swim Trials tickets through Ticket Express -- where no event is ever sold out.

World records falling at Qwest Center

It didn't take long for swimmers competing in the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials to make their mark on the record book.

Both Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff won their respective 400-meter individual medley events Sunday night, and both did it in world-record times. Phelps won the event with a time of 4:05.25, beating Ryan Lochte, who also broke the world record but finished about a second behind Phelps at 4:06.08.

Not to be outdone, Hoff also set the new world standard in the finals of her event, finishing in 4:31.12. She finished almost two seconds ahead of Elizabeth Beisel.

In Monday morning's session, a world record was broken twice in consecutive heats. Hayley McGregory set a new standard in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 59.15 seconds, breaking the mark of 59.21 seconds set by Natalie Coughlin. Not to be outdone, Coughlin stepped up in the very next heat and lowered the world record even further, touching the wall in 59.03 seconds.

And that's just the first three sessions -- there are still 12 more sessions of the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials taking place at the Qwest Center, and you can see all the action with tickets from Ticket Express -- where no event is ever sold out.

Olympic swimmers hit the pool at Qwest Center

A lot of work has gone into preparing the Qwest Center for the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, which begin on Sunday, June 29 and continue through July 6.

Most impressive in the preparations has been the installation of two 800,000-gallon swimming pools in the arena and convention center. Each pool was specifically built for this event and shipped to Nebraska from Italy. It took about a week to put each pool together -- the warm-up pool was constructed in the convention center in early May, with the competition pool put together in the main arena later that month.

Once completed, the Omaha Fire Department helped pump water into each pool, taking about 10 hours to fill each pool to its 800,000-gallon capacity. Heaters were used to warm each pool to approximately 80 degrees, making them ready for competition in early June for the Mutual of Omaha Swimvitational, the final tune-up for athletes before the Olympic trials.

Some of the world's top swimmers will compete in Omaha for a shot at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Among the top competitors expected to participate are former Olympic medalists Dara Torres, Natalie Coughlin, Amanda Beard, Amanda Weir, Gabe Woodward, Peter Vanderkaay, Neil Walker and seven-time gold medalist Michael Phelps.

It's a unique opportunity for sports fans in the Midwest to witness Olympic-caliber competition, and Ticket Express has a limited number of tickets available for this event. Don't miss out on a great chance to see future Olympic gold medalists in action. Get your tickets for the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials with Ticket Express -- where no event is ever sold out.

Catch America's best in action at Qwest Center

Omaha has a unique opportunity to host a pre-Olympic event that will determine who represents the United States at the Olympics this summer in Beijing, China. And you have a unique chance to see the top swimmers in the nation when the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials come to the Qwest Center June 29 through July 6.

Some of the world's top swimmers will be at the Qwest Center competing for a chance to represent their home country in the world's greatest sports festival. Swimmers like Dara Torres, Natalie Coughlin, Jason Lezak and multiple-Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps will take the dive for their shot at Olympic glory.

Ticket Express has plenty of tickets available for the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, so don't miss out on this golden opportunity to see the nation's best in action. Get your tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no event is ever sold out.

Swimvitation a prelude for Olympic Trials

The Mutual of Omaha Swimvitational is underway this weekend at the Qwest Center, which will be a great test for Omaha as it gets ready for the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials that run June 29-July 6.

Some of the nation's best swimmers are using this weekend's event as a final tune-up as they prepare for their shot at Olympic glory. Over 1,300 swimmers from across the nation will make their way to Omaha later this month and will compete over the course of eight days for a chance at representing the United States in this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Swimmers like Dana Vollmer, Dara Torres, Michael Phelps and Neil Walker will be competing in a variety of events. Phelps is the reigning king of the pool, having won eight gold medals at the 2004 Olympics and looking to add to his amazing total later this summer. He is scheduled to compete in nine events at the trials, giving him a good shot at adding to his medal count.

Don't miss out on a chance to see the nation's best in action. Get your tickets for the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, scheduled for June 29-July 6 at the Qwest Center, now at Ticket Express -- where no event is ever sold out.

