COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M volleyball team departed for its European training Friday morning, and will arrive in Prague, Czech Republic on Saturday morning. The Aggies are slated to play up to six matches and will make stops in five different countries before heading back to Texas on May 23.
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The Aggies will play two matches against local club team Olymp Praha during their three-night stay in Prague before heading to Maribor, Slovenia, for three nights. The team, which will face junior national teams and/or club teams throughout the training tour, also will have two-night stays in Croatia and Milan, Italy. The trip, made possible by the 12th Man Foundation and coordinated by Bring It Promotions, also includes a daytrip to Vienna, Austria, and an overnight stay in Venice, Italy.
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"Spending this amount of time together will be special," said Aggie first-year head coach Laura "Bird" Kuhn. "I've done it twice now with two different teams, and you grow together. You really get to know each other, and it is something that you'll remember forever, on the court and the cultural experience. We are going to play six matches, so we are definitely going to play and train, but the overall experiences are going to be way more about getting to know each other and growing as a team.
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"I'm also excited about the unknown. I've been on two of these, but I am excited because I don't even know what to expect because that's how these trips are. On a day-to-day basis, you don't know what's going to happen, and that's what makes it so special. The responses from the kids and the experiences they are going to have, that makes it unique. So I'm excited for the unknown."
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The team, which practiced for two days leading up to the trip, includes nine returning letterwinners and a redshirt transfer as well as four freshmen who graduated high school early and enrolled at Texas A&M for the spring semester.
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"We have to be adaptable, and that is what this trip is going to be about," Kuhn said. "Adapting to the culture, adapting to the situation we are in and circumstances we are in and when we are playing. We don't know anything about the teams we will be playing against. It is going to come down to us making adjustments during the matches and giving them a few things to focus on on the fly.
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The NCAA allows teams to take one foreign tour every four years, and matches must be against teams outside the United States. Texas A&M's most recent foreign tour was to Europe in 2008, when outside hitter Sarah Ammerman was entering her junior season with the Aggies. The former All-American, who played professionally in Puerto Rico, Slovenia and Germany following her A&M career, has been leading tours for Bring It Promotions since 2012 and will serve as the Aggies' tour guide throughout the trip.
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"We just want to really thank our administration and the 12th Man Foundation for making this possible," Kuhn added. "It is going to be a great experience, and we cannot wait to bring back all of our experience to the Aggie Network."
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Fans will be able to keep up to date on the Texas A&M volleyball team's travels on 12thMan.com and Facebook as well as on Twitter and Instagram by following @AggieVolleyball.
Travel Itinerary:
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May 11Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Depart College Station
May 12-14Â Â Â Â Â Â Prague, Czech Republic
May 15Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Vienna, Austria (day trip)
May 15-17Â Â Â Â Â Â Maribor, Slovenia
May 18-19Â Â Â Â Â Â Rovinj/Pula/Umag, Croatia
May 20Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Venice Italy
May 21-22Â Â Â Â Â Â Milan, Italy
May 23Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Return to College Station
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The Aggies will play two matches against local club team Olymp Praha during their three-night stay in Prague before heading to Maribor, Slovenia, for three nights. The team, which will face junior national teams and/or club teams throughout the training tour, also will have two-night stays in Croatia and Milan, Italy. The trip, made possible by the 12th Man Foundation and coordinated by Bring It Promotions, also includes a daytrip to Vienna, Austria, and an overnight stay in Venice, Italy.
Â
"Spending this amount of time together will be special," said Aggie first-year head coach Laura "Bird" Kuhn. "I've done it twice now with two different teams, and you grow together. You really get to know each other, and it is something that you'll remember forever, on the court and the cultural experience. We are going to play six matches, so we are definitely going to play and train, but the overall experiences are going to be way more about getting to know each other and growing as a team.
Â
"I'm also excited about the unknown. I've been on two of these, but I am excited because I don't even know what to expect because that's how these trips are. On a day-to-day basis, you don't know what's going to happen, and that's what makes it so special. The responses from the kids and the experiences they are going to have, that makes it unique. So I'm excited for the unknown."
Â
The team, which practiced for two days leading up to the trip, includes nine returning letterwinners and a redshirt transfer as well as four freshmen who graduated high school early and enrolled at Texas A&M for the spring semester.
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"We have to be adaptable, and that is what this trip is going to be about," Kuhn said. "Adapting to the culture, adapting to the situation we are in and circumstances we are in and when we are playing. We don't know anything about the teams we will be playing against. It is going to come down to us making adjustments during the matches and giving them a few things to focus on on the fly.
Â
The NCAA allows teams to take one foreign tour every four years, and matches must be against teams outside the United States. Texas A&M's most recent foreign tour was to Europe in 2008, when outside hitter Sarah Ammerman was entering her junior season with the Aggies. The former All-American, who played professionally in Puerto Rico, Slovenia and Germany following her A&M career, has been leading tours for Bring It Promotions since 2012 and will serve as the Aggies' tour guide throughout the trip.
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"We just want to really thank our administration and the 12th Man Foundation for making this possible," Kuhn added. "It is going to be a great experience, and we cannot wait to bring back all of our experience to the Aggie Network."
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Fans will be able to keep up to date on the Texas A&M volleyball team's travels on 12thMan.com and Facebook as well as on Twitter and Instagram by following @AggieVolleyball.
We are underway on the first leg of the trip!! Hear from @haleyslocum as we head out of town. #OwnIt #12thMan pic.twitter.com/Xm0QALCBwk
— Texas A&M Volleyball (@AggieVolleyball) May 11, 2018
Travel Itinerary:
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May 11Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Depart College Station
May 12-14Â Â Â Â Â Â Prague, Czech Republic
May 15Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Vienna, Austria (day trip)
May 15-17Â Â Â Â Â Â Maribor, Slovenia
May 18-19Â Â Â Â Â Â Rovinj/Pula/Umag, Croatia
May 20Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Venice Italy
May 21-22Â Â Â Â Â Â Milan, Italy
May 23Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Return to College Station
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