#MGoEurope: Wolverines in Italy and Croatia
Women's Basketball Travel Blog
For the first time since 2017, the University of Michigan women's basketball team is heading to Europe for an international trip. The Wolverines practiced 10 times in Ann Arbor prior to departing and will spend time in Sorrento and Rome, Italy, before concluding the trip in Dubrovnik, Croatia. U-M will play three games and see countless sights across the two countries. Follow the Wolverines on social media and with a daily travel log on MGoBlue.com.
DAYS 8-9: Monday was another travel day with an evening flight to Dubrovnik on the agenda, but first, time to shop! Everyone had a few hours in the morning to hit the shops in Rome, making both designer purchases and stocking up on some souvenirs. The late afternoon was spent in the airport, where we heard many a "Go Blue" as we walked around.
It was nighttime upon getting to Dubrovnik, so the views would have to wait for the morning ... and they were totally worth the wait!
The morning was spent touring the Old Town of Dubrovnik, seeing the farmer's market, many Game of Thrones sites and the "world's best designed basketball court." The city was so unique -- with the stone houses, running water fountains, different churches and plenty of stairs!
Once the tour of the town was finished, we headed up a cable car to the top of a mountain with the most picturesque view most of us had ever seen. It was a three-minute ride to the top and provided an unforgettable experience.
Michigan completed a perfect 3-0 sweep of its games in Europe, getting a 106-47 win over ZKK Tresnjevka 2009. Taylor Williams led six double-figure scorers with an 18-point, 13-rebound double-double. Laila Phelia (14), Chyra Evans (14), Elissa Brett (12), Taylor Woodson (12) and Cameron Williams (10) rounded out Michigan's double-figure scorers. Lauren Hansen handed out seven of Michigan's 24 assists, with Jordan Hobbs chipping in five points, six boards and six assists.
Michigan put up 25 points in the first quarter and never looked back in the victory. Eleven Wolverines found the scoring column as Michigan led by as many as 64 in the contest. The Maize and Blue grabbed 71 total rebounds in the contest, 34 coming on the offensive side en route to 33 second-chance points.
The Wolverines have one day remaining in Croatia, with a boat tour and farewell dinner on tap!
Croatia is so beautiful. I didn't really know what I was expecting coming from Italy, but it's amazing here. The water is beautiful, the architecture is beautiful. I was kind of scared in the cable car because I looked over the edge. After that, I tried to stay in the middle, and it was great. The view was amazing. I have never played in this kind of heat in my life, but we all made it through. It was cool to play against a Croatian team because I have never played a team full of international players. It was cool to see another style that they play. This trip really gave us a chance to see what we are good at and what we need to get better at as we continue to mesh as a team. We played hard, won and had a lot of fun. I can't wait to see what is next!-- Cameron Williams
C. Williams
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DAY 7: There was no rest for the weary as the Wolverines prepared to face Humber College for a second time, this time at 11 a.m. (5 a.m. EDT).
The Wolverines got off to a slow start against Humber, as the Hawks hit a pair of early triples and converted a three-point play for an early lead. U-M went to work from there, scoring 17 of the next 20 points to force a Humber timeout. Cameron Williams scored twice down low, Elissa Brett had a three-point play and a triple, Jordan Hobbs hit a triple off a steal and Laila Phelia had back-to-back layups to put Michigan comfortably ahead.
It was all Michigan from there as the Wolverines settled in, facing zone and man-to-man defense from Humber. Macy Brown scored off a Greta Kampschroeder offensive rebound as time expired to send Michigan to the half with a 60-24 lead.
Humber started the third quarter strong, but Michigan again had an answer to keep the game comfortably out of reach.
Brett stuffed the stat sheet for the Maize and Blue, going for a game-high 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and two drawn charges. Phelia had 19 points on 9-for-15 shooting, with Williams adding 18 points on 9-for-11 shooting and seven rebounds. Elise Stuck and Brown each turned in nine points as 11 Wolverines found the scoring column. U-M shot 54 percent from the floor and 38.4 percent from three-point range, while dishing out 20 assists.
After lunch, it was time for a little more sightseeing, this time at the Colosseum. The group was split into two, each sent with their own tour guide to learn all about the history of one of the Seven New Wonders of the World. It was extremely informative and of course, there were plenty of opportunities for photos.
We have one more night in Rome before heading off to Croatia tomorrow for the final leg of the journey!
I think it is always difficult to play somebody twice, even though we won by a lot yesterday. We talked about coming out strong, which we struggled to do at the beginning of the game, but found a way to turn that around. I do think we performed well and everyone is getting to learn more and more about each other and the way we play. The Colosseum was an awesome experience. I personally had never been and I know a lot of the other girls hadn't been either. It was fun to see a piece of history and be around someone like our tour guide, who was so enthusiastic about it. It makes you more excited to learn and understand all the history.-- Elise Stuck
E. Stuck
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DAY 6: Another day in Rome, another day packed with activity! First up was a morning trip to the Vatican, to see the museum, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica … along with an opportunity to grab some souvenirs, of course.
