Below please find information, photos and journal entries from the Penn State women's volleyball trip to Europe from May 7 to May 19. Because of the nature of the trip and the amount of travel that involved, the availability to the internet may be questionable during some portions. But the team is prepared to give a comprehensive review of the trip once they return, as well as give detailed journal entries whenever they can during their travels.

From Melissa Walbridge with Adam Hughes on May 17:
After winding through the Italian hillsides, our team arrived in the town of Comunanza. The town was small with a population of around 3,000 people. We stayed where executives generally stayed when they would visit the major factory just outside of the town. It was very nice place to stay as five of the girls got to stay in a 3-bedroom apartment that had two bathrooms and a dining room. Once we got settled in our rooms the team got on our jerseys and walked to the gym. We played a club team from Amandola. Their team was short a few players so Ashley Fidler volunteered to play with the other team. We won the match in 3 games, while Kris Brown and Kaleena even got a chance to play front row. That night we had what most of the team considered our best meal of the trip. It was a traditional Italian family meal with multiple courses and elaborate dishes. One of the first dishes we ate was intestine and eggs. It was a long meal the lasted late into the night.

The next morning we were off to begin our long drive to Rome. We wove through the mountains and hills on roads that you wouldn't think buses could travel through. After nearly a five-hour trip we finally arrived in Rome, the 'eternal city.' We checked into the hotel and were immediately off to the Metro station just a few blocks away. The Metro is very small and crowded because the designers of the Metro wanted to avoid digging railways under ancient Roman architecture. Our first stop took us to see the Spanish Steps, which was a series of three levels of steps leading up to a church. The lining of the steps was covered in flowers and it was a great place to take a team picture. Our next stop was the Trevi Fountain. This was the first elaborate sculpture work we saw in Rome and we were in awe. It is said that you must throw a coin into the fountain but you must throw the coin with your back facing the fountain. The number of coins you throw also determines your fortune. One coin and you'll return to Rome, two coins and you'll fall in love. With our backs facing the fountain, Maggie, Cassy, Fidler, and I threw in two coins each.

Our last stop of the day was to visit the Pantheon. As we walked inside we were amazed by the massive pillars holding the structure up. They lead us into a large circular dome with more sculptures and a roof with a giant circular hole allowing sunlight to pour inside. The basement of the building is also a resting place for people such as Raffaello a famous painter, Voltaire a philosopher, Murrie and Piere Currie both famous scientists as well as Victor Hugo the first president of unified Italy. After seeing the Pantheon we were all tired and grabbed some dinner, found the Metro and went back to our hotel.

Today (Tuesday, May 17th) we got up and again took the Metro to see the Coliseum. I stepped out of the station and all I could see was the building. The structure was built between 12AD and 80AD and most of it still remains standing today. When it was first built it was called the Amphitheatre Flavium, and held up to 50,000 people. It was used to hold battles between animals and humans along with chariot races and mock naval battles.. The rest of the day we were able to tour around and explore the city of Rome. Other sites we saw included the Forum, the Arch of Constantine, and the Monument of Vittoriale. All of the sites were unique and amazing in their own respect. It was odd to see such monuments scattered amongst current shops and restaurants including McDonalds.

Tonight we played our 6th and final match in a town of Usaro, which is thirty minutes to an hour away from Rome depending on traffic. We played one of our more competitive matches against a club team called As Fidia Ladispoli. We won all five games although it was a bittersweet victory. It was the last time our three seniors; Tab, Syndie and Ashley would play in their PSU uniforms. The club team had ordered pizza for us and we shared it with them before getting on the bus and heading back to Rome.

Tomorrow is our last full day. We are going to see the Vatican City in the morning and the Pope may be speaking. The trip is almost over and it is going very fast but I'm very excited to get up tomorrow and see the Sistine Chapel.

A statistical update from Director of Volleyball Operations Julie Backstrom on May 14:
Kate Price is our kill leader with 48 on .367 hitting, followed by Kim Holm with 47 kills (hitting .500). Melissa Walbridge is holding her own in the middle with 41 kills and hitting .423. Cassy Salyer has seen time at both right side and middle, adding 43 kills and hitting .337. Sam is still errorless on offense, with 12 kills in 18 attempts and no errors for a .667 clip. Kaleena Walters is leading all players with 78 digs through four matches.

