2009 Trip to Argentina
May 22 - June 1
The Minnesota State Volleyball Team has trained hard in preparation for their upcoming trip to Argentina. The team is extremely excited for international competition and the opportunity to experience and learn from another culture. Follow along as the Maverick Volleyball Team competes against teams in Buenos Aires and Entre Rios, explores the natural wonder of Iguazu Falls and attempts to Tango with the locals. Updates and photos will be added as often as possible to keep MSU Volleyball fans, family and alumni informed!
"Going to Argentina is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Who know that our love of volleyball would lead us to this? It is truely amazing, and I can't wait to share it with the people who I am closest with," Sophomore Defensive Specialist, Alli Rice #18.
"I'm really excited to have the opportunity to play against national-level teams and enjoy experiencing a new culture. We're looking forward to this adventure!," Senior Right Side, Ally Kwikkel #10.
May 22: Depart for Tour
"We traveled on May 22nd and arrived at our hotel in Argentina on May 23rd at 9am! It was amazing to see the small cars vs our huge trucks. The people are very friendly and it is so interesting to me that English is not spoken by many of the natives. I am getting accustomed to sounding out the words to order the delicious food. We stopped by a gelato stand and I was in heaven! I found my new favorite dessert! The jet lag didn't really effect us too bad. We had a scrimmage yesterday against a local Club volleyball team and we played pretty well! It was a great experience meeting the gir;s and listening to their coach's lead the entire practice in spanish. We were very confused, but the girls were very helpful demonstrating and helping us through the drills. Overall it was an amazing start to the tour and i can't wait to play another local team this afternoon. Stay tuned, there will be plenty more for us to share with you all!"
- Kelly Sandtrom, Senior Defensive Specialist
May 23: Arrive in Buenos Aires
"Saturday the Mavericks arrived to Buenos Aires, Argentina! It also happened to be my 22nd birthday and what a way to celebrate! We've only been here for a day and it's been an experience I'll never forget. Wee took a double-decker bus to our hotel and after checking in, where my roommates and I struggled to turn on our lights and plug in our American appliances, we got ready to head out into the town. We walked around throughout the shops and restaurants of the galleria where the streets were filled with Argentinians and we soaked up the culture. We then came back and changed for what we thought would be a regular practice. When we got to the gym, we were met by a women's club team of Argentina and their non-English speaking coaches ran practice for us. Interacting with the girls, learning new drills, and understanding a little more about what volleyball means to their lives was an experience that was truly unique. We scrimmaged them, spoke with them about their practice schedules, and kissed them on the cheek at the end of practice to say "good game". That evening we went out for pizza and some Birthday gelato to recover from our tough practice. As soon as we were home, we were fast to sleep to rest up for our next big day!! We miss you guys, but we're having fun and we'll share more soon!"
- Danielle Zimmermann, MSU Graduate, Middle Blocker
May 24: Buenos Aires - 1st Competition
"On Sunday, things got a little spooky for the Mavericks down here in Argentina. We went to la Recoletta, a cemetery where the memorials are actually large crypts. The whole family is buried here, either above or below the ground. The crypts lined narrow sidewalks, standing side by side. Stray cats roamed in between the crypts and some of our more adventurous teammates befriended them, then immediately ran to me for antibacterial spray. Outside of la Recoletta, there is a marketplace filled with all the tourist trap souveniors one could hope to buy. I think all of us fell victim to buying at least one piece of jewelry or a boomerang. Lunch was outdoors and I’m almost positive there were more pigeons there then people but luckily no one was pooped on. After lunch, it was time to prepare for our first match. In their (the Argentina National B Team) gym, we faced many challenges; lack of air conditioning being our initial concern. We started the match with jitters and in the first game, got our you-know-whats handed to us. But the second and third games we worked together much better and although we walked away without the win, we know we will be ready for them when we face them again. After a very necessary shower, we headed to dinner at La Charca. We knew we were in for it when we saw a fire pit inside with sides of meat stretched on wooden crosses, slowly roasting. Though many of the Mavericks were apprehensive, dinner turned out to be delicious. Then, it was time for Senor Tango. I’m not sure what we were all expecting, but I for one didn’t think I would see two horses rearing in a dance battling between the Natives of Argentina and the early explorers...and that was just the opening scene. The dancers were incredible; we were all amazed by their core strength…ha Lori. I don’t mean to sound American, but my favorite part was when they performed Roxanne from Moulin Rouge. The male lead vocal sounded exactly like the original singer and the dancing and music was so dramatic. The show closed with the sing “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” complete with flags and confetti. Then it was time for the bus ride home and sleep. Tomorrow is another day and we all can’t wait to see what is in store for us."
