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,
The Cats were victorious yet again today, not only once but twice. In an afternoon match against Montenegro, UK swept the Montenegro national team in straight sets. Then, in the night cap, the Cats defeated the Israeli national team in a five-set thriller, winning the second, fourth and the clinching fifth set, 15-11.
Today was not the most eventful day for the team regarding sightseeing, but they did play some great volleyball today. After facing some early adversity in both matches, the Cats came back and fought hard to get both victories. The first match was conveniently played in the gym in our hotel. Here we got our first use of the international volleyballs, the gold and blue ones you can see in the pictures. These are the same ones that are use in the Olympics. They are much different than the ones we use back home. They have different seems and the panels are covered with small dimples imprinted into the ball. I guess you could say the team did not have much trouble adjusting after the results. The second match was played in the city in Slovenia’s club gymnasium, which was really cool.
As for the rest of the day, we were supposed to take a gondola up to the top of the mountain today for lunch, but heavy winds kept us from going. We are hoping to go up tomorrow and we will take many pictures for you all to see. We also will be going to a vineyard tomorrow in Maribor to see the world’s oldest grapevine and take a tour. I think everyone is really excited about it. The weather is still pretty glum. It’s been chilly and a little bit rainy since we’ve been in Slovenia. Cross your fingers for sunshine for us.
Tomorrow morning we will take on the Slovenia national team at 10, back here in the hotel’s gym. Thank you so much for checking in and supporting us. We miss you all very much and hope everyone is doing well. Check back in tomorrow for our latest results and adventures.
