The AHSAA Elite Eight State Volleyball Tournament, set to begin Wednesday at the Birmingham CrossPlex, has been selected as the first state championship event to be featured as a national event of the brand-new NFHS Network.

The NFHS Network has announced plans to live-stream Thursday’s six state championship matches. The AHSAA TV Network is a member of the national network comprised of NFHS-member state associations. The NFHS Network is in its first year of operation.

“The NFHS Network is very pleased to be able to provide a live streaming of the 2013 Alabama High School Athletic Association Girls’ Volleyball Elite Eight Finals on Oct. 31 as one of the national events of the week,” said John Gillis, NFHS Associate Director of Development. “This is a historic occasion, as it will be the first state tournament to be featured on the NFHS Network. We will also be running a tournament preview article on the NFHS Network beginning Tuesday, Oct. 29.

“We know that the AHSAA runs an outstanding girls’ volleyball state tournament with many great teams, players and coaches. As such, we are very honored and thrilled to be able feature this as the inaugural state tournament event.”

AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese said this is an important step for high school sports and its education-based athletics message.

“Our student-athletes, coaches and schools will be showcased for the entire nation and world to see,” Savarese said. “We are proud of all our championship programs, and we are especially proud of the positive example our volleyball teams have set for our member schools and our state. The rest of the world can see first-hand what we are already know. We thank the NFHS Network for selecting our volleyball championships as their first-ever state championship national event to be live-streamed.”

The 43rd AHSAA State Volleyball Tournament gets underway Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. with 48 teams, eight in each of the six classifications, playing quarterfinal matches. The semifinals will be at 4:30 and 7 p.m. The finals will be played Thursday at the 4,000-seat CrossPlex beginning at 9 a.m. with the Class 3A finals. The Class 6A finals will follow at 10:30, Class 4A at noon, Class 5A at 1:30 p.m., Class 2A at 3 p.m. and Class 1A at 4:30.

The NFHS Network is a subscriber-based network. Subscriber details can be found at the AHSAA Network link or by clicking here to see the NFHS Network.

43rd AHSAA Elite Eight State Tournament

Birmingham CrossPlex

Wednesday’s Schedule

Class 1A

Winterboro (14-12) vs. Addison (52-6), 1 p.m. (C-7)

Spring Garden (35-16) vs. St. Luke’s Episcopal (41-15), 1 p.m. (C-9)

Jefferson Christian (24-13) vs. Meek (38-21), 3 p.m. (C-7)

Athens Bible (28-19) vs. Donoho (38-10), 3 p,m. (C-9)

Semifinals: Wednesday, 7 p.m., Courts 7 & 9

Finals: Thursday, 4:30 p.m.

Class 2A

Zion Chapel (16-20) vs. Lexington (46-12), 1 p.m. (C-1)

Sand Rock (45-11) vs. Providence Christian (45-6), 1 p.m. (C-3)

New Brockton (26-8) vs. West End (36-17), 3 p.m. (C-1)

Hatton (22-26) vs. Montgomery Academy (46-4), 3 p.m. (C-3)

Semifinals: Wednesday, 7 p.m., Courts 1 & 3

Finals: Thursday, 3 p.m.

Class 3A

Indian Springs ((33-8) vs. Madison Academy (40-10), 9 a.m. (C-4)

West Morgan (42-16) vs. Cottage Hill Christian (31-15), 9 a.m. (C-6)

Northside (21-4) vs. Winston County, 11 a.m. (C-4)

Danville (43-19) vs. Bayside Academy (54-8), 11 a.m. (C-6)

Semifinals: Wednesday, 5 p.m., Courts 4 & 6

Finals: Thursday, 9 a.m.

Class 4A

Thomasville (32-8) vs. Guntersville (44-20), 9 a.m. (C-7)

Pope John Paul II (25-21) vs. Calera (34-6), 9 a.m. (C-9)

UMS-Wright (21-21) vs. Jacksonville (35-14) (, 11 a.m. (C-7)

Madison County (32-32) vs. Saint James (30-10), 11 a.m. (C-9)

Semifinals: Wednesday, 75 p.m., Courts 7 & 9

Finals: Thursday, noon

Class 5A

McAdory (25-18) vs. Brewer (48-7), 1 p.m. (C-4)

John Carroll Catholic (33-10) vs. Spanish Fort (26-15), 1 p.m. (C-6)

Brookwood (34-5) vs. Hartselle (56-23), 3 p.m. (C-4)

Walker (45-23) vs. Saint Paul’s Episcopal (45-15), 3 p.m. (C-6)

Semifinals: Wednesday, 7 p.m., Courts 4 & 6

Finals: Thursday, 1:30 p.m.

Class 6A

Baker (39-16) vs. Mountain Brook (41-14), 9 a.m. (C-1)

Huntsville (40-19) vs. Thompson (29-9), 9 a.m. (C-3)

Pelham (17-27) vs. Bob Jones (43-12), 11 a.m. (C-1)

Hoover (42-12) vs. McGill-Toolen (52-9), 11 a.m. (C-3)

Semifinals: Wednesday, 7 p.m., Courts 1 & 3

Finals: Thursday, 10:30 a.m.

(AHSAA)