Former Olympians to compete at Swim Trials

Over 1,000 swimmers are competing for a shot to make the U.S. Olympic team at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials June 29-July 6 at Qwest Center Omaha.

Among those swimmers are 28 athletes who already know a thing or two about making it to the Olympics. And of those 28, 26 are swimmers who were good enough to make it to the medal stand as one of the top three swimmers in the world in their particular event.

The list of swimmers is highlighted by eight-time gold medalist Michael Phelps, who went on a tear at the 2004 Olympics and could be in line to win even more if he qualifies for this summer's Olympics in Beijing, China.

Dara Torres is among the top women swimmers competing, and she is trying to become one of a very select few female swimmers to compete in four Olympics. She made her first Olympic team in 1984 and won a gold medal as part of the 400-meter relay team. She has gone on to win nine medals, four of them gold, and at 41 years of age will try and outlast some of her younger competitors in a chance to make her fourth U.S. Olympic team.

The list of past Olympic qualifiers who are scheduled to compete in this year's swim trials are as follows:

Men -- Michael Phelps, Jason Lezak, Gary Hall Jr., Gabe Woodward, Neil Walker, Peter Vanderkaay, Klete Keller, Ryan Louhte, Erik Vendt, Larsen Jensen, Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Mark Gangloff, Scott Usher, Ian Crocker.

Women -- Dara Torres, Amanda Beard, Natalie Coughlin, Kara Lynn Joyce, Amanda Weir, Dana Vollmer, Katie Hoff, Carly Piper, Margaret Hoelzer, Tara Kirk, Megan Jendrick, Rachel Komisarz, Kaitin Sandeno.

Don't miss out on seeing these talented swimmers in action. Get your tickets for the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials now at Ticket Express -- where no event is ever sold out.

Olympic Swim Trials to be held at Qwest Center

There will be almost 2 million gallons of water floating around in the Qwest Center for the next six weeks.

That's because the Qwest Center is serving as the host site for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, which run June 29 through July 6. Over 1,000 swimmers from across the country will come to Omaha for a shot at qualifying to represent the United States in the 2008 Summer Olympics later this year in Beijing, China.

Some of the nation's top swimmers will be competing for a shot at Olympic glory, including several former Olympic gold medalists.

Headlining the group of gold-medal swimmers is MIchael Phelps, who had a phenomenal effort at the 2004 Olympics when he won an amazing eight gold medals. He will be back to try and repeat that feat and is already among the fastest swimmers in the U.S. in several events.

Top female swimmers like Dana Vollmer and Dara Torres will be on hand, as will Amanda Beard, Kara Lynn Joyce, Natalie Coughlin and many more. A total of 28 swimmers with Olympic experience will be among those competing.

The Qwest Center has two pools already set up, including a practice pool in the convention center and the competition pool in the main arena. Both pools hold almost 1 million gallons of water and were shipped to Omaha from Italy. It took workers a little over a week to construct each pool and fill them up, and they will be competition-ready by next weekend when the Qwest Center plays host to the final pre-Olympic tune-up, the Mutual of Omaha Swimvitational that starts on June 3.

Get your tickets to the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials now at Ticket Express -- where no event is ever sold out.

U.S. Olympic Swim Trials five weeks away

It's just over a month away, but the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials will take over the Qwest Center in Omaha for a week beginning on June 29.

Preparations are already underway for the event. Two 800,000-gallon swimming pools have been constructed -- one in the main arena and another in the convention center -- and will be used for a tune-up meet, the Mutual of Omaha Swimvitational, in early June.

Once the trials start, over 1,000 swimmers are expected to compete for a shot on the U.S. Olympic team in 13 men's and 13 women's events. Several former Olympic gold medalists are among those expected to compete, including seven-time gold medalist Michael Phelps and female standouts Dana Torres and Amanda Beard.

It will be a great week of action as the nation's top swimmers compete for a trip to the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, later this summer. Don't miss out on an opportunity to see the nation's best compete at the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials June 29-July 6 at the Qwest Center. Get your tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no event is ever sold out.