- Kimber Kuhl - Junior Middle Blocker
"Well, seeing that Kimber wrote a book about yesterday, I’ll sum it up. We all were prettyfreaked/totally stoked to go through the crypts. All of us were secretly hoping to find an open one so we could go in it. Lunch was delicious, even with pigeons lurking around, waiting for someone to drop some food. Playing the Argentina team was so much fun! They were super good and even though we didn’t do as well as we wanted, I have full confidence that we can beat them the next time we play them. Senor Tango was amazing. Seeing how ripped all the dancers were, was unbelievable. I totally agree with Kimber’s statement in that their core strength was crazy. Now on to what we will encounter tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day that we are going zip-lining and repelling in, and around the Iguazú waterfall. We are also going to be able to see some part of a jungle. Hopefully we will be able to find some monkeys, or some exotic animal. It should all be fun! Can’t wait to actually see how everything turns out!"
- Alli Rice - Sophomore Defensive Specialist
May 25: Site-seeing in Buenos Aires
"Hey homies! Today was pretty great since we actually were able to sleep in a little bit. I havefound that croissants are possibly my new favorite breakfast food, ok, it still takes second to cereal J I have been averaging at least 4 croissants a morning which is why I have been so full of energy each day haha. I believe in carb loading, regardless of what any diet professional would say. Anyways, we then proceeded to have some free time which of course meant for us either A. sleeping or B. shopping. I chose shopping. Brit, Al K, Al Rice, Kelly, Z, Jill, Beeks, and I headed to the Market Place to spend some pesos and fill our bellies. It’s amazing how quickly 3 hours can go by when you are tirelessly searching for the coolest most unique jewelry Argentinian artisans can possibly offer. Needless to say, we had some really great buys. Al Rice and I made friends with a super friendly hemp making man with a few dreads and half of a front tooth. After spending a while getting to know him it was time to eat. We had some pretty bomb nachos and panini.
We then had to quickly catch a cab back to the hotel to get ready to leave for our first actualmatch. After driving to the National Training Center we were able to look around and even get gelato since the basic idea of time here doesn’t really exist. Moral of this story is that we arrived about 4 to the center and made it to our actual game cite around 9. We are becoming pros at hurrying up to wait; but hey, while in Rome right? Two hours on a bus and it was time to actually play a match. I can’t even begin to describe the facilities we played in. It was a small gym, old sport court, wooden benches, and a ceiling leaking large drops of water on our court. There were also a TON of happy fans cheering for both teams. Most exciting for me, a huge line of kids who loved when we gave them high fives. I’ve always said I wanted to be a celebrity and after a taste of that game all I have to say is: watch out Hannah Montana!! We may have not won even one game, but we played tough. I have never seen us play so aggressively and if we can maintain the level we were at next season will be a heck of a show. After the game Jill and I traded shirts with some girls and I gave one my sweaty head band which is where the girl I traded with, Malina, said “I am so happy right now”. My heart melted and I have decided I could live in this country. We ate at a cool restaurant with the Argentinian team and the cook showed us around. Two hours back on a bus, arrived home around 1, had to pack and shower, and we were up again at 5:15. Sleep may not be on the top of our list now, but as far as I’m concerned I have the rest of my life to sleep, well kind of. Wish you could have all come with us, but the stories and pictures will just have to work even if they don’t do this trip even half the justice it is due. I think we are all ready to keep going on adventures and even more ready to take on another Argentinian team. This team is becoming something amazing and I love that I am a part of it. Buenos Noches!!"
