VB Foreign Tour 2024 - Europe
Follow along for updates on Baylor volleyball's foreign tour to Europe!Y’all ready? Bears are headed abroad!#SicEm🐻🏐 pic.twitter.com/il1xPPi8ni
— Baylor Volleyball (@BaylorVBall) May 31, 2024
TRAVEL DAY! The Bears loaded up at the Ferrell Center and headed to the DFW Airport to board a flight to Paris.
Bears headed abroad!🌎 Keep an eye on https://t.co/L3IjH9PLHr and our social media to be in the know while we’re on the go!✈️#SicEm🐻🏐 pic.twitter.com/FoVEGXEVMs
— Baylor Volleyball (@BaylorVBall) June 1, 2024
Once in Paris, our tour guides led us to the Notre Dame, the Love Bridge, around the Louvre and Arc de Triomphe. The Bears viewed the Eiffel Tower and the Île aux Cygnes Statue of Liberty on the Seine. An added bonus was the construction for the 2024 Olympic Games, to be held in Paris in July.
The Bears then boarded their next flight to Budapest!
Bears in Budapest📍🛬#SicEm🐻🏐 pic.twitter.com/fSGlG6sQJw
— Baylor Volleyball (@BaylorVBall) June 2, 2024
A wonderful reunion – rising senior Manuela Bibinbe hadn't seen her eldest sister since 2019, and hadn't met her niece in person. That all changed when the team was able to meet up with them outside the Louvre Pyramid!
Dinner was eaten at the hotel, the team debriefed on the day and it was off to bed!
After breakfast at the hotel, the team traveled to Buda Castle where they took in gorgeous views of the Parliament and Danube River. While walking to the subway, schoolchildren were heard in choir class and we saw them practicing volleyball through a window!
Üdv Budapestről! Elmentünk várost nézni, és most megyünk gyakorolni#SicEm🐻🏐 pic.twitter.com/MxsfKEMAcK
— Baylor Volleyball (@BaylorVBall) June 3, 2024
With a quick subway ride, the team made it to the Pest side of the city, walking around the Parliament Square before heading into the city center. The ladies went shopping, had lunch and took in the city life before boarding the subway and heading back to the hotel. After some quick rest, it was off to volleyball club Vasas Óbuda for practice alongside members of the Hungarian national team. The Bears got to face tour guide Orsolya Papp across the net as well!
Had the chance to practice with members of the Hungarian national team today at their club! Thanks for having us🤗#SicEm🐻🏐 pic.twitter.com/tpDziHscj5
— Baylor Volleyball (@BaylorVBall) June 3, 2024
Then after some authentic Hungarian dinner of goulash and chicken paprikash, the team headed back to the hotel in a thunderstorm by tram, then debriefed their day before heading to bed. Some highlights for the players included the food they ate throughout the day – like chimney cakes, gelato and goulash – while also mentioning their shopping endeavors and the architecture and views throughout the city.
The Bears departed Budapest in the morning and bused to Vienna, Austria, for some sightseeing, shopping and dining. They heard the bells of St. Stephen's Cathedral, walked in the MuseumsQuartier and through the streets of the city center!
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A short bus ride away, the Bears arrived at the Austrian national team training center where they faced the Czech National Team, who traveled to Austria just to face Baylor.
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After the match, the Bears and Czech team swapped shirts and ate dinner together!
Bears vs Czech! Thanks for a great match, @CzechVolleyball! 🇺🇸🫶🇨🇿#SicEm🐻🏐 pic.twitter.com/34K0bjmyBd
— Baylor Volleyball (@BaylorVBall) June 5, 2024
Another great day of travel, food and sightseeing! The Bears tried Austrian food and loved getting to fellowship with the Czechs after a great, competitive match.
The Bears ate breakfast and hopped on the bus, enjoying gorgeous countryside views of Austria on the way to Graz. Once in Graz, the team walked through the city center, climbed the hill to the Uhrturm (13th century clock tower) and took the Schlossbergrutsche (Schlossberg slide) back down - the second-longest underground slide in the world!
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After grabbing lunch and wandering the city for a little longer, BU boarded the bus once more to drive to Maribor, Slovenia.
Once in Maribor, the Bears checked into the hotel and hosted a volleyball clinic with a local club!
Sharing our time & talent with the young talent of Maribor! We LOVED hosting a clinic with a local club!😍#SicEm🐻🏐 pic.twitter.com/IJeF1HsOwa
— Baylor Volleyball (@BaylorVBall) June 5, 2024
After dinner, the Bears came together to debrief on the hill outside and worshipped together. Some highlights of the day were the beautiful views driving to and from Graz and in Graz. Another highlight was the slide down the hill and trying more Austrian food. The ladies truly enjoyed getting to share their own love and knowledge of volleyball with the children of Maribor, as well as dancing and getting to know them.
The Bears' first full day in Maribor started with breakfast (as it should), then departed for serve & pass! Of course "football" was played to kick it off, and there was a great mix of fun and focus!
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After they were done in the gym, the team headed back to the hotel to head up the mountain, Pohorje! They then took the chair lift up the mountain, and did the alpine slide - the PohorJet - back down.
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The Bears ascended the hill once more and had lunch at the mountaintop - sausage, pita, roasted veggies, ajvar (red bell pepper paste) and fries.
After lunch, they used the PohorJet once more and had a bit of free time before it was time to head back to the gym!
Baylor faced the Hungarian Senior National Team for the first of two matches back at Drâs.
