Dawgs 'Thrilled' To Go Back Abroad This June

SEATTLE – Washington Volleyball expands its borders in one month's time. For the first time in five years, the Dawgs are going abroad, returning to Europe for a thirteen-day adventure of culture and competition that will take them to France, Italy, and Slovenia.
 
"Many of us are fortunate enough to know that travel is a transformative experience," says Head Coach Keegan Cook. "It can give you a perspective that can change the way you live and make you a better person. I love that we have the opportunity at Washington to give that gift of perspective to our athletes."
 
In conjunction with Bring It Promotions, Washington will set out on June 11, just a few days after finishing up finals, and by June 12 the team will be strolling the streets of Slovenia, with Maribor being the initial destination.
 
From Maribor, the Huskies will make their way to Brda, Slovenia, then into Italy for stops in Venice, Milan, and Lake Como. The trip continues along the Riviera into France where the Huskies will visit Monaco, Cannes, Nice, and Antibes before returning to the U.S. on June 23.
 
Throughout the trip, the Huskies will be competing against various professional club and national teams.
 
Washington embarked on similar overseas trips in 2013 and 2017.
 
Among many benefits, the trip gives a glimpse of what a collegiate player can expect when playing professionally overseas, a path that many Huskies have taken over the past dozen years. In the 2021-22 season, eight former Huskies played professionally in Europe: Kara Bajema (Poland), Lauren Barfield (Switzerland), Carly DeHoog (France), Avie Niece (Spain), Jenni Nogueras (Cyprus), Courtney Schwan (Greece), and teammates Tia Scambray and Samantha Drechsel (Switzerland).
 
"It's a once-in-a-career experience for our student-athletes to compete in various countries around the world," says Cook. "It's beneficial for a number of reasons, but most of all it gives them a vision of their future careers. They get to see themselves in a place that many of them aspire to be—playing professionally. It's been really rewarding the last few years to see how many players we have competing and thriving overseas, and I expect a number of our current members to follow in their footsteps."
 
Adding to the experience, the team will be reading a book by University of Washington Senior Lecturer Anu Taranath, Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World.

More specifics on the daily itinerary and opponents to come closer to the departure date.