Caroline Knop - Women's Junior National Team Blog
8/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 5, 2015
Caroline Knop and Erin Virtue
University of Michigan sophomore defensive specialist/outside hitter Caroline Knop, along with assistant coach Erin Virtue, traveled to Europe in July to compete for the U.S. Women's Junior National Team. She was one of 12 players to make the team and made stops in Italy, Slovenia and Croatia which culminated in gold in the Global Challenge. Knop talked about the sights of all three countries and the volleyball competition along the way.
Being selected to try out for the Women's Junior National Team is an honor and is daunting by itself. Being chosen to represent your country as one of 12 young women born in 1996 and 1997 is an overwhelming experience that I had the pleasure of realizing earlier this summer.
And while the tournament that last year's U-20 US team qualified for was moved due to financial concerns in Cyprus, which caused the US side to decline its bid due to conflicts with the new dates in mid-September, the experience this summer was incredible and I hope you will enjoy hearing about it.
Flying from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Venice, Italy on July 3, 2015, the team began a three-country tour in 14 days that made this past summer one of the most memorable in my life. As soon as we landed on our Independence Day, July 4, we headed to Trieste, Italy, a small city in the northeast corner of Italy. USA Volleyball organized this entire experience and it began at a quaint bed and breakfast. The food was fresh and fantastic, as was the hospitality of the warm and friendly hosts who made our stay an outstanding one. In spite of both the hotel and gym being small and warm, we got some much needed practice on the Fourth of July and prepared for our first encounter with the Italian Junior National Team, the world's 5th-ranked side.
Unlike most other nation's whose teams have played for several years together, the US model is to select the best team each cycle, bring that group together to practice in a run-up to the competition, and then go after the opposition. This year, we connected quickly even though many of us were new to the team, and while we were beaten handily by the Italians in our first matchup, we were seeing daily progress and building camaraderie.
Besides practicing and playing volleyball, we spent time wandering through Trieste, and enjoying the sights and sounds of a beautiful city including its farmers markets, old castles, delicious gelato and incredible views of the sea! After playing the Italians again, with the same result, we packed up our things, said ciao to Italy for now, and drove into Slovenia, a small nation that borders Italy on the east. The incredible training facility at Maribor, Slovenia, became our home for the next several days and the facilities where we stayed, more like condos, had air conditioning! The food continued to be delicious, the views different but equally spectacular and the volleyball was improving as a group each day. In addition to beating a local club program, we took on and defeated the Slovenian Junior National Team as well as beating the Israeli National Team.
We also got to experience a sled run down the mountainside of a ski area, visited one of the most breathtaking lakes, Lake Bled, and a night in Maribor, which included an extravagant dinner with the Slovenian Junior National Team. As our experience was winding down, we were excited to travel to our next destination, Pula, Croatia, and the home of the Global Challenge, a competition we were entered in that included 12 teams with rosters of players 22 and younger.
The trip to Pula was beautiful, and then we entered the seaside town of Pula! Wow! What a beautiful city, on the shores of the Adriatic. If someone ever asks you if you would like to visit Croatia, say yes! Our hotel worked great, the food continued to be spectacular. The competition was solid, and we took on several talented teams from around the world as well as all-star teams from parts of the U.S. that included college players. We ended our pool play on top, and then made our way to the Championship match against the same Italian team that we had fallen to three times! Well, with gold on the line, we dug deep and defeated the Italians in five sets to win the Global Challenge. Our two weeks of team bonding, practice, competition, fun and cultural experiences made the victory even better, and what a fantastic way to represent the Red, White and Blue!
We traveled back to Venice and were able to experience the unique opportunities that this Italian city presents. Riding a gondola, checking out glass factories and eating more gelato were part of the fun day of exploration. We flew home the next morning with countless stories, huge smiles and international experience that several of us hadn't had until that trip.
It was a remarkable journey, and the fact that Erin Virtue was there every step of the way made it even better. It was also pretty amazing that of the 12 players on the team, nearly half (five) of us play in the Big Ten! It should make for an even more incredible upcoming season, and I know that we will be ready. Our fantastic spring preparation and incredible summer playing opportunities for many of our team members should absolutely help us as we begin the 2015 season.
Thanks Michigan for all of the support and know that we are always proud to wear the Maize and Blue!
Go Blue!