- Ally Kwikkel - Senior Right Side
"Hola mis amigos! Today we started by going to our favorite place in Buenos Aires, The Recolleta or the marketplace. I think we have all have spent half our time in Buenos Aires there. After shopping there for 3 very short hours Ally, Al, Kelly, Z, Beeks, Allison, Jill, and I ate at this delicious restaurant, where we could not figure out how to count our pesos to pay for our bill for about a half hour (confusing little buggers J) so we were running late for our 3:30 meeting time. We took a bus to where most of the Argentine National Teams train. It was super cool! And we then waited there for around 2 hours waiting for our bus to bring us and the Argentine team to where we were going to play. While we were waiting we met this dog that we named Nate. He followed us everywhere we went and was protective of us. He was very cute! He even challenged a few cars to protect us. When we were still waiting for our bus ,us, the Argentine team we were going to play, and Nate went to a coffee and gelato shop, and I had the most delicious black coffee I have ever had, and the ice cream was, as always, scrumptious. Then the bus finally came to bring us where we were going to play, and we started to talk to the Argentine team on the bus. The one girl we talked to most was named Eileen, and in true Argentine fashion we found out the match was 2 hours away! We played 20 questions for a full 2 hours and it was a blast! It’s been a staple on the trip since. When we got to the gym there was so many people in there! They all cheered for us as we walked in. Wewere treated as celebrities. It was currently 9 pm when we started our match, the ceiling was dripping on our side of the court, we were sleepy, and just went on a 2 hour unexpected bus trip and the game was one of the most fun I have ever played in my whole life. It was incredible. There was a fantastic crowd, and it was fun to play at such a high level. After the game Alli Rice came sprinting through the court, and ended up slipping on the wet spot on the court and slipped into a baseball slide. It was hilarious! Then we went to eat and met this funny guy named Pedro and our food was once again delicious. On the way back we played twenty questions and gave everyone on our team an animal look alike, and a celebrity look-alike. I am Bambi, partially because of my awkward run J. We got back to our hotel around 2 and didn’t go to bed until 3, and had to wake up at 5! And we were off to start another WONDERFUL day in Argentina!
- Brittany Stamer - Sophomore Setter
May 26: Fly to Iguazu Falls Park
"Going off of maybe two hours of sleep we set off to the airport for our next destination to Iguazú. The plane ride went smoothly as most of us had three seats to ourselves to sprawl out and catch some more sleep. After checking into our hotel, getting some food into our bellies, and taking a quick nap we were off to test our courage. The fun began as the “safari” bus pulled up to our hotel. Acting like little 5 year olds we climbed aboard. Arriving in the middle of the jungle we were faced with our first adventure, propelling from a cliff. One by one we watched each other go down the cliff and slowly disappear. The second adventure was zip lining that went over 1000 meters giving us an amazing view of the jungle from the top down. Back at the hotel we ate a delicious buffet meal and crashed hard getting prepared for an exciting day at the falls."
- Amanda Thompson - Junior Middle Blocker
"I still can’t believe I am in Argentina! Today was another amazing day. It started bright and early with a plane ride to Iguazu. The short plane ride provided us some much needed sleep and after landing and checking into the hotel, we were off on our adventure! A safari bus met us in front of the hotel and took us deep into the jungle. We began our hike and were soon met with our first challenge, propelling down a 20-meter cliff. Everyone had different reactions in the beginning, but after conquering the cliff, we all agreed that it was awesome! Next it was time for zip lining. This began with a 1000-meter hike up shaky wooden stairs. One by one we were hooked up to the zip line and off we went through the jungle. We were able to zip line off of three different platforms and every time the view got better. We were sad to be done but also excited to hit the buffet at the hotel. We filled up on a variety of foods then all returned to our rooms for much needed sleep. Tomorrow we are headed to the national park where we are told breath-taking waterfalls await!"
