Bowling Green State University Athletics
#BGVBEuro23: The Falcons 2023 European Tour
May 09, 2023 | Volleyball
The Bowling Green State University volleyball team is currently making its way through Central Europe as part of the team's European Tour and Dream Big initiative, spanning May 7-19. Scroll through this page to see how the trip is going (oldest posts at the bottom of the page).
Day 12: May 18 - Vienna, Austria: I'll Be Back
The last full day in Europe began with a slighter later start. Waking up at the Austrian Volleyball Training Center, the team proceed to have breakfast and get around for an 11 a.m. departure for Vienna, which was roughly a 30-minute drive away. The group was dropped off in the museum district and was immediately in awe of the surroundings, consisting of a combination of the size and magnitude of Berlin paired with the beauty and architecture of Prague. A walk into the city center and the team dispersed into smaller groups to explore, but not before a celebrity surprise. Riding his bike through the square, right past the team, was none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger with a few bodyguards around him.
Once being starstruck wore off, for now with another group spotting artist Sam Smith later on, the small groups went their separate ways to see the city. One common stop was right next to the meeting spot for the team was St. Stephen's Cathedral. The current structure stands on the ruins on two previous churches of the same location, dating back to the 1100s. Another main attraction for members of the group was the Schonbrunn Castle that dates back to 1892 in the current form and served as the summer residence for Empress Maria Theresa and her family. The castle was started in 1687 and was remodeled again in 1743. It's the largest palace in Austria and considered to be one of the most important and visited cultural assets in the country. The grounds now include the castle, a zoo, numerous fountains and plenty more for tourists and residents of the area to enjoy.
The group reunited around 6 p.m. and proceeded to dinner. The final meal together in Europe was at a smaller restaurant with a lengthy menu that included anything from Austrian to Italian dishes. Following dinner, the group walked back through the city square to the museum center, took a handful of group photos with everyone on the trip as well as our tour guide, Kiki, and returned to the Austrian Volleyball Training Center for the night with an early morning ahead. A 3:20 a.m. report time to leave for the airport and return back to Bowling Green on May 19.
Day 11: May 17 - Vienna, Austria: Vienna Waits For You
The final destination awaited the Falcons on May 17, waking up in Krakow with eyes set on Vienna, Austria as the last stop on the trip. It was another early morning, loading up the bus around 8 a.m. and getting on the road to Vienna, which is about a six-hour drive when you include mandatory stops for the bus driver. Throw in a stop for lunch at a roadside restaurant, and it made for a long travel day before arriving at the destination, which was actually about an hour south of Vienna. The Falcons passed through the city on their way to the Austrian Volleyball Training Center for their final match of the trip.
Once arrived, the team had a snack before heading to the court to take on Austria's Senior National Team, a team that is currently preparing to qualify for the Olympics. In the match, the two teams played four sets with the Falcons winning the third and keeping the others close. After playing the match, there was a brief break before dinner. The match marked the fourth of the trip for Bowling Green in addition to a practice, hitting the court five times in Europe over a nine-day stretch with all four matches coming within a six-day window.
Gallery: (5-16-2023) #BGVBEuro23: Match vs. Austria
Day 10: May 16 - Krakow, Poland: A Moving Morning
The only full day in Poland for the Falcons began differently than the rest of the trip. The group loaded a bus and drove about an hour for a morning tour, going through Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau. It was an emotional and moving experience for all. Out of respect, no photos or videos were taken during the tour. Following the emotional morning, the team had lunch at the museum before the bus returned to the hotel.
After about a 30-minute break in the hotel, the group went back to the town square from the previous evening and explored the area, complete with horse drawn carriages, castles with legendary and dragons and one of the oldest universities in Poland. The team reunited for dinner before dispersing once more throughout the square, this time through the rain, before returning to the hotel for the night.
Day 9: May 15 - Szczyrk/Krakow, Poland: Meeting A New Falcon
The ninth day of the trip marked the conclusion of the time spent in the Czech Republic as the group packed up the bus and hit the road once more. A few hours on the road and a new country was checked off the list, Poland. The first stop? A match against the Polish Junior National Team at Poland's Olympic Training Center. The center was in Szczyrk and is the home to Poland's volleyball and skiing teams. Upon arriving, the Falcons and Polish Junior National Team intermingled during lunch, getting to know one another. After lunch, Bowling Green was surprised by another Falcon, Edyta Waclawczyk who is from Katowice Poland and signed with the Falcons in November. Waclawczyk met the team for the first time, toured the facility with the Falcons and watched the match from the bench with team as well. She'll arrive in Bowling Green in June for summer courses before beginning her freshman campaign in the fall.
