FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (June 19, 2019) – With final preparations under way, the Northern Arizona volleyball team is set to embark on their first foreign trip in program history. The Lumberjacks will depart for Europe on Sunday, June 23 and will return to the states on Thursday, July 4 with stops in four countries along the way.
The Lumberjacks will enjoy multi-day stays in Prague, Czech Republic, Maribor, Slovenia and Rome, Italy along with exploration days in Vienna, Austria, Venice, Italy and Florence, Italy. The NCAA permits institutions to participate in a foreign tour once every four years. The upcoming trip will be the program's first outside of the United States.
"There's two advantages to taking a foreign trip," said head coach
Ken Murphy. "We have the opportunity to play volleyball against teams we normally wouldn't be able to and gain some experience that way. We're playing elite level teams and they're going to push us. Just as importantly, it's such a great opportunity for our student-athletes to become aware of new cultures and places in the world. Our team is excited to experience it all and it's definitely a trip they'll remember the rest of their lives."
NAU will face elite international competition on the trip with a slate of five matches. The Lumberjacks will play the Czech Republic World University Games Team twice in addition to the Croatia U18 National Team, the Norway National Team and Volleyró Roma – a club team in Italy.
The trip will also feature various sightseeing opportunities and city tours including landmark visits to the Prague Castle and Charles Bridge in the Czech Republic, the Pohorje Mountain in Slovenia and the Roman Colosseum, Forum and Sistine Chapel in Italy for a comprehensive immersion in European cultures.
"The administration has been so supportive of our program during my time here," Murphy said. "This is another great example of their commitment to providing experiences to our student-athletes beyond the pursuit of championships. We also have a great support network here, who helped make the fundraising efforts for this trip even more successful than I thought it would be. They give us the ability to go on a trip like this and we're so grateful for everyone who deeply cares for our program. It means the world to us."
Fans, family and supporters can follow the Lumberjacks throughout their Europe Trip on NAU Volleyball's social media accounts on Facebook at
NAU Volleyball, Twitter at
@NAUVolleyball and Instagram at
@nauvolleyball. A travel blog will also be available on nauathletics.com.
The team will also take over the NCAA Volleyball Instagram account (
@ncaavolleyball) on June 26.
Europe Trip Match Schedule
Tuesday, June 25 – Czech Republic World University Games Team – Prague, Czech Republic
Wednesday, June 26 – Czech Republic World University Games Team – Prague, Czech Republic
Friday, June 28 – Croatia U18 National Team – Maribor, Slovenia
Saturday, June 29 – Norway National Team – Maribor, Slovenia
Wednesday, July 3 – Volleyró Roma – Rome, Italy
