In the bus, we all were laughing and talking and getting to know each other. I could tell that the friendships I was making were going to last forever. At about 1:00 am we pulled up to Casa Gioiosa, a small convent in the mountains where we would stay. There were about four girls to a room with a bathroom in each. We all settled in and went to sleep, eagerly awaiting what the next day would bring.

The next morning, a few of us went running in the mountains. I have never seen a more beautiful view. Green mountains seemed to go on forever. Later, we had our first practice on a small court behind the convent. It was fun to be outside playing with everyone and getting to know our teammates on the court. We split into our two teams that afternoon. The Blue team was About.com and the Red team was Volleyhut.com. We got our jerseys and shorts and a long and short sleeve T-shirt in our team color.

That night, there was a big parade for all the teams in the main town of Comunanza. We gathered in the town square with baton twirlers and a band. All the people came to welcome and watch. We could tell that this tournament was a huge deal in these towns and we felt special. We ate dinner in Comunanza with all the teams and everyone who was helping with the tournament.

The next day, we practiced in the morning on the Montemonaco court. Afterwards, we did some shopping in the town of Comunanza. It was awesome to experience the Italian culture. I walked around with my Italian-English dictionary and tried to communicate in Italian. We went in and out of all the little shops pointing out things that made their country unique. Before we went to dinner, we spent a couple hours at a man-made lake that was near by. The water was wonderful. We even took turns jumping off a bridge that went over the lake.

We had our first match that night, so we drove a mini van to the town of Force. We walked around the town before dinner at 7:00. We played Italy that night at 9:30 pm in Force. That first night was the most interesting because we were still getting used to being outside and this time under the lights. Not to mention that it was pretty windy that night. But, we had a great time playing together and laughing when the wind took the ball where ever it wanted. All the towns people came to watch us beat Italy in four of five games that night.

The next three days we spent on the beach by the Adriatic Sea. We all worked on our tans and played in a 3 on 3 beach volleyball tournament. The USA had 6 teams and two finished 2nd and 3rd. All the teams were there so we talked with them and got to know people who weren't on our team too. The other teams we played against were: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Budapest, Belgrade and two Italian teams.

After each day at the beach we headed off to dinner and our match that was at 9:30 pm every night. We played games in Montemonaco, Force, Montefalcone, and Comunanza. Each night the people of each town came to watch and cheer for the USA. We could tell we were heroes to the kids who watched as we listened to them chant "USA" throughout the match. They made us feel like superstars when they all asked for our autographs after each match. It was awesome to feel so proud to be from the United States.

One day towards the end of the week, we went to a winery and learned about the wine making process. We had a chance to taste the wine and most bought a bottle for family and friends. Some also bought bottles of olive oil to take home. That same afternoon, we went to the largest town around called Ascoli Piceno. We shopped and ate there and experienced even more of the Italian culture in a big city.

On the last night, the Red Team, Volleyhut.com, played Belgrade, Yugoslavia in the Championship. We had lost to Belgrade earlier in the week so we knew that the match would be tough. There was a huge crowd and the USA fought for victory as they won 3 games to 1. It was very close and very exciting. It was one of the most fun and exciting games I have ever played in. One of the best things about it was that our team had not even known each other for a week and we won a Championship! It was amazing!! Our trophy was huge and everyone celebrated. That night, there was a huge party. There was music and dancing and everyone was there. This party was a really big event and meant a lot to the Italians. We couldn't stay for a long time because we had to catch flights in the morning, but we still had a blast.

Everyone who helped make the tournament possible did a great job. It was very organized and we always had people helping us and translating. We really appreciate all the time and effort they put into this tournament to make sure that everything goes smoothly and that everyone is happy.

Besides the volleyball experience being fantastic, most of the memories that I will cherish forever are of the people I met and the friends I made. It was like we were all automatic buddies. And the way that our teams gelled was amazing. I met so many people that I know I will keep in touch with for a long time. Some feel like best friends. I even keep in touch with some girls from the other teams and some of the people who helped with the tournament. I loved learning about the cultures of the girls from different countries. I will never forget our coaches either. They were great! Cory, John, Cory, and Krista made sure we all had a great time and did really well coaching a team that they only knew for a few days. I really had a good time playing for them. They all made my trip even more memorable.

This tour to Italy was definitely an unforgettable and fantastic experience. I love showing friends and family all the pictures I took and laughing about all the good times I had. A huge thanks to Tim Kelly for making it all possible and giving us all such an unbelievable opportunity. We are all truly grateful.

* Katie was the team captain for champions, Volleyhut.com, and also won the "Best Setter" award for the tournament.