After lunch and the walking tour, it was time to play. The two teams agreed prior to the match to play at least four sets, no matter the outcome of the first three. In the end, it was a four-set sweep for the Falcons, going 4-0 against the Poland Junior National Team. Once the match concluded, there was a small snack before saying goodbye for now to Edyta and getting back on the road, this time for Krakow. Another few hours on the bus and the team arrived at the hotel before heading to dinner and an evening walk back to the hotel for the night.
Gallery: (5-15-2023) #BGVBEuro23: Match in Poland
Day 8: May 14 - Jihlava/Brno, Czech Republic: Petra's Homecoming
Waking up in Prague for the final time on the trip, the group had an early breakfast and it was back on the road, heading for a new and special destination, Jihlava in the Czech Republic, the home town of senior outsider hitter Petra Indrova. Upon arrival, the team was greeted by the mayor of the city, Petr Ryska, and were given a tour of the town hall, which used to be three separate buildings which were later combined into one. On the tour, the team saw the largest town hall meeting room in the building and the hall in which many are married. The group also stood in the town hall's black kitchen, which is the only black kitchen within a town hall in the Czech Republic. The kitchen was rediscovered during reconstruction the building during 2004-06.
After the tour, the group split into two segments with one staying above ground and the other going below before switching spots. The group above ground spent time playing volleyball and other games with Ukrainian refugees who have found shelter in Jihlava. The kids spanned a wide age range and spent the morning smiling, laughing and running around with players on the team. They also gifted the team a Ukrainian flag with the words "Strong, Unbreakable, Free" written on it in Ukrainian.
As for the second group, they ventured underground to tour a small part of the 20 miles worth of catacombs that are underneath the city. Construction on the catacombs began in the 13th century and concluded in the 18th century and was first used as underground storage. It was later used as a bomb shelter in case the United States attacked during the Cold War, the catacombs have three levels and were built in the 1950s to hold the population of the city, about 30,000 at the time. Every school, house and building had access to the catacombs and every city in the area had a shelter like this one, equipped with radio, telephones and Morse code to communicate with the above world. The catacombs were lost to time and history, but a curious group of teenagers, including Petra's uncle, rediscovered them and now oversee them as a pivotal aspect of the city's infrastructure.
Following the eventful and emotional morning, the team stopped for lunch before heading to Brno to play a match. The Falcons took on a team called "OK Brno," part of Volejbal Brno. The team consisted of professional players that play in some of the areas top leagues and national teams. However, it was BGSU that dominated, taking the match in three sets including a 25-7 second set score. The two teams had dinner together after the match before the Falcons got back on the road to the hotel for the night.
Gallery: (5-14-2023) #BGVBEuro23 - Match vs. Brno
Gallery: (5-14-2023) #BGVB23: Czech Republic
Day 7: May 13 - Prague, Czech Republic: Exploring The City
After two days around Prague with our guide, players and staff alike were given the day to explore the city in small groups. Groups dispersed throughout the area, experiencing Prague in their own ways before reuniting as a full group for dinner at 6:30 p.m. A walk along the river brought the group to the spot for dinner at Restaurace U Fleku. The company that operates the tavern dates back to 1499 and has been brewing beer for over 500 years. During the communist regime in the country the company was nationalized, but the original owners got it back following the fall of the regime in 1991. It's now one of the most famous and visited Czech monuments and was the place where the Croatian Football Club "Hajduk" Split was founded in 1911. In 1911, a group of students from Split went to the tavern after watching an AC Sparta and SK Slavia match, both teams that call Prague home, and decided to create a team of their own. It just so happened that those teams, AC Sparta and SK Slavia, were playing against each other in Prague at the same time the Falcons were having dinner at the tavern. After dinner some members of the team stopped for Chimney Cakes, like the first night, before returning to the hotel for the night.
Day 6: May 12 - Prague, Czech Republic: First Match In Europe
The first full day in Prague mirrored the first day in Berlin, a perfect pairing of sightseeing and volleyball. The day began with breakfast in the hotel before a morning hike up a steep hill to Petrin Tower. Built in 1891 as part of the Jubilee Exhibition, the tower resembles a smaller Eiffel Tower, standing 58.70 meters high (about 192 feet) with 299 steps taking guests to the top. Once at the top, guests reach the same altitude as the real Eiffel Tower in Paris. From there the work down the hill began on the way to the Prague Castle, the largest castle complex in the world. Founded in the ninth century, the castle has housed Bohemian kings and Czech presidents for more than a thousand years. At noon, the group observed the changing of the guards in front of the castle. The team then proceeded to lunch and preparation for the first match of the trip.
