Volleyball Shares Inside Experience Throughout Europe

For the first time in program history, Colgate Volleyball is headed abroad! We're excited to train and compete with international clubs while exploring cultural landmarks. Donor support is helping to make once-in-a-lifetime memories!

Prague (Praha in Czech) was the ancient capital of Charles IV's Bohemian Kingdom, and has played a pivotal role in the development of Central Europe since the Middle Ages. The center of the Old Town, (referred to in English as ‘Old Town Square’), has served as Prague’s main marketplace for over 1000 years. Most major sights are located in the Old Town Square, including the city’s famous Astronomical Clock. Prague has a compact city centre and one can easily walk from Prague Castle, across Charles Bridge and through Old Town in less than a half hour. Prague is regarded by many to be one of the world's most beautiful cities. Prague’s epic history has produced a vibrant city of stunning buildings and lovely squares. It’s certainly one of our favorites.

Prague Sightseeing | May 19

"On the first day, my favorite part was exploring the streets of Prague. I loved seeing the city's rich history and beautiful architecture. We also enjoyed a delicious traditional Czech dinner. I'm so grateful that I was able to spend my birthday with everyone in such an amazing place!"

- Ava Schabes

Prague Sightseeing & International Match | May 20

"Yesterday in Prague, we went on a guided tour of the Old Town Center and spent time walking around Prague Castle. It was cool getting to see so much of the city and learn more about its history. Later, we played a match against a local club team in Prague, which was both fun and competitive. After the game, we had a traditional Czech dinner and got to try local food before ending the night together as a team."

- Téa Bosanac

Prague Sightseeing & International Match | May 21

"This morning, I went to breakfast with my team. The first-years and our manager, Fiona, walked around and shopped for souvenirs for our families since it was our last day in Prague. We met up with Milan and Deren and grabbed some coffee before finding a nice place for lunch. Afterward, it was time to head back and get ready for our game. We rolled out and stretched before riding the tram across the city to the gym, where we played against Olymp. After the game, we got to trade shirts with our opponents. We then took the tram back toward the hotel and walked to dinner, where I tried duck for the first time! Later, Milan, Morgan, Syd, and I got gelato for dessert near the hotel. Our favorite flavor ended up being salty caramel. It was a long day, so we headed to bed to get some rest before traveling to Austria tomorrow!"

- Aubrey Anders

Vienna is situated in the North-East of Austria and lies on the banks of the majestic Danube River. The Babenberg’s ruled for 200 years, until the Habsburgs took control of the city’s reins and held them firm until the end of WWI. Vienna suffered heavily under Allied bombing. On April 11, 1945 advancing Russian troops liberated the city. The Allies joined them until Austria became independent in 1955, and since then it has gone from the razor’s edge of Cold War to the focal point between new and old EU member nations. Few cities in the world glide so effortlessly between the present and the past like Vienna. Its splendid historical face is easily recognized: grand imperial palaces and bombastic baroque interiors, museums f lanking magnificent squares and, above all, the Hofburg – where the Habsburg rulers lived, loved and married into empires. St Stephen’s Cathedral is most notable in heart of city and the Danube river cuts through it. Other popular sites include : Schönbrunn Palace, St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Vienna Opera House, Burgtheater (the National Theater) and Naschmarkt. Today the city is also one of Europe's modern day shopping capitals!

Vienna Sightseeing | May 22

"Today we said goodbye to Prague and made our way to Vienna, Austria. We spent a few hours exploring the city and got to see some incredible landmarks like St. Stephen's Cathedral, Heldenplatz, and the Austrian National Library. We also had time to shop and try some traditional Austrian food, including bratwurst and apple strudel. After Vienna, we got back on the bus and headed to our next stop: Maribor, Slovenia, where we'll be staying for the next three nights and competing at the DRAS Center. Once we arrived, we enjoyed dinner together as a team and finished the night off with some ice cream!"

- Morgan Reese

Maribor sits on the Drava River in the heart of the Slovenian wine growing region. In 1941 Hitler visited Maribor trying to make it a "German State" which at the time was Yugoslavia. The six republics once a part of Yugoslavia are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Slovenia was a communist country until 1989 when it established itself as an independent democracy. As the capital of the Štajerska region Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia, located at the base of the beautiful Pohorje mountain. The Pohorje mountain is surrounded by vineyards on one side and the river Drava on the other. Its rich wine tradition is marked by the existence of the oldest vine in the world located in Maribor. The city is rich in cultural history, its location amidst wine growing hills and green Pohorje offers endless possibilities for hiking, an outdoor obstacle course for team-building in the spring & summer, skiing in the winters and wine tasting year round. You’ll be welcomed by local hosts which share the beautiful heart and soul of the country!