From Ashley Pederson and Syndie Nadeau on May 14:
Ciao fellow Americans and Canadians,

Well, our arrival into Pesaro came on our official graduation day, had we been in State College. So, as our final college project, here is our journal entry! On the bus yesterday, driving from Pordenone to Pesaro, we had to present our research on the Marche region to everyone on the bus, complete with our graduation caps!

We are planning on spending 3 days total in this region, the first two in Pesaro, and the third in Comunanza. The region is pronounced "lay markay," and in English, it translates to "the Marches." The region lies on the eastern seaboard in central Italy, bordered by the Adriatic Sea to the east, and the Appenine mountains to the central part of the country. Pesaro is the capital city of this province, and is a bustling seaside resort town. Fortunately, we're here before most of the tourist season begins, so we've had the town all to ourselves!

When we arrived to our beachfront hotel yesterday, we all ate lunch together, before we had a bit of down time last night. A few of us had the opportunity to accompany Coach Rose and Tim Kelly (in charge of our tour, he runs Bring It USA) to a professional women's volleyball match in a small town about 1.5 hours away from here. The gymnasium was full of enthusiastic and loud spectators, and it was a lot of fun! It was a match between the 2nd and 3rd place teams in the A2 division of the Italian professional league, with the winner of this match having the opportunity to move up to the A1 league next year. Wiz Bachman, former UCLA standout, was playing for the team that ended up losing in four games.

Today we had some free time to take in the sites of Pesaro, which is the hometown of famed opera composer, Giaochino Rossini. This evening we had a chance to play our fourth match, against a team from Gabiche, Italy, about 15 minutes from Pesaro. We won the four games we played in the match, and every member of the team had a chance to play.

Tomorrow we'll have a chance to go to and Italian Catholic mass if we want, before getting back on the road and heading over to Comunanza. From what we've heard so far, it's a small mountain town, about 3 blocks long and 1 block wide. We'll be there only one night, and the gentleman who runs the hotel/restaurant where we'll be staying is so excited to host all of us! People drive from miles around to eat at his restaurant, so we're looking forward to tasting the food for ourselves!! We have two matches left on this trip, one tomorrow night in Comunanza, and the last in Rome on Tuesday night.

We'll send along another update soon, and hopefully some pictures along with it.

Buonas sera from Italy!

A statistical update from Director of Volleyball Operations Julie Backstrom on May 13:
Through three matches, Kim (Holm) is leading us hitting .560 with 43 kills. Melissa (Walbridge) is second with a hitting percentage of .438 and 30 kills. Kate Price is the overall kill leader with 44 and a percentage of .376 and Cassy (Salyer) is chipping in 33 total kills for a .333 percentage. Sam (Tortorello) has recorded eight kills and no errors on 15 attempts for .571. We just started doing blocking stats last night, although we should have started earlier because we're doing really well.

From Kaleena Walters and Tabitha Eshleman:
Boun Giorno fellow Americanos (Good morning fellow Americans!). We spent day 6 in Pordenone. After breakfast most of us enjoyed the downtown shopping of the city. This city was most like the cities that we are used to in the United States. There are more cars and traffic here then in the previous places we have been. Small boutiques lined the streets with an occasional department store. In the afternoon we ventured to the Villa Manin, which is a palace of the former Doge. The enormous structure and beautiful architecture were overwhelming. Unique art lined the walls of one of the sections of the castle, while other sections displayed old weaponry and carriages. The chapel was detailed in elegant artwork. We did not have the opportunity to view the actual rooms of the castle because of restoration, but we were told that Napoleon had slept there and that his room was preserved. From the castle we came back to the hotel to enjoy the traditional Italian pregame meal, which was actually breakfast. This included cereal, fruit, yogurt, and various pastries. On the way to the gym our tour guides indulged us with the translations of a local newspaper article that was about the team being in the town. The article was informative and contained a picture of us receiving our Big Ten trophy. The match was held at a nearby town owned gym. We won four out of the five games that we played against Pallavolo Pordenone in front of a very lively crowd. The match was the most the competitive one since we have been here and was fun to play in. After we played, we ate dinner (at 10:30 at night). It is custom to eat pasta as an appetizer, but we did not know this before so most of us ate it as a meal. Little did we know that we were also having meat, fries, salad, and dessert! It was a great ending to a wonderful day! Arrivederci (goodbye) we will see you soon!!