While the Falcons usually bus to road games, this time was a little different. The travel party took the tram to the match, one of the forms of public transportation in Prague. Once arrived, it was business as usual for BGVB. Stretching, warmups and it was time to play Olymp Praha, a team that rosters members of the Czech Republic National Team, and former teammates of BGSU outside hitter Petra Indrova. Playing the first three sets by European rules, the Falcons adapted to the new style. Changing the focus from tourists to competitors, BGSU began to battle back and show signs of excellence. Olymp Praha jumped out to a 2-0 lead, winning the first two sets, but it was all BGSU from there. The Orange and Brown took the third and fourth sets to force a fifth to decide the match, playing to 15. Trailing late, Indrova stepped behind the service line and led the Falcons on a run to reclaim the lead and take the victory in her home country in front of her friends and family, a 3-2 BGSU win.
Following the match, the two teams exchanged T-shirts of their respective teams and posed for a group picture in front of the net. The team proceeded to dinner following the match before heading back to the hotel to relax, recharge or revisit sights around Prague.
Gallery: (5-11-2023) #BGVBEuro23 - vs. Olymp Praha (Prague)
Day 5: May 11 - Prague, Czech Republic: Goodbye Germany, Hello Czech Republic
The Falcons were back on the move on Thursday (May 11). The time in Berlin had come to a close and it was on to the next city, Prague. The bus rolled out around 8 a.m. from Berlin and made one last stop in Germany, a quick pit stop for lunch, on the way to the Czech Republic. As the bus drew closer to the destination, the beauty of Prague shined through the windows of the bus. The historical and unique architecture was a breathtaking sight and a welcoming view as the bus pulled into the city. Due to narrow roads the bus couldn't fit down to the hotel, so we unpacked the bus and walked a few blocks on the cobblestone roads and sidewalks to the hotel, arriving around 2 p.m.
There was a brief break to settle into the rooms before getting back out, this time a walking tour to Old Town Square with sights along the way. The first stop was the Lennon Wall, a spot named after John Lennon that was originally a space for speaking out on local and global issues and dates back to the 1960s. The wall is now an art form that changes by the day with people free to come and paint any time and is still a location for voices to be heard. The walk continued to the bridge that leads to Old Town Square. It was just before the bridge that the tour guide explained the deep history of Prague, spanning over 1,000 years and including the period when the city was the capital of Europe during the reign of Charles IV as the Holy Roman Emperor.
Moving across the bridge, the group stopped for photos periodically of the landscape that included historical buildings, architecture and art. Once across the bridge, it was time to weave through the narrow streets of Prague to the Old Town Square. Here, the group learned about the city's Astronomical Clock and watched it chime at the 4 p.m. hour before exploring the square and areas surrounding. After exploring, the team walked to dinner followed by Chimney Cakes, recommened to the team by senior outside hitter Petra Indrova, a native of the Czech Republic, and finally returned back to the hotel for the night.
Day 4: May 10 - Berlin, Germany: 27,000 Steps Through East Berlin
The second day in Berlin was sightseeing centric, making our way through East Berlin. The day started in West Berlin with seeing one of the few landmarks left from the German Empire, a bridge leading towards East Berlin, and the new German Parliament buildings. Our guide for the morning, Walid, explained that the new government in place in Germany is working to admit the faults of the country's past, apologize for the actions and work to ensure nothing of the nature returns. One way they do this is through their architectural approach to government buildings, using glass as a way to allow transparency through the government. This includes on the main Parliament building, the Reichstag, where people can go to a glass viewing deck above and "watch the government at work." The walk through history continued into East Berlin, passing the marker of the wall and walking under the Brandenburg Gate. One of the most famous landmarks in Germany, the Brandenburg Gate has served as the backdrop to countless historical events and photos.
