EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire women's volleyball team is set to depart May 26 on a 10-day foreign tour to Greece. The trip itinerary includes four friendly matches against club volleyball teams throughout the Athens region as well as numerous cultural and sightseeing adventures. The Blugold delegation will be comprised of student-athletes and volleyball staff, as well as family members and friends of the program.
The Blugolds will spend two nights in Athens and will take a tour of the city, which includes a visit to the famed Acropolis and its museum. They will play their first match of the tour in Athens before ferrying to the island of Mykonos for two nights. Upon their return to Athens, they will participate in daily excursions to sites such as Delphi, Argolis, the Corinth Canal, and Nafplio. The team will play its three remaining matches in Athens before returning to the United States on June 5.
Foreign tours have become a staple of the Blugold volleyball program. They traveled to Italy in 2006, Nicaragua in 2010, the Czech Republic, Croatia and Slovenia in 2013, and the Netherlands, Belgium and France in 2016. The NCAA permits Division III teams to travel abroad once every three years, allowing each student-athlete an opportunity to participate in one tour in her playing career.
"One of UW-Eau Claire's guidepost goals is to have 100% of our students participate in a high-impact learning experience, and we certainly see this trip as an educational opportunity," said Head Coach Kim Wudi. "We're excited for our student-athletes to be able to experience the joys and challenges of foreign travel – overcoming language barriers, cultural differences, and the nuances of international volleyball – each of which help to create a global awareness that will benefit each student-athlete well beyond college. There is also no question that the additional training, competition and team bonding will help us prepare for the big goals we have for our 2019 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://aist.us). Fans can follow the Blugolds' trip on the volleyball team's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.