- Ashley Nachreiner - MSU Graduate, Outside Hitter
May 27: Explore Iguazu Falls Park
"Hola! Today we witnessed one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in my life. After being suckered into buying overpriced ponchos from the man and kid outside the hotel, we went to one of the seven natural wonders of the world: the Iguazú Falls. Words can’t even describe how amazing it was, not a thing went wrong other than losing Aame and Jeri, they were found eventually. We loaded the big orange raft, started at one smaller waterfall and we were all shocked, it was the coolest thing we had ever seen, little did we know that was just the beginning of them. We went to the bottom of some of the waterfalls. After getting absolutely drenched and Lori getting pummeled by a massive wave (we have pictures to prove it) I have never seen so much non stop smiles and laughter in my life. There was literally nothing else you could do but laugh and take it all in. After that we got a chance to prove how un-athletic athletes can be by hiking to every peak and seeing gorgeous views from every angle. As we left and waited for the bus that obviously wasn’t on time, a group of elder Argentines joined us in the waiting area. All of us were standing there waiting when all of a sudden a blow horn went off and they all went crazy. Laughing, hugging, smiling, kissing each other on the cheek and when we asked what they were doing they claimed it was a ‘happy moment’ . Completely caught of guard, they all of a sudden rushed over to us and started doing the exact same thing. They all stood on their tip toes trying to hug and give us kisses on the cheek. It was one of the neatest, unexpected moments ever, we all got goosebumbs, a couple even got teary eyed. I have never seen so many happy and free spirited people in my life. The men of the group claimed to be “much better” and more “romantic” than the American men, not that its too hard to beat in some of our eyes, however, they were pretty persistent on it. They loaded their bus first and ran to the nearest windows and continued to blow us kisses and wave with smiles ear to ear. We came back to the hotel to find our wet clothes we washed the night before to still be soaking wet. We could care less though, and enjoyed the musty smell, basically because we had just had one of the most unforgettable days of our lives. So now after clearing out the restaurant buffet we’re going to load a sweet double -decker bus for a quick 15-18 hour drive head to Rosario. Adios!
- Amanda Beekman - Junior Outside Hitter
May 28: MSU v Sonder Rosario
"Thursday we arrived in Rosario after a 15 hour bus ride, which may seem like an excruciating trip, but it actually was the most restful night of sleep for most of our team. Upon our arrival in the city we learned that our bus driver must moonlight as a magician, as he managed to weave our giant double-decker bus in and out of the tightest situations. After unloading our belongings, we had lunch along the river and Ricey helped us to befriended some of the perros locos- or crazy local dogs, who later caught up with us for our walk to dinner. The main event of the day was competition against a Sonder Club team from Rosario. Although it was a bit of a lesson in humility, we proved to be resilient and fought back after a loss in the first set to win the match 3-1. After the match we had more opportunities to exchange tee-shirts with the local kids that came to watch us, and seeing the smiles that we were able to bring to their faces by simply posing for a picture, or signing an autograph was so rewarding. Only a few more days left of this incredible adventure . . ."
- Allison Kunath - MSU Graduate, Outside Hitter
May 29: MSU v Argentina National Team
"Hola! After a fun day at Rosario we had a short little bus ride back to Buenos Airestoday. When we arrived at our hotel our coaches informed us we had the whole day to go explore some more. That was great news to all of us! Me along with most others took a trip back to La Recoletta which is about a five minute taxi ride. This area is definitely a favorite of most. It contains lots of little street stores filled with jewelry and other great miscellaneous gifts for our wonderful family and friends! After La Recoletta we boarded the bus to travel to our evening match against the national team. Although the game didn’t quite go our way we will hopefully redeem ourselves as we play them again tomorrow. After the match I experienced one of my most rewarding parts of this whole trip. I had given my white jersey to a little boy and the joy on his face almost brought tears to my eyes. He was so grateful he gave me a huge hug and wanted me to sign my jersey in a spot that would be right over his heart. It was so adorable! After all that excitement we enjoyed a great dinner with the national team. Well only a couple days left!!! Chao J
- Erica Jost - Junior, Middle Blocker
"Friday morning we left Rosario and drove four hours back to good ole Buenos Aires. I’m beginning to enjoy the bus rides, because for me it means naptime. After we arrived back to our hotel and got settled back in we had a couple of hours to explore the city some more and purchase more souvenirs, which personally, is my favorite. Kelly, Tex and myself took a trip back over to the market, but unfortunately there were only about five little shops set up. The reasoning for that was because it was a weekday and on the weekends is when all of the shops are usually set up. So after we scanned the few stands that were set up we went and looked for some lunch. We came across this cute little corner café, not sure what it was called, even if I did I don’t think I would know how to pronounce it or spell it, but they had the best food ever. After we were done eating we went back to the hotel and rested for our game that night. We had an eight o’clock game that was about two and half hours away so we left around 6ish. We played a junior national team, who which we play again tonight, Saturday, and we will hopefully be getting a little redemption against. I personally think one of my favorite parts about this trip are the kids that we get to meet after the games. They are so cute, they ask for our shirts and jerseys, some even ask for our headbands and knee pads, it’s a great feeling knowing that you are just brightening up these children’s lives, it’s some what life altering just knowing that people look up to you that much. This trip has been grrrrrreat!"
