Over the final weeks of June, members of the Franklin Pierce University volleyball team donned the red, white and blue, as they were given the opportunity to represent their school and country overseas, via American International Sports Teams. Sophomore Kelsey Hausman (Sandy, Utah), senior Catie Swiderski (Rocky Point, N.Y.) and head coach Stephanie Dragan spent time traveling and playing volleyball on their way through Germany and the Czech Republic. Here, in their own words, we present their experiences.

Stephanie Dragan

June 20

I met up with Catie and Kelsey at JFK Airport in New York. As we were checking in, Catie was only ticketed to Amsterdam, where we had our layover. Delta was great working with us and we were able to get all three of us, and our luggage, to Munich, Germany. We're traveling with a softball team and a lacrosse team, who were also touring through AIST. Adelphi's softball coach is also on our tour and she has a few of her players with her. New Haven also has a player on the softball team. It's cool that we can support the Northeast-10 Conference in another country.

June 21

As soon as we landed and gathered our luggage, we got on a double-decker bus and headed to Dachau, Germany. I read up on Dachau before this trip but it did not truly prepare me for my experience. What I learned in high school, and what I found online, is the gentle version of what really happened here. The pictures, journal entries, and the propaganda were shocking. We walked through the entire concentration camp, from the barracks to the cleansing area. Over 200,00 people came through Dachau and it was very hard for me to imagine the conditions of the suffering people. We spent two hours here and could have easily used four. I'm not sure I would ever want to go back but I definitely learned a lot in the two hours.

After 24 hours of travel we made it to our hotel. We showered and headed to dinner. The entire group received the same meal: chicken with gravy, fried mashed potato sticks and mixed veggies. It was nice not having to think about what I wanted to eat. After dinner we took public transportation to downtown Munich for the Germany vs Ghana World Cup match. The Hofbräuhaus had a huge garden with massive screens playing the match. There were easily 3,000 people there decked out in Deutschland gear. Everyone literally watched the game; it was so quiet and you could hear the tv announcers clearly. We couldn't understand them, but we could hear them. It was a totally different experience then watching any large sporting event in the US. I can't imagine all those people, with all that beer in them, and there not being a fight of some sort. The Germans are a kind, soccer-loving country. It amazed me how everyone paid attention to the game. Despite the 2-2 tie, it was an incredible experience.

June 22

Our day started with a bike tour with Mike's Bike Tours. We pedaled all over Munich, experiencing the history and beauty of the city. Tony, our tour guide, was great! It was a beautiful day so the conditions were perfect. The highlight of the tour was going into the Englischer Garten and all 40 of the athletes jumping into the Eisbach River. This is a swift-moving river that was the temperature of a nice bath. Both Catie and Kelsey jumped in and said it was so cold that it practically knocked the wind out of them. I opted out of the jump; I wasn't dressed properly (at least that was my excuse).

We had our first match tonight. We played a Division 3 team. Don't think of it like the divisions of the NCAA. Division 1-2 are professionals. Division 3 is the highest amateur level in Germany. They were a very good team! Catie played outside hitter for us and her game developed into the "Swiddy" we get to see play in Ravenland. Kelsey took on a completely new role for her, as she played the libero position. For never playing the position in her life, she did a great job. I'm so proud of my Ravens. They came into another country and held their own versus a strong opponent. We didn't win the match, but I am optimistic about our competition in Prague.

We had high hopes of staying up to watch USA play Portugal in the World Cup, but with a midnight kick off, we didn't quite make it.

As I type, we are on a bus transferring from Munich to Prague, Czech Republic. Germany looks a lot like central Ohio (ed. note: coach Dragan originally hails from central Ohio): flat, with grid type farms. The Czech Republic is hillier, reminding me a bit of Vermont: green, hilly and beautiful. Catie and Kelsey are sleeping on the bus and are really tired once we check into the hotel, I predict it will be a pretty low key day, with free time in the city

I'm grateful to have this time with Catie and Kelsey. We are growing as people, teammates, and friends. I wish we could do this as a team. The benefits are immeasurable. We will never forget this trip.