Slovenia Sightseeing & International Match** | May 23**

"This Saturday was one of my favorite days of the trip so far! We started the morning by getting breakfast and meeting up with our tour guides before taking the bus into the city of Maribor. We explored the town square and walked down to the river, which was absolutely beautiful! Next we split into smaller groups and explored the city visiting local vendors, shops, cafés, and restaurants before we met to head back to our hotel to prepare for game day. After a quick change and some mobility, we headed to the facility to play the local club team, OTP Branka Branik, and won 3-1! It was such a cool experience to play such talented players from another country, including our tour guides! Following the match we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We each took a private gondola up the mountain to the restaurant. The view overlooked the whole city, it was gorgeous. At dinner we were served local cuisine and ate outside while we watched the sunset. We then ended the night with gelato and rode the gondola back down the mountain to our hotel to rest up for another fun filled day!"

- Julia Headley

Slovenia Sightseeing & International Match** | May 24**

"Our last day in Slovenia was amazing! We started our afternoon riding ski lifts up to ride the Alpine slide, followed by lunch with an amazing view. We then played the Azerbaijan National team, which was such a great experience! Both teams had dinner and a wine tour at the Doppler Winery and got to put our team's name downstairs with many college teams who have also visited! It was a beautiful day to close out our time in such a beautiful place."

- Milan Bayless

Venice is one of Italy's most beautiful and romantic travel destinations. Its narrow, traffic-free streets along the winding canals make for great walking. You'll find many magnificent churches, palaces, lively squares, and interesting shops. Florence is one of Italy's most historically preserved cities. Centuries of civilization come to life in art galleries, museums and ruins from the "Golden Ages". Among the many world renown art sculptures located in Florence, you'll find the sculpture of David by Michelangelo. The historic center is packed with Renaissance sculptures and famous landmarks, most notably - Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Medici Riccardi. Around every corner you'll find art and leather vendors so shoppers will be in paradise! No trip to Italy is complete without a visit to its historic and romantic capital - the Eternal City. The History of Rome boasts over three thousand years of architecture, sculptures and paintings that breathe the character of the culture. There is simply no city like it anywhere in the world. Rome has countless famed buildings, cathedrals, sculptures and paintings that attract tourists by the millions.

Venice** Sightseeing**** | May 25**

"I started the day exploring Venice and walked around with my friends, stopped at little shops, and took pictures of the beautiful scenery. We then enjoyed a delicious lunch at a little Italian restaurant and ate gnocchi. After that we continued our walk to the San Marco Square and saw St. Marc’s Basilica, which was beautiful! We finished our day stopping at a few more shops and I bought lots of beautiful jewelry. It was definitely one of my favorite days of the whole trip!"

- Julia Oster

Florence & Rome** Sightseeing**** | May 26**

"Today we drove from Venice to Florence. Once we arrived in Florence, we spent a few hours exploring the beautiful city, taking in its history and stunning architecture before continuing on with our trip. Later in the evening, we had the amazing opportunity to enjoy dinner at the family home of the Hungary national coach. They were incredibly warm and welcoming hosts, serving us delicious homemade Italian food and dessert. While visiting their home, they also kindly gave us a tour of their art collection and businesses, which made the experience even more special and unforgettable!"

- Tiana Owens

Rome** Sightseeing**** | May 27**

"Started the day with a yummy breakfast with lots of croissants! Then we headed to Rome, stopping to look at the bridge dividing the city and to see Vatican City from afar. Afterwards, a small group went to lunch, and I got a Margherita pizza. We sat and enjoyed our lunch before walking around. We went inside a shop and bought gifts for family members, and visited Michelangelo’s castle. Then we met back up as a group and headed to our match against a well-known U18 club team in Rome. We played really well and won the match. Afterward, we headed to dinner and ate some delicious pizza that kept making me go back for more. After a wonderful day, we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep and prepare for another great day ahead!"

- Hannah Langton