Volleyball International Tour 2025
Abby Wisecup
4/30/2025
The Gators travel to Turkey, Slovenia and Italy from May 18-29.
Dates and Destinations
- May 17-18: Travel Day (Overnight)
- May 18-22: Istanbul, Turkey
- May 22-25: Maribor, Slovenia
- May 25-26: Venice, Italy
- May 26-29: Milan, Italy
May 19
The Gators started their first full day in Turkey with banana shakes from Kazim Büfe and walking the Besiktas (Dentur) before sightseeing the Bosporus Strait on a private boat tour. The natural strait forms part of the continental boundary between Asia and Europe, and divides Turkey. It is the world's narrowest strait used for international navigation. The team enjoyed borek, a flaky, savory pastry filled with feta and spinach, as they cruised between two continents. Throughout the ride, the team took in the stunning views of Ottoman-era mansions, towering minarets, and the majestic Bosphorus bridges. They laughed, danced to music playing onboard, played dice games, and captured countless memories with photos, setting the tone for the rest of their day. The Gators arrived in Kadikoy and had lunch at Kebapçi Iskender - Iskender Iskenderoglu and walked around the town square before heading to the Eczacibasi Spor Kulübü, home of the Turkeys professional volleyball program. The Gators trained with the Çekmeköy Isitme Engelli Kadin Voleybol club team - a deaf team - as the two programs were part of the final training session in the Eczacibasi Spor Kulübü. Turkey is relocating to a gym on the Asian side where all of the top clubs play. Florida ended day one eating dinner with the Çekmeköy Isitme Engelli Kadin players.
May 20
The Gators began day two in Istanbul, Turkey with breakfast at the hotel before taking a ferry across the Bosphorus Strait. The team arrived on the Asian side of Istanbul, where the team played five sets (25-22, 25-16, 25-17, 25-21, 12-15) against the PSA Fire Ants at the TVF 50th Anniversary Sport Hall. The gym is situated within the Burhan Felek Sports Complex in the Altunizade neighborhood of Üsküdar district in Istanbul, Turkey. After post-match mingling, the Gators went back to the hotel and enjoyed lunch before touring the Taksim Square & Galata Tower. The team enjoyed dinner at the Otantik Anadolu Yemekleri, where they enjoyed various Turkish servings of Manti, muhtesem çorbalari, Hingal, köftesi and ended the night with baklava for dessert.
May 21
On the final day in Istanbul, Turkey, the Gators started their morning drinking coffee and walking along the coast in Bebek, Istanbul, a neighborhood in the municipality and district of Besiktas, Istanbul Province, Turkey. The neighborhood is located on Bebek Bay on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. Once caffeinated, the team headed back to the TVF 50th Anniversary Sport Hall where they played their final match in Turkey against the Team Shining Stars. After playing four sets (25-20, 25-15, 25-17, 17-25), the Gators ate lunch before heading to the Grand Bazaar, which is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. The area includes 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops, attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. The team also went to the heart of Istanbul’s historical peninsula, where the Hippodrome of Constantinople and two historical and religious buildings, the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, are located. The Gators ended their final night in Istanbul with dinner at the Baran Ottoman Kitchen Restaurant, where they enjoyed various meats, breads, stuffed peppers, rice, vegetables and baklava for dessert.
May 22
The Gators flew into Croatia’s capital city, Zagreb and drove to the Ulica Pavla Radica. Commonly referred to as Radiceva, the street is a charming and historic street located in the heart of Zagreb’s Upper Town (Gornji Grad). It connects the iconic Ban Jelacic Square with the Stone Gate and the historic upper part of the city, making it one of the most picturesque and recognizable streets in Zagreb. After spending time sightseeing and eating lunch, the team drove to Maribor, Slovenia where the Gators will play two matches and sightsee the green forests and the charming city with rich historic and cultural roots, reaching back to the Middle Ages.
