University of Evansville volleyball players Olivia Goldstein and Mildrelis Rodriguez have been in Italy representing the Purple Aces with USA Athletes International. The pair will be updating us on their experience as they embark on a week-long trip to Europe. Keep track of this page for periodic updates during the trip.
June 8, 2018 - update from Mildrelis Rodriguez
Today Olivia and I were with the team in Rome. We got to see the ancient Roman Forum, the coliseum, the Trevi fountain and the Spanish steps. It was such an incredible experience to see the ruins and explore the city's beautiful plazas.
We played against ASD Controvento and won in three straight sets. It was fun to play with a new group for the first time and get a feel for each other. Afterwards, we had dinner with the players from the club we played against and got learn more about them, their culture and their volleyball system.
It's been a great two days!
In the first entry, Goldstein and Rodriguez previewed the trip and went into detail about their schedule.
"Mildrelis and I are going on a 10-day tour through Italy to play for USA Athletes International. USAAI is an organization that sends athletes of 15 different sports to compete against professional teams in 25 other countries," Goldstein said. "The goal of the trip is to interact with and learn from athletes of a different culture as well as explore an entirely new country. We will tour and play teams in Rome, Florence and Venice."
"I am extremely excited for this opportunity to travel through Italy and have the chance to play in front of international and professional coaches, as well as work with players from all across the world," she added. "I am also looking forward to the opportunity to learn from our coach, Margot Royer-Johnson, who coaches for Providence College. It is going to be a great learning opportunity and unforgettable competition experience."
Rodriguez, a native of Puerto Rico, is also excited to gain some international experience.
"I feel it will be a great experience. Aside from playing internationally, we will meet new people and have the opportunity to learn from all of the different backgrounds," Rodriguez said. "It is a great opportunity to implement all the skills that our volleyball program at UE has taught us about diversity and inclusion."
- INFO: For all of the latest information on University of Evansville athletics, visit GoPurpleAces.com or follow the program on Twitter via @UEAthletics.
- DONATE: For information on giving to UE Athletics or its individual athletics programs, visit the DONATE tab on the top of GoPurpleAces.com.
- TICKETS: To purchase tickets for University of Evansville athletics events, log on to GoPurpleAces.com and click on the TICKETS tab on top of the page.