After the Brandenburg Gate, the group walked to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a powerful artistic representation that is part of the country's memorializing and apologizing for their actions of the past. The walk through East Berlin continued with landmarks such as the Mall of Berlin, the former Ministry of Ministries building and Checkpoint Charlie while setting eyes on the pieces of the Berlin Wall that are still standing for the first time during the trip. The walking route took the group past countless historical buildings. Some are still original and some have been rebuilt to look like the original building that was destroyed in war, torn down during the Cold War or in some cases both. One of the last stops of the morning was Bebelplatz, the sight of the Berlin Book Burning that now has a memorial below the location of the fire. The memorial is a glass window in the ground that looks onto empty bookshelves that, if filled, would contain the amount of books burned there on May 10, 1933, exactly 90 years to the day the group visited the location.
After breaking for lunch and exploring, the group took the train to the East Side Gallery. Here, the Berlin Wall remains for 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) and has been transformed into an art gallery. After the wall came down, 118 artists from 21 countries came to the East Side Gallery on Sept. 28, 1990 and painted the wall. Sections of the wall include art from different perspectives and interpretations of various aspects of the wall and the Cold War as a whole. After walking along the entirety of the East Side Gallery, the team proceeded to dinner and then back to the hotel for the night.
Gallery: (5-8-2023) #BGVB23: Berlin
Day 3: May 9 - Berlin, Germany: International Relations Via Volleyball
The first full day in Berlin was the perfect pairing of sightseeing and volleyball. The day began with breakfast in the hotel before hopping back on the subway, this time going to West Germany. The first stop was the Kaiser Wilhelm Church, which was hit by a British bomb in 1943. The ruins were left and the church was rebuilt next to them with the inside of the old church now serving as a visual reminder of the past. Visitors can go inside and read about the history of the building and see a timeline of the events before, during and after the bomb. The next stop on the tour was the Victory Column. Constructed in 1871, the monument was built to commemorate the victory in the Franco-Prussian War with Denmark, Austria and France. The Goddess of Victory tops the structure in gold and sits in the middle of Tiergarten. The morning portion concluded with lunch at a local cafe.
The next item on the agenda was the first volleyball practice of the trip. BGSU bussed to Potsdam, just outside of Berlin, to practice with the U20 Sport Club (SC) Potsdam, a sports boarding school with various olympic sports. The joint practice introduced the Falcons to new drills, new rules and new friends as the two teams intertwined rosters throughout the time together. After practice, the team returned to the hotel before heading out to dinner at an Italian restaurant with more gelato after.
Day 2: May 8 - Berlin, Germany: A Falcon Surprises The Falcons
The 31-hour day continued right away when the wheels touched down in Berlin, Germany, landing around 12:15 p.m. local time (Central European Time). While waiting to greet the guide for the trip, BGVB was greeted instead by an alum of the program, Isabelle Marciniak. Marciniak played two years professionally in Germany before moving to Denmark to play professional volleyball there and just happened to play with both of the guides for the trip while in Germany.
With our guide located and an alum added, it was time to pack the bus and head to the hotel. Once at the hotel, there was enough time to sit back and relax (but not sleep, yet!) before embarking on the next part of the trip, sightseeing. The team took the subway to Alexanderplatz to see Berlin's tallest building, the Berlin TV Tower, and the Berlin World Clock that has all the time zones on it. Along the way, we discovered one of the societal remnants from East Germany, the Ampelmännchen or "little traffic light men" on the crosswalk signals. The day wrapped up with dinner at Hofbrau Wirtshaus Berlin and gelato on the walk back to the subway before finally getting extended sleep.
Day 1: May 7 - Two Flights, Two Delays and a 31-hour day
The Falcons began the trip the way each road trip for BGVB starts, loading up the bus at the Stroh Center. The bus departed for the Detroit Airport around 1:50 p.m. EST and the trip was underway! Checking bags and getting through security was a breeze for the Falcons, but the flying aspect proved a different point. The flight leaving from Detroit for Amsterdam was delayed roughly an hour, making preparation for a dash through the Amsterdam airport for the connecting flight a necessity. The flight to the Netherlands began with "Good evening" and ended with "Good morning" after a six-hour time change in the air. Just over seven hours later, including in-flight movies, meals and naps, the Falcons had landed at stop number, a layover in a foggy Amsterdam, and were greeted by an unexpected, but welcomed, surprise. Another flight delay.
Due to the fog, the Amsterdam airport was experiencing delays of its own and what was expected to be a dash across the airport became a normal break between flights. When the time came, the Falcons once again boarded, this time for just an hour, and landed in destination number one, Berlin, Germany.
