2023 Volleyball Foreign Tour

The Wisconsin volleyball team heads to Europe from June 2-14, competing and sightseeing in Istanbul, Turkey; Llubljana and Maribor, Slovenia; Venice, Milan and Lake Como, Italy; and Zurich, Switzerland. The Badgers will play at least six matches against teams from Turkey and Italy as well as other visiting federation or club teams.

The tour will be a homecoming for UW libero Gulce Guctekin, who returns to her homeland of Turkey. The Badgers also return to Maribor, Slovenia, where they first met Julia Orzol where she was playing with the Polish Junior National Team.

The Badgers begin practicing for their first foreign trip since 2019 on May 22. All 15 players on the 2023 UW fall roster will be traveling with the team, including three newcomers.

Several things that the Badgers are looking forward to on the trip are experiencing different cultures, the high-level of competition, trying new foods, and connecting with their new teammates.

June 3: Istanbul

Arrived in Istanbul, the only city located on two continents (Europe and Asia), early in the morning and explored the busy neighborhood of Besiktas. Besiktas is located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. The district includes a number of important sites, including Dolmabahçe Palace in the south to the Bebek area in the north. Although it is a relatively small district of Istanbul, Besiktas is one of the city's most important areas due to its business and shopping areas, historic sites, universities, and scenic views of the Bosphorus strait. The team had their first taste of Turkey led by GG, ending with an evening training session.

June 4: Istanbul

We'll start the day with a private boat tour of the Bosporus Strait. The natural strait forms part of the continental boundary between Asia and Europe, and divides Turkey by separating Anatolia from Thrace. It is the world's narrowest strait used for international navigation. The team will then travel to VakifBank Spor Stadium, a stadium located on the Asian side of Istanbul. The Badgers will have lunch on a boat during the travel across the Bosphorus and an afternoon match vs. VakifBank Spor Juniors (1pm GMT / 5am CST). Match streamed live on @playsportsabr IGTV account.

June 5: Istanbul

The team traveled to Eczacibasi Spor Kulubu for a morning match with their juniors team at 11am GMT/3am CST. The Badgers took home a five-set thriller (match was streamed on @playsportsabroad IGTV) followed by lunch at the club with both teams. In the afternoon the team toured Taksim & Galata Tower in the heart of modern Istanbul. Taksim is a main transportation hub and a popular destination for both tourists and residents, and a nostalgic tram runs from the square along the avenue, ending near the Tunel (1875) which is the world's second-oldest subway line after London's Underground. Later in the evening, the team will travel to Gulce's hometown Fenerbahce for a professional basketball game featuring Badger alum Nigel Hayes-Davis.

June 6: Istanbul

Today we'll tour the historical Blue Mosque, built in the 1600s, as well as the Hagia Sophia built in the 6th century. The team will spend the morning learning about the historical and religious significance of the two buildings before heading to the Grand Bazaar. The bazaar is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops. 

June 7: Bled & Ljubljana, Slovenia 

Today we flew to Slovenia, arriving in the capital city of Ljubljana. We spent the early part of the day swimming in Lake Bled and exploring the island, followed by lunch in Ljublijana city center. It is one of the most vibrant cities in the region with a 16th-century castle, marvelous squares, a central market and fabulous bridges. After lunch, we traveled to the DRAS training center in Maribor, Slovenia. The team took a gondola up for dinner at Mirc, on the top of Pohorje.

June 8: Maribor, Slovenia

The Badgers spent the morning training with one of the Slovenian national team clubs at the DRAS Center. In the evening, the team traveled to second generation female-owned Doppler Winery for dinner on the mountaintop as well as a private tour. Sitting in the northeastern end of Slovenia, not far from the borders of Austria and Hungary, Maribor is at the base of the Pohorje Mountains, which are the southeastern-most part of the Central Alps.  

June 9: Maribor, Slovenia

Our second day in Maribor starts with exploring the Maribor city center, filled with beautiful squares and architecture. The team explored local restaurants for lunch before returning to the DRAS Center. That afternoon we played our third match of the tour against a Nova KBM Branik around 3:30pm here / 8:30am CST in which the Badgers won 3-0. The match was streamed on BallerTV ($).

June 10: Venice 

Today we said adijo to Slovenia and ciao to Venice! We spent the day sightseeing in one of Italy's most beautiful and romantic cities. With its winding canals, fascinating architecture and charming squares, the Badgers enjoyed such sites at St. Mark's Square and Basilica, Doge's Palace, Rialto Bridge, and Bridge of Sighs, or enjoy a gondola ride on one of the many canals. The team will also have a chance to dine at one of the many outstanding restaurants in the city.  

June 11: Milan

This morning we headed to the western side of Italy as we departed for Milan. Milan is the fashion, architecture and design capital of Italy. Milan is known for its duomo, the world's largest—and perhaps most stunning—Gothic cathedral, Teatro alla Scala Opera House and Castello Sforzesco. Our sixth match of the tour was in Milan versus the Italian National (B) Team who will represent the country at the World University Games. Italy took a close five-set match, with a rematch scheduled for Tuesday.

June 12: Milan

Today we spent the morning at a lakeside resort at Lago Maggiore. The team will be able to relax by pool or lake in the Italian sun before preparing for another match versus the Italian National (B) team at Centro Pavesi. The match is not streamed live, but fans can follow along via BadgerVB social channels.

June 13: Zurich, Switzerland

We hit our fourth country of the tour in Zurich, Switzerland. The banking and financial center sits on the shores of beautiful Lake Zurich. The city has an Old Town, the historical center of the city, known for its iconic churches and medieval streets. For a breathtaking view of Lake Zurich and the Alps, an aerial cable car takes you up to Felsenegg. We traveled to the home of the Zurich Grasshoppers to see ‘The Boss’ himself live at Stadion Letzigrund for our last night abroad.