EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - The UW-Eau Claire women's volleyball team departs today on a 10-day tour of Eastern Europe, a trip which includes six matches against volleyball teams throughout the region as well as numerous cultural sightseeing adventures.

Thirteen student-athletes from the Blugolds' 2012 roster will take part in the trip.  Head coach Kim Wudi, her husband Jason and mother Jill Arndt, assistant coach Jodi Risen and student assistants Tommy Moriarty and Steven Wert are also traveling with the team.

The Blugolds will play their first two matches in Prague against Olymp Praha, one of the strongest and most established volleyball clubs in the Czech Republic.  Following two days of sightseeing and competition in Prague, the team will travel to Vienna to experience Austrian culture before departing for Bled, Slovenia.  In Bled, the Blugolds will play two matches and then spend two days in Rovinj, Croatia, where they will wrap up competition against the Croatian Youth National Team.  The team will spend the final day of the tour in Venice, Italy before returning to the U.S. on May 31.

The Blugolds' trip was coordinated with the help of Bring It Promotions (www.bringitusa.com).  Fans can follow the Blugolds on their trip at http://uwecvbeurope.blogspot.com as well as the Blugold Volleyball Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/uwecvolleyball).  Various players will make daily updates throughout the 10-day trip.

-KW-