From Cassy Salyer on May 12:
Today we finally woke up to the blue skies of Slovenia, only to say goodbye as we loaded the bus to continue on to Venice, Italy. After the bus ride we laced up our sneakers, stole the nearest "Vaporetto" (a motorboat used as a canal bus in Venice) and raced to the city - it was all Sam's idea! (Okay, so maybe the dramatic entrance is a slight exaggeration, but you know how girls can be.) After we docked near Piazza San Marco, the real adventures began. We had the entire day to absorb the city, and that we did. These are some of the interesting things I learned today:

1.) Imagine literally stepping into a world unlike anything you have ever seen. Imagine walking through massive crowds of people all speaking different languages. Now imagine seeing absolutely breathtaking architecture and scenery all around you. And finally, imagine 14 young American women (plus one Canadian) gracefully dodging hundreds of swooping pigeons while trying to take it all in at once. Thankfully, we all have cat-like reflexes and nobody was seriously injured.

2.) It's true what they say - Italian men really aren't afraid to sweep a woman off her feet! Maggie, Ashley Fidler, Melissa and I ate a delicious meal along the Grand Canal and as we were thanking the waiters and saying goodbye, the chef came from behind the counter, pinched my cheeks and picked me up in the middle of the restaurant! I am 6-5 ... he was probably 5-7 ... you do the math! Today marks the first time any man has dared to accomplish what he did. Sorprendente! (Amazing!)

On a more serious note, today was a perfect example of why we are so thankful to be in Italy doing what we love, and we are thankful to be sharing it with some of the people who helped make it possible. We were all able to see Venice through our own eyes and learned a lot about the culture and history. We split up into different groups and spent the day shopping and exploring all the city has to offer. It was a beautiful day in Venice, but there is still work to be done! We left the sinking city behind and drove to Pordenone, where we will play the local team tomorrow night. Kim and Kaleena have been playing very well, so tomorrow will be a good opportunity for some new faces to step up and contribute! We will keep you posted, but until next time, there is volleyball to be played and more dessert to be eaten! CIAO!

Cassy

From Maggie Case on May 11:
Ciao! Greetings from Slovenia. We started off this morning with a European breakfast at The Hotel Marina and then headed off to spend the day in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Upon arrival, we went to the tourist information center and got brochures of the entire city follwed by a train ride to the medieval Ljubljana Castle. The castle is a fine feature of the city and nowadays it is a popular tourist spot. After the train ride back into the city square, we split up for a day of site seeing and fun. Our next step was a bus ride to our match. We played five games against a team called Nova Gorica, winning four of the five games. The match was very lively with a few face shots and a lot of cheering. The owner of the gym we played in also owned a restaurant nearby and he invited us to enjoy his five course cuisine. The food and atmosphere was amazing and the team, coaches, parents, and boosters all had a fabulous time. Tomorrow we leave Slovenia and are off to Venice, Italy. I hope everyone is enjoying the warm weather in State College! See you in a week.

