May 4, 2016
THE FLATS – The Georgia Tech volleyball team wraps up finals on Thursday, and then is packing its bags and heading to Brazil for an 11-day tour which includes trips to Rio de Janeiro, Buzios and Sᾶo Paulo. The tour stretches from May 6 – 17, and Tech will play approximately seven matches against Brazilian under-21 club teams.
Follow all the action with the #GTVBinBrazil blog – Bom Dia from Brazil – updated every morning of the trip, here.
“We are very thankful to the Institute, Athletic Association and the donors who made this trip possible, and that we get to go to Brazil and have this experience firsthand,” head coach Michelle Collier said.
“The volleyball there is very good, and the concepts are similar to what we do in the gym, so I think it would be a good translation of what the team can learn and see how much people there love the game. Some of the things we’re asking for in our gym culture, to have passion and energy, I think it would be good for them to see that in person.
“This trip is going to provide them an opportunity to learn new things and experience a different culture. It will really help us come together as a team so we can keep growing in that aspect as well. I think this trip encompasses a lot of things we need to get better at, that we could work on as a team, which will help us this coming fall.”
After a nine and a half hour overnight flight on May 5, the Jackets will land in Rio de Janeiro and hit the ground running with a site-seeing adventure to the Corcovado Mountain and an afternoon practice.
The Jackets will play the following matches in Rio de Janeiro:
May 7 – three matches in a tournament against Tijuca, Botafogo, and Flamengo
May 10 – 1 match vs. Fluminense
While in Rio de Janeiro the team will take in a soccer game at Maracanᾶ stadium, visit the Sugarloaf Mountains, and hike the Tijuca Forest. The team will bus to Buzios on May 11 for two days, stopping at the National Volleyball Training Center in Saquarema, Brazil, before making the eight-hour bus trip to Sᾶo Paulo.
The Jackets play the following matches in Sᾶo Paulo:
May 14 – 1 match vs. Pinheiros
May 16 – 1 match vs. Bradesco
May 17 – 1 match vs. Sᾶo Caetano
The Jackets last day in Sᾶo Paulo is May 17, and the team lands in Atlanta the morning of May 18.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech volleyball team, follow us on Twitter (@GTVolleyball), Instagram (GTVolleyball), Facebook (Georgia Tech Volleyball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.