Blog: Ducks Flying High in Slovenia
06/22/19 | Women's Volleyball
The Oregon volleyball team is currently on an 11-day European tour with stops in the Czech Republic (Prague), Austria (Vienna), Slovenia (Maribor) and Italy (Venice and Milan). In the third blog entry of the trip, redshirt freshman Kylie Robinson details the Ducks' first two days in Maribor, Slovenia.
June 22, 2019
By Kylie Robinson - Redshirt Freshman Setter
After hours in driving on the bus, we had finally made it to our next destination: Maribor, Slovenia. As we walked into the hotel, our guide, Kiki, had us take a quick scan of our surroundings before we headed in. With a casual manner, and a steady serious toned voice pointed at the tallest mountainside, Mt, Pohorje, Kiki said that we would be going down that mountain in the morning before our match. Needless to say, our first day in Maribor started out with a rush of excitement and, for me especially, a bit of nerves.
In the morning, after eating breakfast, we gathered our things and headed to our meeting point outside of the hotel where Kiki explained what we were doing for the morning portion of our day. Beginning with the descent down the notorious "Alpine Slides" to the bottom of the Pohorje Ski Resort followed by a lunch with a view before heading back to the hotel where our match for the day was held, the plan seemed flawless, the only problem being the hike up the seemingly vertical mountainside. Measuring in at an astounding 1,800 feet in the air, the slides began at the top, thankfully though we had the option to hike up the mountain or to use the ski lifts. With a sigh of relief, the team quietly looked around and, without a word, headed to the ski lift.
Though there were some brave soldiers among us, those being Rad (our weight trainer), Kiki, Jason (Chid's husband), and Coach Ulmer, who did end up scaling the mountainside. Once at the top, we were strapped into little single-rider carts with a lever to stop and go. Speeding down the slope you could see the amazing view of Maribor, and for me, how terrified I am of heights. After we headed back up the Alpine were we had lunch together before our last run down the slide.
That same day, hours later, we played the Albanian U-19 team where, as a team, we were able to work on the individual and group aspect of our play. Ending with a win, our experience in Maribor was off on the right track.
That night for dinner we went back up Mt. Pohorje, this time via gondolas, for a barbeque dinner at a cute small restaurant out looking the city. After a packed day we went to sleep in the blink of an eye, or in my case, my roommate Taylor Borup did mid-conversation, not really blinking but slowly having less and less to say on our conversation before I realized I was talking to myself.
The next morning, we biked to Downtown Maribor (all making it there alive), where we saw the oldest grapevine in the world and were set free to venture the downtown. Accompanying me to a café where we had the best crepes and iced coffee I have ever had was Morgan Lewis, Willow Johnson, Taylor Borup, Alex Laita, and our amazing managers, Olivia Normand, Kacey Johnson, and Sam Berman. After doing some souvenir searching, we then met up with our guide and biked back to our hotel and got ready for our game against the U18 Croatian team, where we started out with a bang in the first set with Willow Johnson putting us in a great position for success with her long serving run. Also ending in a win we then ate dinner downtown, had some tasty gelato and are now off to bed, getting ready for tomorrow! Go Ducks!
June 22, 2019
By Kylie Robinson - Redshirt Freshman Setter
After hours in driving on the bus, we had finally made it to our next destination: Maribor, Slovenia. As we walked into the hotel, our guide, Kiki, had us take a quick scan of our surroundings before we headed in. With a casual manner, and a steady serious toned voice pointed at the tallest mountainside, Mt, Pohorje, Kiki said that we would be going down that mountain in the morning before our match. Needless to say, our first day in Maribor started out with a rush of excitement and, for me especially, a bit of nerves.
In the morning, after eating breakfast, we gathered our things and headed to our meeting point outside of the hotel where Kiki explained what we were doing for the morning portion of our day. Beginning with the descent down the notorious "Alpine Slides" to the bottom of the Pohorje Ski Resort followed by a lunch with a view before heading back to the hotel where our match for the day was held, the plan seemed flawless, the only problem being the hike up the seemingly vertical mountainside. Measuring in at an astounding 1,800 feet in the air, the slides began at the top, thankfully though we had the option to hike up the mountain or to use the ski lifts. With a sigh of relief, the team quietly looked around and, without a word, headed to the ski lift.
Though there were some brave soldiers among us, those being Rad (our weight trainer), Kiki, Jason (Chid's husband), and Coach Ulmer, who did end up scaling the mountainside. Once at the top, we were strapped into little single-rider carts with a lever to stop and go. Speeding down the slope you could see the amazing view of Maribor, and for me, how terrified I am of heights. After we headed back up the Alpine were we had lunch together before our last run down the slide.
That same day, hours later, we played the Albanian U-19 team where, as a team, we were able to work on the individual and group aspect of our play. Ending with a win, our experience in Maribor was off on the right track.
That night for dinner we went back up Mt. Pohorje, this time via gondolas, for a barbeque dinner at a cute small restaurant out looking the city. After a packed day we went to sleep in the blink of an eye, or in my case, my roommate Taylor Borup did mid-conversation, not really blinking but slowly having less and less to say on our conversation before I realized I was talking to myself.
The next morning, we biked to Downtown Maribor (all making it there alive), where we saw the oldest grapevine in the world and were set free to venture the downtown. Accompanying me to a café where we had the best crepes and iced coffee I have ever had was Morgan Lewis, Willow Johnson, Taylor Borup, Alex Laita, and our amazing managers, Olivia Normand, Kacey Johnson, and Sam Berman. After doing some souvenir searching, we then met up with our guide and biked back to our hotel and got ready for our game against the U18 Croatian team, where we started out with a bang in the first set with Willow Johnson putting us in a great position for success with her long serving run. Also ending in a win we then ate dinner downtown, had some tasty gelato and are now off to bed, getting ready for tomorrow! Go Ducks!
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballTrent Kersten | Postgame vs. Michigan
Sunday, November 23
Trent Kersten | Postgame vs. USC
Thursday, November 20
Trent Kersten | Postgame vs. Michigan State
Monday, November 10
Trent Kersten & Alanah Clemente | Postgame vs. UCLA
Friday, November 07
