May 23, 2007
PORDENONE, Italy - Monday was an eventful day! We departed Pula, Croatia around 10 a.m. and ventured to Italy. Our first stop was Pordenone! We arrived around 1:30 p.m. into our hotel, unpacked, and went to sightsee the beautiful city. In many European cities, the shops are closed usually from 1-4 p.m., so the workers get a chance for a lunch break and a nice nap. During that time, we found a very nice place to sit out on the patio and we each had our own pizzas. After we ate, we went back to the hotel and took naps so that we were ready for the match against the SPES Volley Club team.
After an hour bus ride to the gym, we finally were able to warm up for the match. The town that we were in had just built a new gym for the girls to play in, and our match was welcomed to specially inaugurate the new facility. There was so many fans from their community! For the very first time playing on this trip, I felt right at home! Before the match started, they played the Star Spangled Banner for the guests, as well as the Italian national anthem. The mayor was able to say a few words about the new gym before the match started, and welcomed us into their city. We played four games, and unfortunately won only one. However, the experience we have gotten from playing many different European teams has made our team so much better!
After the match, the mayor of the town invited us to eat with the team and the rest of its fans. It was so nice to eat a real Italian meal that was home made! For our appetizers, we had veal with bread, mozzarella cheese, salami, and olives. The next course was a pasta dish with tomatoes and bits of bacon. Then came the dessert! The best part of the night was at the end when one of the Italian coaches started to dance with some of us! He was so funny! Overall, this trip has truly been amazing and an intriguing experience for all of us.
Thanks so much Redbird fans for the support of our trip and for Redbird volleyball!
-Katie Seyller
