Ted Betsy, Regis Athletics

Regis volleyball embark on 10-day foreign tour to Brazil

May 25 | By: David Wilson, Assistant AD-Communications

DENVER, Colo. — As many collegiate volleyball programs across the country begin counting down the days to their August report dates, the Regis University volleyball team has been hard at work inside the Regis Field House prepping for their 10-day foreign tour in Brazil, scheduled for May 26-June 5.

This year's excursion to Brazil, a country revered for its world class volleyball, marks the fourth foreign tour the Regis volleyball program has taken — per NCAA rules, each sport is only allowed to go on a foreign tour every four years — and its first since 2018 when the team ventured to Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Following an offseason that saw the Rangers welcome in a large class of seven signees, the additional days of practice in May, and 10 days of bonding on and off the floor in Brazil, provides a vital window of opportunity prior to the squads return to campus this fall.

"Each group we've taken on a foreign tour is different. The last group we took in 2018 was coming off a very successful season in 2017 and the trip was kind of a celebration of our success. We were older and had a lot of upperclassmen on that trip," said Regis volleyball head coach, Joel List. "This trip is more about developing team bonding because half of our team is going to be new. This is an opportunity to establish our values and who we're going to be in the fall. We already know some of our team goals, but what are our values and what is going to help us get there? We're going to put those down on paper during this trip."

Regis is guaranteed four matches across four days, with the possibility of a fifth match to be added. The team is also scheduled to visit four different cities during the foreign tour, which official begins Friday when the team arrives in Sao Paulo.

The Rangers play two matches while in Sao Paulo, and two matches in Rio de Janeiro, before concluding the tour with stays in Saquerema and Arraial do Cabo.

"We're doing a pretty similar tour that the University of Kentucky did when they went in 2019. It just so happened that they won the National Championship later that year, so maybe we can follow suit," List quipped.

As beneficial as the foreign tour can be on the court, the Rangers' itinerary will offer plenty of opportunities for sight-seeing and personal growth away from the gym as student-athletes step outside their comfort zones and into a once in a lifetime experience.

"The growth of experience, I think, helps a lot in someone's development. These young ladies are moving into adulthood. And if they've never been to some of these countries, or have seen different cultures; I think they leave with a better grasp on how to relate to people when they get into the real world," List said. "They get to see what volleyball and life is like in other places. We have the benefit of being in a great city, at a great academic university, and a successful program. I think they see that and end up appreciating their experience here a little more."

The Rangers will not only observe Brazilian cultures over the course of their 10 days, but the team will also play an active role in hosting a pair of community service projects.

"Being from a Jesuit university with the mission of helping others, we're also planning on holding two different youth camps. The first camp will be while we're in Sao Paulo and the second camp will be held toward the end of the trip for a small village that, I'm told, does not get a lot of visitors," List said. "It's going to be a lot of fun. It's a great opportunity to provide service and try to promote volleyball by doing something that falls in line with our values."

Follow along with the Rangers' foreign tour via the team's blog and its social media platforms on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Print Friendly Version

Related Videos

Related Stories