The Ball State women’s volleyball team is heading to Europe this summer and they are looking for donors to help them get there.
In a Facebook post and link to a crowd funding website, the team shared about the opportunity and the need for help.
The 11-day trip will take the team to Prague, Czech Republic; Salzburg and Innsbruck, Austria; and Trento, Verona, Milan and Rom, Italy. It would mark the Cardinals first international trip since 2004.
“This will be an opportunity to not only grow as a volleyball team, but also provide a meaningful and educational experience for our student-athletes,” the website shares.
Foreign tours are an opportunity for teams to get extra high-level training in during the offseason ahead of the trip as well as top competition during the excursion. Team bonding and the development of on and off the court chemistry also are at a premium as players and staff travel together, spend time in confined quarters and take in historical sites and landmarks.
In 2017, 17 schools and two conferences sent teams abroad in locations varying from Europe and Asia to South America.
The team is well on its way toward its goal of earning matching donations up to $10,000 from a volleyball supporter, having grabbed more than $2,500 in its first day. In order to count toward the matching donations, gifts must be pledged by March 15.
Below is a basic overview of the team’s proposed itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive to Prague and tour Prague
Day 2: Tour Prague and match that evening
Day 3: Tour Old Town and match that evening
Day 4: Travel to Austria
Day 5: Bus through the Alps to Trento and match that evening
Day 6: Bus to Verona for sightseeing and travel to Milan
Day 7: Bike to Arco della Pace and match that evening
Day 8: Take the metro to Duomo, Galleria, Scala and match that evening
Day 9: Take the train to Rome and sightsee
Day 10: Tour the Vatican and match that evening
Day 11: Fly home
In 2017, Ball State went 19-11, including 11-5 in Mid-American Conference play, and won the MAC West title and a first round bye in the league tournament. The Cardinals are coached by Kelli Miller, who is beginning her third year at the helm after spending six seasons as an assistant coach with the program.
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