5/16/04

Volleyball Preview: European Tour

» Tour itinerary

	The volleyball team will arrive in Rome on Wednesday, May 19. (Photo: Roman Coliseum)

AUSTIN, Texas - On Sunday, May 16, the Texas volleyball team wrapped up its final practice before heading out on its 13-day training tour of Europe. The Longhorns will depart for Rome on Tuesday, May 18, and travel through Italy, Austria and Germany while playing four matches and training for several days.

"This is a great opportunity for our young team to get some more experience and to play against some real good international clubs," Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott said after the last practice before the trip. "But also for us, because we have so many young faces on our team right now, this trip will help the team gel and hopefully, help create a great family atmosphere. This will be a great experience for our team to see what other parts of the world are like and for us to experience the history and cultures of the cities we'll visit."

"I think it will be a great experience for us to see a different side of the world," assistant coach Tonya Johnson, who was one of the main organizers of the excursion, added. "I'm looking forward to seeing new cultures and the opportunities to play some international teams. It will be a great experience for everyone."

The team will arrive in Rome on Wednesday, May 19, and work off their travel legs right away with a three-hour training session before some sightseeing in the Italian capital. On Thursday, May 20, the Horns will continue to work their way through Rome by seeing more sights before playing an evening match against B2 Fidia. With two days of volleyball under their belts, UT will use the whole day on Friday, May 21, to finish up seeing the sights in Rome before leaving for the Marche Region of Italy, which is located on the eastern coast of Italy nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains, on Saturday, May 22.

The Marche Region of Italy, located on the eastern coast

The Longhorns will play a match or train when arriving in the Marche Region, and then spend the day at the beach on Sunday, May 23. With a little relaxation under their belts, the Horns will leave for Pesaro, Italy on Monday, May 24, and spend the day in the city before traveling to Venice on Tuesday, May 25 for a day of touring the famous canals and shops of the historic city.

Texas will depart Italy on Wednesday, May 26, and head to Innsbruck, Austria for two and a half days, where the team is also scheduled to meet up with another American collegiate volleyball team for dinner. After arriving on May 26, the team will play their third match of the tour against TV Tirol on Thursday, May 27. The team will train on the morning of Friday, May 28 before departing Austria for Munich, Germany and the final three days of their trip. On Saturday, May 29, the team will play its final match of the trip — against a German all-star team — after a day of sightseeing in Munich. Finally, on Sunday, May 30, the team will depart Europe and return stateside.

With a squad of 10 players, three coaches, three staff members, and spouses and children, the travel party has many different goals for the trip. Several players are looking forward to facing international teams.

"I can't wait to get back on the court and trying to get some wins against some international teams," freshman Jessica Curtis said. "I'm also looking forward to getting to experience a couple of new cultures and meeting new people."

"I am looking forward to getting a lot of experience with the team oversees," freshman Brandy Magee said. "And, this is my first time facing players from another country so it will be interesting to see how we play against older, more experienced teams."

Sophomore Dariam Acevedo, who missed all but two games of the 2003 season because of playing commitments with the Puerto Rican national before suffering a season-ending knee injury, sees the trip as an opportunity to have more time to work playing situations before the collegiate season begins in August. "This trip will help get the team together and we'll develop a little more maturity as a team. We have new systems right now and we need a lot of playing time to get used to them," Acevedo said.

	The volleyball team will spend two and a half days in Innsbruck, Austria. (Photo: Schoenbrunn Palace)

Acevedo, who had surgery to reconstruct a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in November, is expected to see some playing time on the tour.

For other Longhorns, the trip is an opportunity to experience new cultures and see the world.

"I'm most looking forward to the food and the atmospheres in the different cities as we see the world," freshman Jenny Andrew said. "And I can't wait to spend two weeks with my teammates."

Junior Bethany Howden added, "I really looking forward to experiencing new cultures and the other countries and all the customs they follow. I've never been to Europe - I've never been outside the U.S. besides Mexico - so I'm really excited to see new countries."

"This is going to sound nerdy," senior Whitney Garvens added, "but I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of the ancient ruins in Rome that we've learned about in school since we were little. I can't wait to finally see them in person." Garvens, who exhausted her eligibility at the end of the 2003 season, will make the trip with the team as a manager and will be a practice player with team.

Junior Mira Topic, a native of Croatia, has other reasons to anticipate the upcoming trip. "I'm looking forward to seeing my family. They're coming to either Venice or Munich to see me and the team." A notorious sweet tooth on the team, Topic also has another motive: "Oh, and the European chocolates, too. I'm looking forward to Croatian chocolate."

One other sentiment was a popular response from the Horns. Several members of the team were also looking forward to the opportunity to bond with their teammates on the trip.

Sophomore Erin Larson said, "I've never been to Europe, so that will be exciting. But I'm also looking forward to spending time with my teammates and getting to know each other better heading into next season."

For freshman Leticia Armstrong, the trip will mark the first time she will take the court with her teammates in game action after redshirting the 2003 season. "I can't wait to actually play in some matches and to bond with the team. It will be fun to see other countries and play some foreign teams."

For two teammates, the trip will be their first travel situation with the Longhorns. Freshmen Jen Christian and Sarah Holloway accelerated their high school studies and joined the team in January as first-semester players. The trip to Europe will give the duo a chance to get to know their new teammates better without the stress of first-year classes and first-time team practices.

"I'm looking forward to spending time with my new teammates and getting into the team's swing of things," Holloway said.

Christian added, "I'm looking forward to playing some international teams, and also the opportunity for our team to bond."

Texas fans can follow the team's tour through Europe via the team's site at www.TexasSports.com. Daily updates, player journals match recaps and several photos will be posted during the trip, then an extensive recap will be posted in June after the team returns to Austin.