By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- The 14 returning players on the 2018 Willamette University volleyball team will be traveling to Costa Rica this summer, along with Head Coach Tom Shoji and Assistant Coach Riley Fawcett. The Bearcats will play three international exhibition matches during their trip, which will begin on August 8 and conclude on August 15. Following the trip, the returning players will meet the newcomers as the complete team begins preseason practices for Willamette's 2018 regular season schedule.
Willamette volleyball players will participate in two community service projects, go on a zip-lining excursion and see the Arenal Volcano during their stay in Costa Rica. While the three exhibition matches will provide memorable experiences for the Bearcats, perhaps the greatest part of the trip will be interacting with young athletes and community members from another culture.
The trip was organized by Beyond Sports Tours, which was co-founded by former Willamette athletes Josh Erickson ('07, MBA '10) and Grant Leslie ('09, MBA '10).
Bearcat volleyball players have been working tournaments and camps to help pay for the trip, as well as soliciting donations from friends and family. The players will each have to pay for a portion of the trip themselves, but feel that the experience gained will be worth the hard work and the cost.