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The Bears went up the gondola on Pohorje to get to our dinner spot at the "Car Club". Coach Joshua Walker caught up with former Hawaii teammate, setter Nejc Zemljak!
Dinner with a view! And @JWALKUH27 got to catch up with former teammate Nejc Zemljak in his hometown!🤗#SicEm🐻🏐 pic.twitter.com/1Qt24tG1vy
— Baylor Volleyball (@BaylorVBall) June 7, 2024
The highlights of the day were of course the alpine slide, the views from the mountain, and the food eaten that day! Also a highlight was the match with Hungary, getting to play high-level volleyball with their national team! Great strides were made as a team and BU played hard against the Hungarians. After the team met, it was time for bed!
The Bears got up and ate breakfast, then headed to the bike shop to collect their mode of transportation for the morning! The Bears headed into town in Maribor in a caravan of bikes, riding across the Drava River and into the city square. They walked through the city and saw its cathedrals, local music and had lunch and gelato before making the trek back to the hotel.
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After the trek to and from town, the Bears had some down time before the second match with Hungary!
It was another competitive match with the Hungarians, with freshman setter Emelyn playing for HUN. After the match, the teams exchanged t-shirts!
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The bus took the team back into the heart of the city for dinner and more gelato!
Oooooh this is nice✨#SicEm🐻🏐 pic.twitter.com/CZ92imBve0
— Baylor Volleyball (@BaylorVBall) June 8, 2024
After some breakfast at the hotel, the team once again loaded the bus and started the journey to Italy!
Baylor grabbed a quick lunch on its way to Venice and then boarded the bus again to continue the trip.
The Bears took the train into Venice and got lost in the city. Sampling Italian food across the floating city, roaming in and out of shops and churches, and finding beautiful views at every turn.
BU met back up in St. Mark's Square, ogling the beauty of the Basilica de San Marco.🛶 through the floating city#SicEm🐻🏐 pic.twitter.com/GbkooxzrJ0
— Baylor Volleyball (@BaylorVBall) June 9, 2024
Gratzie, Venezia!🤌#SicEm🐻🏐 pic.twitter.com/9iS2K3itX4
— Baylor Volleyball (@BaylorVBall) June 9, 2024
Traipsing into the city further and walking along the outermost canal, the team made its way to a delicious dinner and, of course, gelato for dessert.
Then it was time to board the train once more and head back to the hotel for bed! The highlights of the day were the gorgeous views along the canals, riding in speedboats and gondolas, and the wonderful food they ate that night.
The Bears departed the Venice area of Italy and made their way to Verona for a mid-day pit stop.
BU started off at the Verona Arena - a colosseum older than *the* Colosseum in Rome! Verona being the city that inspired Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, the team visited "Juliette's Balcony" and saw her statue. After exploring some more and eating lunch, it was back on the bus!
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Baylor made its way into Milan, and after a quick stop at the hotel, went into the city center via tram. Gathering at the Duomo di Milano, the Milan Cathedral, the Bears listened to a live orchestra concert before going their separate ways and exploring the fashion capital.
Milan🤗#SicEm🐻🏐 pic.twitter.com/9errkSWOIy
— Baylor Volleyball (@BaylorVBall) June 10, 2024
Dinner was had in the city or in the neighborhood of Burata, and some found gelato or cannolis for dessert!
After getting caught in the rain off the tram, the team met for the night and Coach McGuyre delivered one of his infamous "Bedtime Stories", a story he wrote incorporating members of the team and staff. They discussed their highlights of the day and then it was time for bed!
The Bears had breakfast at the hotel, then boarded the bus to head to Lake Como!
There, they took in the gorgeous views of the lake from the shore and then headed up the funicular to see it from above, at the top of the hill.
Some got on a boat and toured the lake from the water, getting in for a quick swim as well!
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The Bears grabbed lunch and walked the city before heading back to Milan for some quick downtime before heading to the gym to face Italy.
It was a fierce competition with the Italians!
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The teams ate together in the Italian National Team gymnasium cafeteria and then the Bears walked back to the hotel for their debrief and off to bed!
The Bears got up, ate breakfast and traveled into the city center, or got some extra shuteye at the hotel!
It was a morning of relaxing strolling around the city - some toured the Duomo, some walked through the Sforzesco Castle, some shopped!
After a brief respite, the Bears walked back to Centro Pavesi Fipav for their warmup before their last match against the Italians.
It was another competitive match with the Red, White & Green!
Last day, one last international volleyball play!▶️🇮🇹#SicEm🐻🏐 pic.twitter.com/uAE9NQZtsc
— Baylor Volleyball (@BaylorVBall) June 11, 2024
After it was finished, the Bears and Italians traded shirts and said their goodbyes.
Grazie, @Federvolley!🇮🇹🤝🇺🇸#SicEm🐻🏐 pic.twitter.com/fMICQVhKPu
— Baylor Volleyball (@BaylorVBall) June 11, 2024
It was back into the city center for BU (with extra time to explore & shop). Then the Bears walked into the Burata neighborhood again for a delicious pizza dinner!
The Bears got caught in the rain on the tram back, but didn't dampen their spirits! The team debriefed the day and went over the travel plans back to the US-of-A. Then it was off to bed!
Baylor flew from Milan to New York City, then from New York back to DFW! The Bears gathered themselves and their luggage once back in Waco, said a quick prayer, and headed home to their own beds. What an amazing trip full of fun and new experiences! Thank you to all our donors who helped make this trip possible! Sic 'Em!