Catie Swiderski

June 24

Our second day in Prague was my favorite day in the Czech Republic. All of the AIST teams got up bright and early for a walking tour of Prague. We each got a headset so we could hear our tour guide, Lucie, as she explained the history of all the beautiful sights that we saw as we took in the city. We started off in the Prague Castle district (Hradčany). We were led up to a landing which allowed us to get a picture-perfect view of the buildings surrounding the castle. All the terracotta roofs sprawling out underneath us made it feel like I was looking at a postcard; I still couldn't believe that we were finally here!

When we got to the Prague Castle, it was like something you would see in a movie. The Prague Symphony was playing an open-air concert right outside the gate and their soundtrack made the moment even more surreal. The gate was massive and protected by two guards who stood on either side of the entrance. They switch out every hour and didn't react to anything going on around them. Being the tourists we were, three of my teammates and I took pictures with them. We then went inside the chapel of the castle. Inside was some of the most intricate stained glass I had ever seen. We were all stunned by its detail and couldn't understand how someone could have the patience to piece together each and every square in the mosaic.

Our walking tour ended at the Astronomical Clock. Our tour guide in Munich had told us it was in the top three of the most overrated tourist attractions of Europe, but the crowd of people beneath the clock thought otherwise. We got there just as the clock struck noon and all of the figurines on the clock moved and spun. Some of the figurines were slightly creepy, but it was still an experience you can only have in Prague.

After the tour was over, some of us headed over to a restaurant called Lokal for some authentic Czech food. All of us got beef-cheek goulash and dumplings and it was so good, I could have licked the plate, but I didn't want to draw more attention to us than we were already getting for being tourists! Coach Dragan and I headed back to the hotel to get a nap in before the night's festivities and on the way we rubbed a statue on the Charles Bridge that was supposed to bring us good luck and fortune. Not 10 minutes later Coach and I were being kicked off the tram back to our hotel and fined for not properly validating our tram tickets! It was kind of scary to get in trouble in a foreign country, but everything was fine, so looking back, it's actually hysterical.

That night my teammates and I went out and experienced the Prague nightlife. I met so many people from all over the world who I never would have met normally. Our first full day in Prague had treated me so well (minus getting fined...); I couldn't wait to start the next adventure!

June 25

I started off the day with a little more sightseeing with Kelsey and our teammate, Emily. We went back to the Astronomical Clock and found a cute little café. We had sandwiches and crepes and the whole thing felt very European. Then, it was finally time to get down to business: our first volleyball match in Prague! It was so great to be with six other girls who loved the game and were just so excited to play, regardless of winning or losing. We bussed over to our match with the lacrosse team, which also had a game. We were playing at a small sports facility attached to a hostel. Even though it was the second time we had played, putting on a jersey that said USA was just as special as the first time.

After taking a few pregame pictures as a team, the game was underway. As quickly as everyone on the team had meshed and got along off the court, building a team chemistry quickly was difficult on the court. Some of the international rules were difficult to get used to, like not being able to play a ball off the ceiling. We worked through it and competed, having some great plays and rallies. Even though we didn't win the match, it just felt good to be out there playing and having fun. When we were done we went out to the field and rooted on the lacrosse girls as they beat a local Czech team.

By that time we were starving and exhausted, so we bussed back to the hotel and basically attacked the buffet dinner at the hotel. I think we all may have eaten more than the European police officers that were staying in our hotel. We turned in not long after that, tired from a long day of volleyball.

June 26

At this point, it felt like we had mastered Prague public transportation. Kelsey, Steph, Emily and I hopped on the tram and went down to Charles Bridge. This was where all the little shops and touristy things were, so there was a lot to see and do. We spent a few hours picking up little things from the independent shops on the bridge. I got some handmade earrings and a bracelet as my souvenir. We decided to venture off down a street we hadn't been down and wound up in a quiet little area with small cafes and restaurants. We had a nice lunch and headed back to the bridge. The view over the river was so amazing that we stayed there, just looking out at the water, for a long time. I had another "I can't believe I'm here" moment and was just so thankful to have had the opportunity to be in Europe. We decided to throw pennies off the bridge and make a wish of one day returning to Prague.