From Kim Holm on May 10:
Dobrodosli ("welcome") to the Penn State Volleyball European tour 2005! Today was our first full day here and we have already done so much! Staying in the scenic city of Izola, we are pretty immersed in Slovenian culture. It's been drizzling a bit but we are staying right on the harbor of the Adriatic coast in the Hotel Marina and it is absolutely gorgeous. The brightly-colored buildings, green mountains and crystal clear sea make everything seem sunny. There is not a whole lot of English spoken here, so we stick out a lil' bit. The people have been pretty nice for the most part though, and we've managed to learn a bit of Slovenian: please = "prosim", thank you = "hvala", how much = "koliko" and "bela kava brez koffeina" = decaff cafe latte... I've already used that one about 4 times. All the girls are having a great time. We practiced last night after we got in and then played our first match today against a club team from Croatia. They were pretty young so we won all 5 games easily. We travel to the capital city of LJubljana tomorrow to play another match and see the sites. We will leave early in the morning to tour the city and then play in the afternoon. Tim and Jo from BringItUSA have really planned out a great trip for us. All the girls are really excited and the parents and boosters are having a good time too... with a few exceptions. So far the Naylors lost their luggage and got locked out of their room, the Janias tried to use a $1USD in an Italian Coke machine and then got their debit card chopped up in Izola, and Mrs. Holm tried to play matchmaker with the manager of a Slovenian pizzeria (which would be alright if the service wasn't so sub-par). So, to sum up... everyone is over their jetlag, we're loving Slovenia, and can't wait to get some more competition under our belts as we continue to travel the world!! Hope all is well back home and we send our love. Ciao!

Kim Holm and the Penn State Women's Volleyball team

From Director of Volleyball Operations Julie Backstrom on May 5:
As I know most of you want to know what's happening, here is a glimpse of the first few days as we have it planned now:

May 8: Arrive to Izola and get settled. The girls will have the gym from 4-7pm (walking distance from the hotel and I believe Coach will have an "open training" and then we'll have a full delegation dinner (buffet) in the hotel. It is very important NOT to nap or sleep during the day. You have to force yourselves to make it to dinner, and then when you go to bed you'll sleep like a baby and wake up without jet-lag. Most everything is closed on Sundays, so entertaining yourself might be a little tough. We're praying for sun so that you can enjoy the marina and waterfront around the hotel.

May 9: We play a visiting Croatian team from Rijeka in Izola (walking from hotel) at 4pm. We will most likely take interested boosters somewhere for a few hours during the day, but we haven't figured out where yet (waiting for weather reports). I assume that most will also want to shop and sightsee in Izola that day. Full delegation meal in the hotel again that night (buffet).

May 10: We will play against Nova Gorica at their place (about 30-45 minutes away) at 4pm, and we will go to Ljubljana (the capital) during the day for a free day of lunch and sightseeing. We'll go straight to the game from there and then have some type of full delegation meal once again for dinner.

May 11: We will get up early and head to Venice (90 minute drive and 30 minute boat ride to Piazza San Marco) where we will have 4-6 hours of free time. 30 minute boat back to the bus and then ~2 hours to Pordenone where we will arrive exhausted and eat dinner at a pizzeria near the hotels (2 next door to each other).

Here is the tentitive itinerary:

May 7, 2005
-We will depart from Rec Hall via bus to JFK
-Depart JFK Airport (JFK)- Delta # 150- 7:35 PM

May 8, 2005
Arrive Venice- Marco Polo Airport (VCE)

May 8-10 in Izola, Slovenia- also touring to Ljubljana (capital city) and Bled
Compete against Slovenian National Team May 9 and/or May 10. There is a chance that this/these matches will change to play the Croatian National Team, and perhaps one game will be in Porec, Croatia, which is 30 minutes from Izola. Welcome to Euro-Volley and Euro-Volley non-certainty.

May 11 in Venice, Italy
Travel to Pordenone, Italy after a full day in Venice, to stay in Pordenone

May 12 in Pordenone,
(possibly back to Venice for the day, subject to demand)
Compete against Porcia Pordenone Mobilclan on May 12

May 13 and 14 in Pesaro
Compete against Urbino or Ravenna (each < 1 hour away) on May 13

May 15 in Comunanza, Italy
Compete against Castelfidardo A2 Team (or Corridonia A2) May 15

May 16, 17, 18 in Rome, Italy
Compete against AS Fidia Cesano (Roma) May 17

Remaining time spent in Rome will be for various cultural/historical tours including Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, museums, etc.

May 19, 2005- Depart Rome back to State College

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Please check back throughout the coming days for journal entries from the student-athletes and photos from the team in Europe!