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Day 12: May 18 - Vienna, Austria: I'll Be Back
The last full day in Europe began with a slighter later start. Waking up at the Austrian Volleyball Training Center, the team proceed to have breakfast and get around for an 11 a.m. departure for Vienna, which was roughly a 30-minute drive away. The group was dropped off in the museum district and was immediately in awe of the surroundings, consisting of a combination of the size and magnitude of Berlin paired with the beauty and architecture of Prague. A walk into the city center and the team dispersed into smaller groups to explore, but not before a celebrity surprise. Riding his bike through the square, right past the team, was none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger with a few bodyguards around him.
Once being starstruck wore off, for now with another group spotting artist Sam Smith later on, the small groups went their separate ways to see the city. One common stop was right next to the meeting spot for the team was St. Stephen's Cathedral. The current structure stands on the ruins on two previous churches of the same location, dating back to the 1100s. Another main attraction for members of the group was the Schonbrunn Castle that dates back to 1892 in the current form and served as the summer residence for Empress Maria Theresa and her family. The castle was started in 1687 and was remodeled again in 1743. It's the largest palace in Austria and considered to be one of the most important and visited cultural assets in the country. The grounds now include the castle, a zoo, numerous fountains and plenty more for tourists and residents of the area to enjoy.
The group reunited around 6 p.m. and proceeded to dinner. The final meal together in Europe was at a smaller restaurant with a lengthy menu that included anything from Austrian to Italian dishes. Following dinner, the group walked back through the city square to the museum center, took a handful of group photos with everyone on the trip as well as our tour guide, Kiki, and returned to the Austrian Volleyball Training Center for the night with an early morning ahead. A 3:20 a.m. report time to leave for the airport and return back to Bowling Green on May 19.
Day 11: May 17 - Vienna, Austria: Vienna Waits For You
The final destination awaited the Falcons on May 17, waking up in Krakow with eyes set on Vienna, Austria as the last stop on the trip. It was another early morning, loading up the bus around 8 a.m. and getting on the road to Vienna, which is about a six-hour drive when you include mandatory stops for the bus driver. Throw in a stop for lunch at a roadside restaurant, and it made for a long travel day before arriving at the destination, which was actually about an hour south of Vienna. The Falcons passed through the city on their way to the Austrian Volleyball Training Center for their final match of the trip.
Once arrived, the team had a snack before heading to the court to take on Austria's Senior National Team, a team that is currently preparing to qualify for the Olympics. In the match, the two teams played four sets with the Falcons winning the third and keeping the others close. After playing the match, there was a brief break before dinner. The match marked the fourth of the trip for Bowling Green in addition to a practice, hitting the court five times in Europe over a nine-day stretch with all four matches coming within a six-day window.
Day 10: May 16 - Krakow, Poland: A Moving Morning
The only full day in Poland for the Falcons began differently than the rest of the trip. The group loaded a bus and drove about an hour for a morning tour, going through Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau. It was an emotional and moving experience for all. Out of respect, no photos or videos were taken during the tour. Following the emotional morning, the team had lunch at the museum before the bus returned to the hotel.
After about a 30-minute break in the hotel, the group went back to the town square from the previous evening and explored the area, complete with horse drawn carriages, castles with legendary and dragons and one of the oldest universities in Poland. The team reunited for dinner before dispersing once more throughout the square, this time through the rain, before returning to the hotel for the night.
Day 9: May 15 - Szczyrk/Krakow, Poland: Meeting A New Falcon
The ninth day of the trip marked the conclusion of the time spent in the Czech Republic as the group packed up the bus and hit the road once more. A few hours on the road and a new country was checked off the list, Poland. The first stop? A match against the Polish Junior National Team at Poland's Olympic Training Center. The center was in Szczyrk and is the home to Poland's volleyball and skiing teams. Upon arriving, the Falcons and Polish Junior National Team intermingled during lunch, getting to know one another. After lunch, Bowling Green was surprised by another Falcon, Edyta Waclawczyk who is from Katowice Poland and signed with the Falcons in November. Waclawczyk met the team for the first time, toured the facility with the Falcons and watched the match from the bench with team as well. She'll arrive in Bowling Green in June for summer courses before beginning her freshman campaign in the fall.
After lunch and the walking tour, it was time to play. The two teams agreed prior to the match to play at least four sets, no matter the outcome of the first three. In the end, it was a four-set sweep for the Falcons, going 4-0 against the Poland Junior National Team. Once the match concluded, there was a small snack before saying goodbye for now to Edyta and getting back on the road, this time for Krakow. Another few hours on the bus and the team arrived at the hotel before heading to dinner and an evening walk back to the hotel for the night.