Kelsey Hausman

June 27

A few fellow teammates and I ventured down to Charles Bridge and the Old Town area to find a place to eat for lunch. We were making our way along, admiring the different artists, street vendors and musicians when we noticed a man with a very large snake he was letting people hold. Emiliy immediately lit up! She went up to the guy and asked how much to hold the snake; he said eighty crowns (about four dollars). She met his asking price and he then draped the snake around her. Her smile was as big as the bridge! We all took a turn holding the snake. I asked the man what type of snake it was, he said she is a boa constrictor and her name is Grace. Meeting Grace was one of the most exhilarating parts of the whole trip!

The whole snake thing got me feeling adventurous, so when we found the café where we wanted to have lunch, I decided to try something new. I reviewed the menu and decided on rabbit leg. It came with onions caramelized to perfection on a bed of rice. I ate that rabbit leg up! It was delicious and I felt proud of myself for being brave.

We then made our way back to the hotel. Requiring us to cross back over Charles Bridge and get on the tram. As we were coming off the bridge we noticed a guy with about fifty glasses of water on a table in front of him. We knew this trick of course; we had all seen the movie "Miss Congeniality". But this dude was way better than Sandra Bullock! He played the crystal glasses like a professional and it seemed so natural to him: he knew every glass, its placement on the table, and the sound it would make. I watched in amazement! By the end of the tune I was very impressed so I dropped some coins in his tip chest on the street in front of him. Then we left to make the next tram back to the hotel.

June 28

Catie, Coach, and I decided it was time to find the Lennon Wall. It was something we had wanted to see the whole time we were in Prague, but hadn't found the time. The Lennon Wall was a place where college-aged students in the eighties would go to create graffiti portraits of John Lennon and Beatles Lyrics to express their anti-communist beliefs. We took the tram to the city and then cut a right just before the Charles Bridge. After a little bit of weaving through the city streets we finally found it! It was so alive with vibrant colors and powerful with different quotes. It was amazing and beautiful and I thought of how brave all those young Czech people were to publically express their opposition to communism.

Nearby the Lennon Wall there was a small pedestrian bridge over a little river with a water wheel. Attached to the iron rods of this bridge were hundreds of love padlocks. A couple would write or engrave their names on a lock, attach it to the bridge and throw the key in the water below to symbolize them being together forever. I thought it was the most adorable thing and immediately put it on my mental checklist of things I have to do before I die!

That night all the teams of the Prague Cup Tournament came together for a celebration on a boat cruise. The boat took us on a portion of the Vltava River, which runs under the Charles Bridge. It allowed us to see the city of Prague in a different way than we were used to. We saw so many beautiful, old buildings along the river and, because it was nighttime, the city was charmingly lit up. There were music, games, and dancing. It was a blast and we met so many new people from different countries. It was a good last blowout before the end of our trip.

June 29

Coach, Catie and I decided to have a casual day for our last day abroad. We had breakfast at the hotel then took the tram into the city for some window shopping, which turned into actual shopping. We enjoyed our last moments in the Old Town Prague atmosphere filled with conversations in various languages, with the constant tunes of street music lingering in the background. We took our time that day. We had lunch at a cute French-like café that Catie and I had found a few days earlier. I had a savory crepe and some chocolate gelato for dessert.

We then made our way back to the tram, which took us back to our hotel. We had a few extra crowns to spend so we stopped at the mini-mart down the street and loaded up on chocolate. By the way... I can no longer eat Hershey's chocolate because it does not compare to the "delectable, melt-in-your-mouth, omg, this is amazing" chocolate that is in Europe. We packed our bags and had dinner at a lovely Italian café across the street from our hotel, then tucked in early for a good night's rest before our trek back to America.

June 30

We woke up early and went down for our last meal in Prague, breakfast at the hotel. Then, we all loaded up on the bus for a 30-minute ride to the airport. We adventured our way through, getting our boarding passes, getting our passports stamped, making our way through security, and then waving one last goodbye to Prague before boarding the plane. After an eight-hour flight filled with movies we finally touched down at JFK. With a good attitude and patience we made our way through customs, claimed our bags, and got our passports stamped again. We said goodbye to our teammates and went our separate ways. For coach and I, our way was a cheeseburger and fries with unlimited refills of ice water before our next flight. It was nice to indulge in the things we missed most about the States, like an English menu, food we know we will like, ice, free refills on water, and most of all... smoking not being allowed in restaurants. Prague was an amazing adventure and learning experience, and we are all happy to have made it home safely.