To prepare for the season ahead, consider a trip abroad
“They just got better every day.”
That’s what Purdue women’s volleyball head coach Dave Shondell said about what he saw from his team during their summer European tour to Italy, Croatia, and Turkey. From May 12 to 25, the Boilermakers tested their mettle against both club and national teams from all three countries. They more than exceeded expectations: Purdue went undefeated in their five international games, winning 20 straight sets en route to a 4-0-1 record.
Every four years, programs can take their teams on an off-season international trip. Purdue is perennially one of the NCAA’s strongest volleyball programs, and their fast start to the 2024 season could be partially attributed to extra time together while abroad. Shondell was able to get his players some concentrated minutes during the lull of the offseason when coaches are usually not allowed in the gym with players. And, of course, this trip would be fun, allowing for some valuable team-building.
But as Shondell put it, much of the value of the team’s European trip came from things he couldn’t have anticipated. “There were three teams in Turkey, professional teams that were going to be three of the best opponents we were going to play,” he told 5wins. “They weren’t there when we got there. So we had to makeshift our schedule together.”
This shift allowed for a lot of roster rotation and more minutes for players who may otherwise have sat on the bench for much of the trip. It also helped the team learn how to adapt on the fly. Suddenly learning that they wouldn’t be playing a team they had prepared to face and having to pivot against a new squad whose skill sets weren’t part of the original game plan could easily throw off any team. But Purdue left Turkey 10-0 over the course of two matches against the PSA Fire Ants, proving to themselves that they can adapt and win.
Other teams traveled abroad in the offseason for many of the same reasons that sent Purdue on the road: intrigue, experience, and the opportunity to jumpstart elite volleyball careers for incoming freshmen. Penn State traveled to Slovenia, Italy, and Greece from May 14 to May 25 on the team’s first international trip since 2017. The Nittany Lions brought with them their incoming freshman setter, Izzy Starck, to help her acclimate to the team. After a successful international tournament and a summer of training, Penn State has established itself as one of the most formidable college volleyball teams thus far in the season. Much of this success is attributed to Starck, who has been named the Big Ten Women’s Volleyball Freshman of the Week three times in the first four weeks of the season.
Starck’s immediate impact on the team not only came from their experience playing abroad against elite competition, but also from the important bonding fostered among teammates when they travel together.
The Boilermakers definitely appreciate how their trip benefited their team culture. “[I] felt like we bonded really well,” said Lourdés Myers, a middle blocker for Purdue. “It helped us connect on the court, and felt like we created a lot of chemistry down there.”
“We spent a lot of time together,” Myers continued. “Literally, didn’t get a second alone for like 12 days.”
Like Penn State, Purdue also brought their incoming freshmen along for the ride. “I think [the trip] gave us a great opportunity to get closer with a lot of the younger girls,” Purdue outside hitter Chloe Chicoine said. “We made a lot of memories.”
Of course, just embarking on an international trip doesn’t guarantee that you’ll play elite competition (or, in Purdue’s case, the competition you expected at all). If Purdue could do anything differently, they probably would have played against teams that could have tested them a little more.
“I’m all about competing,” Shondell said, reflecting on the teams the Boilermakers faced in Europe. “To be honest with you, when we’re going to spend that kind of money to go over there, we want to play good people and we want to compete and we want to see how good we are.” Shondell doesn’t necessarily feel that the team got the opportunity to truly be challenged.
Some teams, like Iowa, traveled internationally without facing foreign competition at all. The Hawkeyes opened their 2024 season in late August with a set of matches against Liberty University and Providence College in San Juan at the Puerto Rico Classic. According to head coach Jim Barnes, the purpose of this trip was not to scope out the international scene, but simply to create a unique bonding experience for a new team.
“We got a team that’s really getting to know each other,” Barnes said. “We're only playing two matches there that we can really focus on those matches and get some good team time together. We thought it was a great way to kick off the season and get it started.”