"It was my third time at the Vatican and I love seeing the reaction of our players when they get to experience that for the first time," J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Women's Basketball Coach Kim Barnes Arico said. "It is such a beautiful place with wonderful history. Seeing them walk into the Sistine Chapel and experience that is just such a wonderful feeling for me."
With a severe heat warning in Rome, the trip was pretty tiring so everyone took some time to rest before pregame meal. Before we knew it, we were headed to Stella Azzurra to play our first contest against Humber College (Canada).
After an hour warmup in a pretty hot gym, it was time to go! The first quarter belonged to Taylor Williams, who came off the bench to spearhead the press en route to seven first-quarter points as the Wolverines led Humber, 32-17. U-M forced nine turnovers in the period, coming on Humber's first possession courtesy of a Lauren Hansen steal and a majority in the backcourt.
All 13 available Wolverines saw the floor in the first half as U-M held a 52-27 lead after 20 minutes. Coming out of the halftime break, the Wolverines defense held Humber to just eight third-quarter points. Jordan Hobbs hit a couple of triples in the period, with Elissa Brett also splashing from deep in the stanza as the Maize and Blue headed to the fourth with a 75-35 lead.
The fourth quarter was all Macy Brown, who scored eight points -- a Euro-step layup, a three-pointer and a pair of free throws -- as the Wolverines coasted to a 102-45 decision.
Michigan had five players in double-figure scoring, with Cameron Williams, Laila Phelia and Chyra Evans each scoring 12 points. Williams turned in 11 points off the bench and Brett went for 10 points. U-M shot 54.2 percent from the floor and grabbed 28 offensive boards in the victory.
The teams will face each other again Sunday morning (Aug. 20) at 11 a.m. The Wolverines will tour the Colosseum and the Roman Forum in the afternoon.
We have been eating a lot, a lot, a lot of food and a lot, a lot, a lot of pasta, so I wasn't sure how were going to look after a few days of not playing," Barnes Arico said. "I was really proud of how our team played, how all 13 who could play went out there and contributed. It will give us great film and great learning opportunities moving forward. It was a chance to build some solid camaraderie and chemistry; that was the goal of this trip. I was really proud of how we were able to scramble and get on the floor and take some charges. We showed some toughness and I liked how we rebounded the ball because that has been a major point of emphasis. I talked to them before the game that there are 14 players here, what happens today might not be what happens in November, might not happen in March. It was a great opportunity for us to play together and play hard for Michigan. It was so awesome get out on the court and see what people can do in an almost Michigan uniform. It was really fun to finally have the opportunity to play.-- Kim Barnes Arico
K. Barnes Arico
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DAY 5: We knew the time would come to say goodbye to Sorrento, and today was the day. The group had one last breakfast at the hotel and then it was time to walk to the bus area to head up to Rome. The winding roads out of Sorrento added some time to the trip, but the Wolverines arrived in Rome in time for a late lunch around 2:30 p.m.
Following a lunch filled with charcuterie, salad and pasta, it was time to see some of the sights of the city. Split into to two groups and paired with a tour guide, the Wolverines set out to explore. First up were the Spanish Steps … which really have nothing to do with Spain other than the location is close to the Spanish Embassy.
On the way to the Pantheon, one of the groups took the street that was lined with designer shops -- giving everyone a chance to dream about big purchases!
Once at the Pantheon, we moved inside to learn about the history of the nearly 1,900-year-old church. There was so much to learn, from the famous people entombed inside to why there is an open hole at the top and how they get the rain out.
The final stop on the tour was the Trevi Fountain, where we learned to toss the coin with your right hand over your left shoulder. Everyone had a chance to toss a coin in as we headed for dinner around the corner.
Talk about a decadent dinner -- family-style starters, two courses of pasta and eight gigantic T-bone steaks for everyone to share -- to end the night on a high note. But of course, we can't forget about the tiramisu for dessert to really cap the night off right!
After walking back to the hotel and having a quick meeting, it is time to get ready for a big day tomorrow. The morning will be spent at the Vatican and the Wolverines will suit up for the first time tomorrow evening with a game against Humber College.
The first thing I noticed when we got to Rome is how much bigger it is than Sorrento, which makes it not feel as crowded with so many people in such a small space. There are a lot of big statues and so many things to look at here. Learning and seeing the history behind everything was really cool; that's what Rome is all about, history and religion. The tour was really fun. We ate tons of food today, which was super filling but super good at the same time. It is interesting to see the culture of the restaurants here and how they feed you. I brought my camera, a Nikon D7200. I got this about four years ago and I have a couple different lenses that I can use with it. My dad has been into photography for a long time, so he bought me this camera when I was in high school. I usually just bring it on trips to take photos of things that I find cool and interesting, so it made sense to bring it to Rome.-- Greta Kampschroeder
G. Kampschroeder
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DAY 4: The second full day in Sorrento had a little bit of everything. The day began with a quick workout at a local school, allowing the players to get acclimated to the environment they will be playing in.
