Wittenberg Volleyball Team Prepares For Educational Trip To Spain

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Wittenberg University's volleyball team annually travels the country in search of the best competition, a practice that has contributed to 17 straight NCAA Division III Tournament berths. For the fourth time in the last 10 years, Head Coach Paco Labrador and his nationally ranked squad will take their game overseas with a 13-day trip to Spain.

Thirteen current Tiger players, Labrador, assistant coach Evelyn Carus, and Assistant Athletic Director Leah Poiner will fly to Madrid on May 22. The Tigers will play against Semi-pro teams in Madrid and Valencia, as well as the Spanish junior National Team.

"Last fall, we were led by a solid core of Seniors, so building our new identity has been a priority this Spring," said Labrador, who has a 406-62 record in 13 years at the helm of the program, including a phenomenal 146-2 mark in North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season play.

"This trip couldn't come at a better time.  The extra weeks of training, traveling and bonding will be productive and fun."

Along the way, Labrador expects his players to absorb the educational opportunities and cultural experiences that come with international travel. The travel group will be exposed to different kinds of food, customs and traditions, in addition to sightseeing trips to such sites as El Prado Museum in Madrid, the Roman Cathedral in Toledo and the famous Alcazar of Segovia.

The team has hosted Junior Olympic tournaments and clinics to raise money for the trip. The focus of the trip, which has become a tradition during Labrador's run as Wittenberg's head coach, is to build team unity, gain valuable playing experience against top-level competition and to experience a different culture.

"This will be our fifth trip to Spain as a program. Each season immediately following a Spain trip has included unprecedented success," said Labrador, who led the Tigers to an NCAA Division III national championship in 2011 and a 29-3 finish in 2015 that included a trip to the national championship game. "Every student-athlete who comes through our program will have the opportunity to travel abroad once in their four years (per NCAA regulations), which is something we're very proud of at Wittenberg."

Fans can check our Facebook and twitter pages for real-time updates during training week and the tour in Spain.