ELON, N.C. – The Elon University volleyball team is preparing for the trip of a lifetime when it heads to Italy and Switzerland on May 25 to play internationally and get an incredible overseas learning experience.
As part of the Elon Commitment to diversity and global engagement for its students, the team will see roughly eight cities in Italy and Switzerland during the 10-day excursion as the student-athletes will also complete their experiential learning requirement. Glenn Scott, an associate professor in the communications department, will lead the class ‘Travel Writing in Italy’ that will give the team a deeper understanding of culture, people and place through observation and reflection.
The course will provide the team with a dimension of academic instruction and activity intended to stimulate discovery and reflection as well as to broaden writing skills. It is intended to blend academic and athletic experiences. The team will compete athletically against Italian and Swiss club teams over the course of the trip to gain international playing experience.
“We are so fortunate to be taking this trip to Italy and Switzerland,” said Elon head coach Mary Tendler. “Our players and our team will benefit greatly from this incredible experience. We look forward to playing against some of the top club teams and experiencing other cultures. These student-athletes will learn from, remember and reminisce about this trip for the rest of their lives. Many thanks go out to all of the people that are making this possible!”
The team will depart from Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday, May 25, and arrive in Milan the next morning. The first day will be spent in the Como Lake area and will include a cable car ride to Brunate for magnificent views of the lake.
The Phoenix will get its first taste in international competition when it plays a match in Lugano, Switzerland, on May 27. From there, the team will spend two days in San Marino and play its second match of the trip.
On Thursday, May 30, the Phoenix will make a stop in Bologna before making its way to the Tuscany region of Italy. While in Tuscany, the team will play another match and travel to the picturesque area of Cinque Terre.
The Phoenix will return to Milan on June 2 with a stop in Pisa to see the leaning tower before playing its fourth and final match. The team will return stateside on Monday, June 3, with a lifetime of memories and knowledge.
NCAA regulations allow athletics teams to make one foreign trip every four years. This trip will mark the first time Elon’s volleyball program has taken advantage of the opportunity.
Stay tuned to elonphoenix.com for updates from the team throughout the trip. Fans can also join Phoenix volleyball on its adventure on Twitter by following the handle: @elonvb.