Day 8: May 14 - Jihlava/Brno, Czech Republic: Petra's Homecoming
Waking up in Prague for the final time on the trip, the group had an early breakfast and it was back on the road, heading for a new and special destination, Jihlava in the Czech Republic, the home town of senior outsider hitter Petra Indrova. Upon arrival, the team was greeted by the mayor of the city, Petr Ryska, and were given a tour of the town hall, which used to be three separate buildings which were later combined into one. On the tour, the team saw the largest town hall meeting room in the building and the hall in which many are married. The group also stood in the town hall's black kitchen, which is the only black kitchen within a town hall in the Czech Republic. The kitchen was rediscovered during reconstruction the building during 2004-06.
After the tour, the group split into two segments with one staying above ground and the other going below before switching spots. The group above ground spent time playing volleyball and other games with Ukrainian refugees who have found shelter in Jihlava. The kids spanned a wide age range and spent the morning smiling, laughing and running around with players on the team. They also gifted the team a Ukrainian flag with the words "Strong, Unbreakable, Free" written on it in Ukrainian.
As for the second group, they ventured underground to tour a small part of the 20 miles worth of catacombs that are underneath the city. Construction on the catacombs began in the 13th century and concluded in the 18th century and was first used as underground storage. It was later used as a bomb shelter in case the United States attacked during the Cold War, the catacombs have three levels and were built in the 1950s to hold the population of the city, about 30,000 at the time. Every school, house and building had access to the catacombs and every city in the area had a shelter like this one, equipped with radio, telephones and Morse code to communicate with the above world. The catacombs were lost to time and history, but a curious group of teenagers, including Petra's uncle, rediscovered them and now oversee them as a pivotal aspect of the city's infrastructure.
Following the eventful and emotional morning, the team stopped for lunch before heading to Brno to play a match. The Falcons took on a team called "OK Brno," part of Volejbal Brno. The team consisted of professional players that play in some of the areas top leagues and national teams. However, it was BGSU that dominated, taking the match in three sets including a 25-7 second set score. The two teams had dinner together after the match before the Falcons got back on the road to the hotel for the night.
Day 7: May 13 - Prague, Czech Republic: Exploring The City
After two days around Prague with our guide, players and staff alike were given the day to explore the city in small groups. Groups dispersed throughout the area, experiencing Prague in their own ways before reuniting as a full group for dinner at 6:30 p.m. A walk along the river brought the group to the spot for dinner at Restaurace U Fleku. The company that operates the tavern dates back to 1499 and has been brewing beer for over 500 years. During the communist regime in the country the company was nationalized, but the original owners got it back following the fall of the regime in 1991. It's now one of the most famous and visited Czech monuments and was the place where the Croatian Football Club "Hajduk" Split was founded in 1911. In 1911, a group of students from Split went to the tavern after watching an AC Sparta and SK Slavia match, both teams that call Prague home, and decided to create a team of their own. It just so happened that those teams, AC Sparta and SK Slavia, were playing against each other in Prague at the same time the Falcons were having dinner at the tavern. After dinner some members of the team stopped for Chimney Cakes, like the first night, before returning to the hotel for the night.
Day 6: May 12 - Prague, Czech Republic: First Match In Europe
The first full day in Prague mirrored the first day in Berlin, a perfect pairing of sightseeing and volleyball. The day began with breakfast in the hotel before a morning hike up a steep hill to Petrin Tower. Built in 1891 as part of the Jubilee Exhibition, the tower resembles a smaller Eiffel Tower, standing 58.70 meters high (about 192 feet) with 299 steps taking guests to the top. Once at the top, guests reach the same altitude as the real Eiffel Tower in Paris. From there the work down the hill began on the way to the Prague Castle, the largest castle complex in the world. Founded in the ninth century, the castle has housed Bohemian kings and Czech presidents for more than a thousand years. At noon, the group observed the changing of the guards in front of the castle. The team then proceeded to lunch and preparation for the first match of the trip.
