SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Volleyball team will head overseas tomorrow to begin a 12-day once-in-a-lifetime international adventure. The team will arrive in Milan, Italy on June 2, and will explore Italy, Slovenia, and Greece while competing in matches along the way. The Utes will play four matches and serve as coaches for a team clinic in Slovenia, before returning to Salt Lake City on June 13.
"There are so many reasons I'm looking forward to this trip," said head coach
Beth Launiere. "Getting to play volleyball against some great European teams is a major opportunity for us during the summer as we prepare for the fall. Maybe more important is the cultural experience our players and staff will have visiting different countries and parts of the world."
Utah will land in Milan to start the trip, where they will spend the first two days, taking in the sights and a professional match between Milan and Villa Cortese. On the third day, the Utes will venture north to Lake Como where they will play their first match of the trip against the Italian Federation Team.
After a day in Como, Utah will depart for the city on the water, spending a day off in Venice. The team will arrive in Venice by train, and spend the day sightseeing, taking in such historical landmarks as Piazza San Marco and Doge's Palace, hitting the local Italian shops, and stopping for authentic gelato.
The second leg of the trip will take the Utes to Maribor, Slovenia via Lake Bled. The program will spend three days in Slovenia, hosting the first of two clinics with local club NKBM Branik. The following morning, the team will get a taste of home taking a chair lift up the Pohorje Mountain for lunch before catching a ride down the Alpine Slide. Utah will prepare for its second match of the trip that afternoon in Maribor against the local club team. On the final day in Slovenia, the team will host a clinic with the NKBM Youth Team. After a team bike ride to the center of Maribor for sightseeing and a meal, the Utes will return to the court for their third match of the trip.
The third and final leg of the trip will take Utah Volleyball to Greece where they will take in the historic sights of Nafplio and Athens. Arriving in Athens first, Utah will head straight to Nafplio enjoying a full day of sightseeing around the coastal town. Departing for the Classic City of Athens to close out the trip, the Utes will venture to the historical landmarks of the Acropolis and the hidden neighborhood, Plaka.
"The bonding that happens on these kind of tours is immeasurable," Launiere added. "We look forward to spending time together sharing experiences and creating memories that will last a lifetime."
Be sure to follow along on the full trip on all the Utah Volleyball social media channels, @utahvolleyball, Twitter/X, Instagram, and Facebook.