EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's volleyball team departs today on a 10-day tour of Europe, a trip which includes five matches against club volleyball teams throughout the region as well as numerous cultural and sightseeing adventures. Sixteen Blugold student-athletes will take part in the trip, along with head coach Kim Wudi and assistant coaches Jodi Risen and Tim Upward. 

In addition to competing in their first three matches, activities planned for Amsterdam include a countryside bike tour, visit to the Ann Frank Museum and excursion to the fishing village of Volendam. Following four days in Amsterdam, the team will travel to Antwerp, Belgium with day trips to the nearby cities of Bruges and Brussels. The final stop for the Blugolds will be Paris, France, where the team will play its final two matches and visit the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and several other Parisian landmarks before returning to the U.S. on June 3.

"There are so many benefits to taking our team on a foreign tour," said Head Coach Kim Wudi. "We're excited for our student-athletes to be able to experience the joys and challenges of traveling to other countries – overcoming language barriers, cultural differences, and even the nuances of international volleyball – all of those things help to create a global awareness that will benefit each person well beyond college. It also goes without saying that the opportunities for team bonding and additional training and competition will help us prepare for our 2016 season."

The Blugolds' trip is being funded exclusively through the team's fundraising efforts and private donations, and was coordinated with the help of American International Sports Teams (https://www.aist-grouptravel.us). Fans can follow the Blugolds on their trip at http://www.blugolds.com/sports/wvball/EuropeTourBlog as well as the Blugold Volleyball Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/uwecvolleyball).