While the Falcons usually bus to road games, this time was a little different. The travel party took the tram to the match, one of the forms of public transportation in Prague. Once arrived, it was business as usual for BGVB. Stretching, warmups and it was time to play Olymp Praha, a team that rosters members of the Czech Republic National Team, and former teammates of BGSU outside hitter Petra Indrova. Playing the first three sets by European rules, the Falcons adapted to the new style. Changing the focus from tourists to competitors, BGSU began to battle back and show signs of excellence. Olymp Praha jumped out to a 2-0 lead, winning the first two sets, but it was all BGSU from there. The Orange and Brown took the third and fourth sets to force a fifth to decide the match, playing to 15. Trailing late, Indrova stepped behind the service line and led the Falcons on a run to reclaim the lead and take the victory in her home country in front of her friends and family, a 3-2 BGSU win.
Following the match, the two teams exchanged T-shirts of their respective teams and posed for a group picture in front of the net. The team proceeded to dinner following the match before heading back to the hotel to relax, recharge or revisit sights around Prague.
Day 5: May 11 - Prague, Czech Republic: Goodbye Germany, Hello Czech Republic
The Falcons were back on the move on Thursday (May 11). The time in Berlin had come to a close and it was on to the next city, Prague. The bus rolled out around 8 a.m. from Berlin and made one last stop in Germany, a quick pit stop for lunch, on the way to the Czech Republic. As the bus drew closer to the destination, the beauty of Prague shined through the windows of the bus. The historical and unique architecture was a breathtaking sight and a welcoming view as the bus pulled into the city. Due to narrow roads the bus couldn't fit down to the hotel, so we unpacked the bus and walked a few blocks on the cobblestone roads and sidewalks to the hotel, arriving around 2 p.m.
There was a brief break to settle into the rooms before getting back out, this time a walking tour to Old Town Square with sights along the way. The first stop was the Lennon Wall, a spot named after John Lennon that was originally a space for speaking out on local and global issues and dates back to the 1960s. The wall is now an art form that changes by the day with people free to come and paint any time and is still a location for voices to be heard. The walk continued to the bridge that leads to Old Town Square. It was just before the bridge that the tour guide explained the deep history of Prague, spanning over 1,000 years and including the period when the city was the capital of Europe during the reign of Charles IV as the Holy Roman Emperor.
Moving across the bridge, the group stopped for photos periodically of the landscape that included historical buildings, architecture and art. Once across the bridge, it was time to weave through the narrow streets of Prague to the Old Town Square. Here, the group learned about the city's Astronomical Clock and watched it chime at the 4 p.m. hour before exploring the square and areas surrounding. After exploring, the team walked to dinner followed by Chimney Cakes, recommened to the team by senior outside hitter Petra Indrova, a native of the Czech Republic, and finally returned back to the hotel for the night.
🇩🇪➡️🇨🇿
— BGSU Volleyball (@BGSUVolleyball) May 11, 2023
"The Heart of Europe"
Our first afternoon and evening in Prague was wonderful!#AyZiggy || #BGVB23 || #BGWarriors || #DreamBig || #BGVBEuro23 pic.twitter.com/kcpkeo3Liq
Day 4: May 10 - Berlin, Germany: 27,000 Steps Through East Berlin
The second day in Berlin was sightseeing centric, making our way through East Berlin. The day started in West Berlin with seeing one of the few landmarks left from the German Empire, a bridge leading towards East Berlin, and the new German Parliament buildings. Our guide for the morning, Walid, explained that the new government in place in Germany is working to admit the faults of the country's past, apologize for the actions and work to ensure nothing of the nature returns. One way they do this is through their architectural approach to government buildings, using glass as a way to allow transparency through the government. This includes on the main Parliament building, the Reichstag, where people can go to a glass viewing deck above and "watch the government at work." The walk through history continued into East Berlin, passing the marker of the wall and walking under the Brandenburg Gate. One of the most famous landmarks in Germany, the Brandenburg Gate has served as the backdrop to countless historical events and photos.
After the Brandenburg Gate, the group walked to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a powerful artistic representation that is part of the country's memorializing and apologizing for their actions of the past. The walk through East Berlin continued with landmarks such as the Mall of Berlin, the former Ministry of Ministries building and Checkpoint Charlie while setting eyes on the pieces of the Berlin Wall that are still standing for the first time during the trip. The walking route took the group past countless historical buildings. Some are still original and some have been rebuilt to look like the original building that was destroyed in war, torn down during the Cold War or in some cases both. One of the last stops of the morning was Bebelplatz, the sight of the Berlin Book Burning that now has a memorial below the location of the fire. The memorial is a glass window in the ground that looks onto empty bookshelves that, if filled, would contain the amount of books burned there on May 10, 1933, exactly 90 years to the day the group visited the location.