There was some free time to follow, with most of the players taking advantage of some more pool time on the fourth floor of the hotel.
The main event of the day was attending a class learning to make pizza and gelato. We headed down to the basement to start, learning the difference between sorbet and gelato (spoiler: it's cream), what part of the lemon to use (all of it but the white part) and how an ice cream machine works (too much to explain here).
Theresa, our lovely instructor and head chef of the restaurant, allowed anyone who wanted to the opportunity to scrape the gelato and sorbet from the machine. The best part of the whole endeavor was getting to eat both the lemon sorbet and chocolate gelato. After getting the recipe for both and how to make them at home, we headed upstairs for pizza making.
Now it was time to make our dinner! We learned so much about pizza making, like "salt kills yeast" - which is both accurate and became some sort of chant while we were kneading the dough. We were not able to eat the dough we made as the best pizza dough sits and rises for four days before using.
Each person was completely responsible for their pizza, rolling out the dough into the pizza circle, putting the sauce and cheese on. It was a resounding success as everyone enjoyed their creations…before getting more gelato on the way out, of course.
Tomorrow is a travel day up to Rome as the sightseeing will ramp up and the Wolverines will play games on Saturday (Aug. 19) at 6 p.m. and Sunday (Aug. 20) at 11 a.m.
Today was a lot of fun. We got a quick workout in this morning and it was super hot in the gym. Did a few bear crawls, got some shots up; it was good to get some work in. We then were able to divide into groups for our free time, and my group decided to go to the pool. I grabbed lunch at the place around the corner, getting carbonara with Macy and Elissa. Jordan, Elise, Greta and I all got to be the little minions and chefs of the group to help Theresa. I got to shave down the lemons, getting all the lemon zest for the sorbet. It was so fun. It was so cool to see what they do each and every day in their lives. I have never done anything like that and the same goes for the pizza making. I didn't know that much went into pizza making, especially with how we make pizza in America. It was just so much fun to do all that today with my teammates.-- Alyssa Crockett
A. Crockett
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DAY 3: Time to hit the water! After getting a good night's sleep and fully adjusting to the time difference, it was time for the Wolverines to get out on the open water for the day.
The day began with breakfast at the hotel and then about a 15-minute walk down the cliffside - equivalent to 11 flight stairs according to a fitness tracker - down to the harbor to load three speed boats. The group was equally divided between the Green Boat, Blue Boat and what was deemed "Diva Boat" since its lack of paint color was made up for by the collective personality of the people on board.
First up was a natural waterfall, where you could stay on the back of the boat and get a little shower. Most people participated, even if the boat guide's assessment of the water temperature was a little off.
After that, it was time to get in the water! The three boats anchored up together and gave everyone a chance to swim and work on their jumps off the boat.
Next up, another meal, of course! This lunch was on the island of Capri, as the group had to get on a smaller boat to get off the actual boats to hit the island. The whole meal was served family-style and featured just about every type of pasta imaginable (and in more manageable portions!).
After lunch, the group again set out on the open water. There was another opportunity to swim (and jump off the boats, of course) and then it was off to Positano.
The island was full of houses along the cliffside, along with one roadway up top -- the only way to go from Positano to Sorrento via land. Everyone had about an hour on the island and while no souvenirs were purchased, there definitely was gelato to be had!
Back in Sorrento after an hour-long boat ride back, it's time for dinner in small groups and time to explore the city.
Today was an amazing experience, something you can only dream about. It was great to be out there on the water, spending time with my teammates, coaches and all the staff. When we got closer to Positano, it was like something out of a movie. Those houses are what you see in the movies and to see them in person was amazing. Next time I am out here, I definitely need to go on a house tour of one of those!-- Laila Phelia
L. Phelia
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DAYS 1-2: The Wolverines had brunch at the William Davidson Player Development Center before heading to the airport for an overnight flight to Amsterdam. The flight itself was smooth, just a little rough air leaving Detroit before ending up in Amsterdam just after 11 p.m. local time. After clearing customs, it was about a two-and-a-half hour layover until taking off for Naples.
The travel party reached Sorrento and walked through the square of the gorgeous waterside town to drop their backpacks off at the hotel. A lovely five-course lunch followed and was a welcome relief after nearly a full day of travel. With time to spare before the official welcome dinner, the squad had the choice to nap or head to the pool. The ones who headed to the pool were not disappointed with what they saw.
It was finally time to officially start the trip with the official welcome dinner at Parruchianno La Favorita, which featured family-style appetizers, cheese ravioli, gnocchi and a lemon delight dessert.
Walking up the stairs and seeing the view from our hotel was absolutely breathtaking! It looks like it is straight out of a movie and it’s hard to believe that it is actually in front of you ... I can’t wait to see more views of the water and for all of the experiences.-- Jordan Hobbs
J. Hobbs
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