It will be a celebration of Midwestern volleyball in the NCAA semifinals Thursday night at the sold-out CenturyLink Center in Omaha.

For the first time in the national tournament’s 35 years, there are no teams from the West Coast or Hawaii in the final four.

Big Ten champion Minnesota (30-4) meets Big 12 champ Texas (29-2) in the first semifinal. Nebraska (30-4) faces Kansas (30-2) in the second semifinal. The title match is Saturday.

Nebraska coach John Cook says the four teams that made it are proof there is great balance in the sport across the country.

Minnesota has won four of seven all-time matches against Texas. Nebraska is 86-0-1 all-time against Kansas, with the tie coming in 1977.