After breaking for lunch and exploring, the group took the train to the East Side Gallery. Here, the Berlin Wall remains for 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) and has been transformed into an art gallery. After the wall came down, 118 artists from 21 countries came to the East Side Gallery on Sept. 28, 1990 and painted the wall. Sections of the wall include art from different perspectives and interpretations of various aspects of the wall and the Cold War as a whole. After walking along the entirety of the East Side Gallery, the team proceeded to dinner and then back to the hotel for the night.
Day 3: May 9 - Berlin, Germany: International Relations Via Volleyball
The first full day in Berlin was the perfect pairing of sightseeing and volleyball. The day began with breakfast in the hotel before hopping back on the subway, this time going to West Germany. The first stop was the Kaiser Wilhelm Church, which was hit by a British bomb in 1943. The ruins were left and the church was rebuilt next to them with the inside of the old church now serving as a visual reminder of the past. Visitors can go inside and read about the history of the building and see a timeline of the events before, during and after the bomb. The next stop on the tour was the Victory Column. Constructed in 1871, the monument was built to commemorate the victory in the Franco-Prussian War with Denmark, Austria and France. The Goddess of Victory tops the structure in gold and sits in the middle of Tiergarten. The morning portion concluded with lunch at a local cafe.
The next item on the agenda was the first volleyball practice of the trip. BGSU bussed to Potsdam, just outside of Berlin, to practice with the U20 Sport Club (SC) Potsdam, a sports boarding school with various olympic sports. The joint practice introduced the Falcons to new drills, new rules and new friends as the two teams intertwined rosters throughout the time together. After practice, the team returned to the hotel before heading out to dinner at an Italian restaurant with more gelato after.
BGVB 🤝 @sc_potsdam
— BGSU Volleyball (@BGSUVolleyball) May 9, 2023
First practice in Europe complete!#AyZiggy || #BGVB23 || #BGWarriors || #DreamBig || #BGVBEuro23 pic.twitter.com/KpP99pc9El
Day 2: May 8 - Berlin, Germany: A Falcon Surprises The Falcons
The 31-hour day continued right away when the wheels touched down in Berlin, Germany, landing around 12:15 p.m. local time (Central European Time). While waiting to greet the guide for the trip, BGVB was greeted instead by an alum of the program, Isabelle Marciniak. Marciniak played two years professionally in Germany before moving to Denmark to play professional volleyball there and just happened to play with both of the guides for the trip while in Germany.
With our guide located and an alum added, it was time to pack the bus and head to the hotel. Once at the hotel, there was enough time to sit back and relax (but not sleep, yet!) before embarking on the next part of the trip, sightseeing. The team took the subway to Alexanderplatz to see Berlin's tallest building, the Berlin TV Tower, and the Berlin World Clock that has all the time zones on it. Along the way, we discovered one of the societal remnants from East Germany, the Ampelmännchen or "little traffic light men" on the crosswalk signals. The day wrapped up with dinner at Hofbrau Wirtshaus Berlin and gelato on the walk back to the subway before finally getting extended sleep.
DTW➡️AMS➡️BER 🇩🇪
— BGSU Volleyball (@BGSUVolleyball) May 8, 2023
Made it safely to Berlin and enjoyed our first day exploring!#AyZiggy || #BGVB23 || #BGWarriors || #DreamBig || #BGVBEuro23 pic.twitter.com/o9VZmff7yF
Day 1: May 7 - Two Flights, Two Delays and a 31-hour day
The Falcons began the trip the way each road trip for BGVB starts, loading up the bus at the Stroh Center. The bus departed for the Detroit Airport around 1:50 p.m. EST and the trip was underway! Checking bags and getting through security was a breeze for the Falcons, but the flying aspect proved a different point. The flight leaving from Detroit for Amsterdam was delayed roughly an hour, making preparation for a dash through the Amsterdam airport for the connecting flight a necessity. The flight to the Netherlands began with "Good evening" and ended with "Good morning" after a six-hour time change in the air. Just over seven hours later, including in-flight movies, meals and naps, the Falcons had landed at stop number, a layover in a foggy Amsterdam, and were greeted by an unexpected, but welcomed, surprise. Another flight delay.
Due to the fog, the Amsterdam airport was experiencing delays of its own and what was expected to be a dash across the airport became a normal break between flights. When the time came, the Falcons once again boarded, this time for just an hour, and landed in destination number one, Berlin, Germany.
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