The Kentucky volleyball team is on a two-week trip to Europe as a part of the Bring It program. The Wildcats will have the opportunity to play seven matches against teams ranging from European professionals to junior national teams while experiencing the culture of five different countries. UK volleyball manager Ryan Suckow is sending in photos, blog entries, and video about their experiences while in Europe.
Hey Wildcat Fans and Family,
We are here in Pula, Croatia. WOW! What a beautiful city. We are here right on the Adriatic Sea, just a short walk from our hotel and the weather has been gorgeous. We could not ask for more. Pula almost makes you forget that you are here to play volleyball because it is truly amazing.
Yesterday, we bussed from Maribor to Pula, which took roughly four hours. We went through customs twice and had our passports checked which was very interesting. We got our first look at the Adriatic Sea and everyone was excited to see more after bad weather in Maribor. The first day, everyone went down to the sea to check out the scenery, and I’d have to say that everyone was blown away by its beauty. It was not a typical beach, but it was remarkable. We walked around on the shore, which was rock and not sand, and some historic land. Everyone got in the water, too, even though it was bitterly cold. We just had to do it to say that you did it!
On our second day, we got to see the rest of Pula and go downtown to see the city. We saw one of the first coliseums that was built in the first century B.C. It was huge and it was stunning just realizing its history. Italy wanted to originally dismantle it piece by piece and move it back to Italy, but they ended up changing their mind when the realized how expensive that would be.
Then the team came back, got ready for their match, and we headed towards the gym. We played the Pula, Croatia team and beat them in not only three, but four straight sets to get some more reps. The women really put on a show tonight and looked as well as they have this entire trip. Congrats to the women who are now 4-2 on the trip so far with two more matches in Rome coming up.
Tomorrow morning, we sadly depart Pula for Venice, Italy and will take our first train ride of the trip. I have heard a lot of great things about Venice, and I know all of the women are excited for Italy. I am really looking forward to the gondolas and the ice cream. So, once again, thank you for checking in with us. We appreciate you following our journey over here in Europe and we cannot wait to see you all when we get back. Check back tomorrow for more updates on our European tour.