May 23
Following breakfast, the team had a slow morning before playing their first match in Slovenia. The Gators played five sets against the OTP Banka Brank (20-25, 25-16, 25-19, 25- 17,14) inside the Dras Center. After the match, the team went back and got ready for dinner at the Doppler Winery, where we were served charcuterie meat and cheese, chicken, Couscous, cauliflower alfredo and apple pie for dessert.
May 24
The Gators kicked off their final day in Maribor, Slovenia enjoying all the amenities Pohorje Hill has to offer. Players and staff went down the Pohor Jet, which stretches from Trikotna jasa to the Snow Stadium finish arena, offering a mix of fast descents and slower sections. The cable car where riders enjoy a unique adrenaline descent and offers a crazy combination of sprints, turns and dramatic drops. Some admired the view of Maribor by taking the Radvanje chairlift, while others hiked to the top of the Trikotna jasa where lunch was also served. Additionally, the coaching staff and some support staff ventured further and went all the way up 1,042 meters to the top of the Pohorje. After enjoying lunch, the Gators played four sets against OTP Banka Bank (25-22, 25-22, 25-23, 25-14) inside the Dras Center before ending their night with a gondola ride up to the top of Pohorie for dinner, taking in the beautiful view of Maribor, Slovenia one last time.
Teamwork on full display ?? #GoGators pic.twitter.com/rts7TSFTV9
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) May 24, 2025
Signing off from Slovenia ??#GoGators pic.twitter.com/bmtcwxLV0X
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) May 24, 2025
May 25
The Gators said nasvudenje to Slovenia and said Ciao to Venice, Italy with an evening private boat ride where they cruised along the canals, taking in the architectural masterpieces that line the Grand Canal. Once on land, players and staff took in the sights around the Basilica of Saint Mark, the Torre dell’Orologio and Doge’s Palace before splitting off to enjoy the beautiful city for the rest of the day.
Let the Italy adventures begin ????#GoGators pic.twitter.com/4vuMATyWny
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) May 26, 2025
May 26
Following an eventful first day in Italy, the Gators said goodbye to Venice and began the trek to Milan where the team will stay for the remainder of the trip (May 26-29). On the way to what’s known as the "fashion capital" of Italy, the team made a pit stop in Verona. Located in northern Italy’s Veneto region, it’s built between the meandering Adige River and is famous for being the setting of Shakespeare’s “Romero and Juliet.” Players and staff took in the views of one of three existing Colosseum’s left in Italy, the Arena di Verona, before enjoying the shops, the restaurants and the various popular attractions the medieval old town has to offer. After a couple of hours, the team hopped back on the bus and finished their journey to Milan, where everyone enjoyed pizza at Peperino Milano and gelato at Mancuso.
May 27
The Gators spent their morning at the City Centre, a focal point in Milan that features many historic landmarks such as the Duomo (cathedral), the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and the Teatro alla Scala. On top of the many luxurious stores, the area includes famous attractions such as the Pinacoteca di Brera art gallery, Castello Sforzesco and Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. Following their morning, the team played five sets against Italy’s National Team B (18-25, 21-25, 23-25, 23-25, 11-15) at the Centro Pavesi FIPAV, where both programs enjoyed dinner together following the match.
Jaela incoming ??#GoGators pic.twitter.com/x5fnOYaYWR
— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) May 27, 2025
May 28
The Gators concluded their unforgettable European tour with a picturesque and memorable final day at Lake Como, one of Italy’s most iconic and serene destinations. Surrounded by crystal-clear waters, some spent the morning soaking in the stunning scenery with a boat ride, while others walked around the local shops and toured the historical churches and buildings. After taking in the sights and sounds, the team returned to Milan and played five sets against the Italian National Team B (16-25, 20-25, 25-18, 12-25, 10-15) before sitting down for a full-course Italian meal at Ristorante Dal Re.
May 29
The Gators make the trek back to Gainesville tomorrow, having made lifelong memories from a European Tour that blended culture, competition and camaraderie.
