Louisiana Volleyball can now officially call the Historic Earl K. Long Gymnasium home.
EKL Gym underwent major interior renovations, turning the once double sport facility into one of the top volleyball-specific venues in America.
The facility now has a brand new court and videoboard, both of which are state-of-the-art. There is also a new locker room, players lounge, film and meeting rooms, and more. The gym also received a new coat of paint and sound panels. Lastly, the restrooms were renovated as well.
“We are very excited about this renovation which will greatly enhance the experience of our student-athletes, coaches and fans,” Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Bryan Maggard said. “As a volleyball-specific facility, E.K. Long Gymnasium will now serve as one of the most elite venues in the country.”
The project cost slightly less than $1 million and was funded by Louisiana Athletics investors.
“We are very proud and forever grateful to those that helped make this happen,” head coach Kristi Gray said. “To get a brand-new, state-of-the-art Teraflex court and videoboard, a new locker room, team lounge, team film room and conference room in a few short months is impressive. We cannot wait to showcase this facility to our fans in a few weeks.”
The new Teraflex court is a new standard in volleyball, with the highest impact protection of any playing surface, which reduces injury risk for players while jumping, diving, or sliding.
The locker room has lockers branded with the Ragin Cajuns logo and plenty of storage. Each locker has a power port and USB hub for players to use, and the room as a whole has comfortable furniture and new graphics.
Upstairs is the new player’s lounge with furniture, a nutrition bar, and games to promote bonding. Also, the conference room and film room are housed upstairs as well.
Fans will have their first opportunity to see the new facility at the Red & White Scrimmage on Wednesday, August 17. First serve is at 6 p.m.