- Jill Storlie - Sophomore Middle Blocker
May 30: MSU v Argentina National Team
"Today we left the hotel at 11 am and traveled a few miles to go watch the Argentina Men’s National Volleyball team practice. We walked into this gorgeous gym and watched. Ttheir practice for a couple hours. I was amazed at how coordinated and well they practiced. It was really inspiring to see how these men play volleyball and how talented they were. I was in awe watching the LIbero pass and dig, I got goosebumps because I was getting so antsy to play in our last match in Argentina. I could tell our team was also.
The travel time to the game was 2.5 hours and we were having fun the entire way there. Our team has never been quiet or shy, I think we may have interrupted the opposing team’s naptime because we all shared a bus.
After a not so great match against one of the professional club teams the night before, we were ready for some revenge on Saturday night. I wish I could describe feeling of the team when we were warming up and during the match. You could literally feel the energy between us and even though we lost, the team made a huge step forward by overcoming our battles and simply playing every point for our team.
The crowd at all of our games has been unforgettable! The kids love volleyball, the parents of the kids are huge supporters of the club and they fed us after our matches! It was amazing to feel that much support and love from people we have never met and will never see again. The fans were there to watch good volleyball, they cheered for the Argentina team, but also applauded us when we got announced and when we entered the gym.
After our final match on Saturday night, we were swarmed with high school aged kids and were asked for our autographs, our facebook name, jerseys, t-shirts, pretty much anything that they could have! The people after the match were very nice people who had a lot of great things to say to our team. I had a blast after the match because it made me want to create an environment in our home gym that would be unforgettable to the people who come and support the Mavs.
This entire trip has been inspiring in my volleyball career as well as in my personal life. I am so thankful that we were blessed with the opportunity to go on this trip and be a part of such a different culture, but feel completely welcomed at the same time. Playing against such high level teams in Argentina was an amazing experience. This team is ready for any challenge ahead and this trip helped us get to that point. We are preparing for next season and I am so excited to show all the fans a great time watching us plow through teams in the Fall. We have all come together as a team and we have one goal in mind, and that is what made this trip so remarkable. Thank you for reading our updates as we experienced this fantastic tour.
Stay tuned for next Fall, an unforgettable season with the Mavs ;)"
- Kelly Sandstrom - Senior Defensive Specialist
May 31: MSU says "Adios" to Buenos Aires
"To cap off an amazing experience in Argentina, the team decided to tour a few different "barrios" in Buenos Aires. We started by taking taxis to an area called "la Boca" famous for its colorful building, lively streets and addiction to fútbol. The description did not disappoint. The players found many street vendors and shops to use up any remaining pesos.
From "la Boca" we again reluctantly took taxis (they are aggressive drivers) to "Palermo", the Argentine equivalent of Soho. We ate well at a delicious cafe, enjoying our final Argentine sustenance, and then toured the endless vendors, shops, art displays and cafes.
I can not begin to explain how impressed, grateful and changed I am for not only the trip to Argentina and all its experiences, but to have shared these many adventures with the team. Minnesota State and the USA (as they are one in the same for the citizens of Argentina) should be proud to be represented by such compassionate, talented and amazing women. From the entire MSU Volleyball Program I want to thank all who made this tour possible. We are forever grateful for the opporutnity."
- Lori Rittenhouse-Wollmuth - MSU Assistant Volleyball Coach
June 1: Arrive in Minneapolis
