Rutgers women's volleyball embarks on its first-ever foreign tour visiting Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy from May 25-June 5.

The Scarlet Knights will play six total matches against professional and local organizations with a pair of matchups each during their stops in Belgrade, Serbia, Maribor, Slovenia and Milan, Italy in addition to taking the sights and culture on each stop.

Travel Day — Sunday, May 25

Rutgers volleyball gathered at the College Ave Gym to depart for Newark Airport for a flight to Frankfurt, Germany before connecting to Belgrade, Serbia for the first stop on its 12-day foreign trip.

Wheels up to Belgrade! 

Day 1 — Monday, May 26 - Belgrade, Serbia

After a brief layover in Frankfurt, Germany, the Scarlet Knights arrived in Belgrade, Serbia and started off the trip acclimating to the time change while getting in some sightseeing in the city that lies on the banks of the Sava and Danube Rivers. 

The team spent time in the municipality of Stari Grad, which encompasses some of the oldest sections of Belgrade. Rutgers visited Republic Square, which is also the site for the National Museum, the National Theater and the Statue of Prince Michael.

Good Night From Belgrade!

Day 2 — Tuesday, May 27 - Belgrade, Serbia - Match Day

Prior to the opening game of the trip, the Scarlet Knights took time to explore inside one of the largest churches in the world and the largest Orthodox church in Serbia, named after the patron saint and national hero of Serbia - the Church of Saint Sava. The first stone was laid in 1935, with the concrete dome of the temple raised in 1989 and over $130M worth of 24-carat gold adorning the church.

Also had time for a coffee break before heading off to “R” first game of the trip.

The day ended with the first match of the trip against Lajkovac.

Day 2 — Wednesday, May 28 - Belgrade, Serbia - Match Day

Look who we found  - former Scarlet Knight Beka Kojadinovic (2017-2021)
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The Belgrade native finished her career as the rally-era leader in career aces and set the school record for aces in a game. Her 10 aces against Michigan State in the spring of 2021 were the most by a Big Ten player since 1989 and is tied for the second most in Big Ten history.

The Scarlet Knights met up with Beka during their second match of the trip against Stara Pazova.

Day 3 — Thursday, May 29 - Zagreb, Croatia - Travel Day

The Scarlet Knights said goodbye to Serbia and headed four hours east to enter their second country of the trip with a stop in Zagreb, Croatia.

Rutgers visited the old part of Zagreb called Gradec or Gornji grad highlighted by St. Mark's Square with St. Mark's Church, the Croatian Parliament and Banski Dvori, the seat of government in Croatia, along with Ban Jelacic Square and views of the twin spires of the Zagreb Cathedral.  

The team was able to spend a free day exploring the city center and enjoyed a team dinner. 

Day 4 — Friday, May 30 - Maribor, Slovenia - Match Day

The Scarlet Knights left in the morning to head to country number three of the trip, traveling to Slovenia.

RU arrived at the Dras Center to enjoy some laughs over a pregame meal in Maribor. 

Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia and the capital of the Stajerska region in the northeast of the country located along the River Drava and surrounded by the green forests of the Pohorje Hills. The area has hosted Alpine Skiing World Cup races and is a popular destination for mountain and downhill bikers.

It was then off to an afternoon match-up with OTP Banka Branik.

It was then off for a team dinner at the Doppler Winery with amazing views of a Slovenian sunset.

Day 5 — Saturday, May 31 - Maribor, Slovenia - Match Day

Day two in Maribor began with a trip up Pororje Mountain for beautiful views while alpine sliding. 

After coming back down the mountain, it was time to head off to the fourth game of the trip and the second against the local club team OTP Banka Branik. 

Our final day in Slovenia wrapped up with a gondola ride to dinner on Pohorje Mountain.

Day 6 — Sunday, June 1 - Venice, Italy - Travel Day

Ciao Scarlet Knight nation! First stop in Italy was the City of Canals - Venice - for a full day of sightseeing. We enjoyed seeing Piazza San Marco, also known as St. Mark's Square, and Doge's Palace and the obligatory gondola ride.  O solo mio!

Day 7 — Monday, June 2 - Verona & Milan, Italy - Travel Day

O Rutgers, O Rutgers, Wherefore Art Thou Rutgers

The Scarlet Knights made a stop in Verona en route to Milan for lunch and sightseeing. Rutgers volleyball took in many of the city’s sites, including Verona Arena - a Roman amphitheater, Castelvecchio - a medieval castle once a palace, later turned fortress, and Torre dei Lamberti - one of the city’s most famous towers, dating back to the 1100s, located in the Piazza delle Erbe

The Scarlet Knights' journey continued to Milan, the home base for the next three days.

Day 8 — Tuesday, June 3 - Milan & Lake Como, Italy

After an early morning workout with a yoga session, it was time to venture north for a day trip to Lake Como.

The early afternoon was spent exploring the area at the foot of the Alps and the beautiful sites surrounding one of Europe's deepest lakes, including the region's many historical villas. 

It was then back to Milan for dinner and more exploring.

Day 8 — Wednesday, June 4 - Milan, Italy - Match Day

On our final full day, we got to explore Milan and the Milan Cathedral, getting up close to the Italian Gothic architecture that took nearly six centuries to complete, with a trip to the cathedral’s roof for some amazing views.

 

Then we completed the afternoon with a little carb loading on some of our favorite pasta before tonight’s game too! 

Then it was lots of smiles during our final match in Europe.
 

See you back “On The Banks” soon!

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- RU -