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.
Eleven current Tiger players, Labrador, assistant coach Amy Cox, class of 2010, certified athletic trainer Molly Hopkins and student assistant coach Evan Amstutz, class of 2013 from Perrysburg, Ohio, will fly to Madrid on May 24. The Tigers will play against a semi-pro team from the province of Guadalajara, the Spanish junior national team on back-to-back nights in Soria, a semi-pro team from Madrid, and a club team in the coastal town of Valencia.
"Last fall, we had a lot of freshmen who saw extensive playing time," said Labrador, who has a 323-46 record in 10 years at the helm of the program, including a phenomenal 122-2 mark in North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season play. "They have matured during the spring, and this is a great way to cap the non-traditional season and create momentum for the upcoming 2013 season.
The Tigers huddle during a training session prior to a trip to Spain.
"This is the ultimate road trip, and hopefully it will bring our team closer together while giving them an opportunity to continue to improve."
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.
The Tigers are coming off a 27-5 record in the 2012 season, which included the 15th NCAC regular season and tournament titles in the last 16 years. In 2013, Wittenberg returns five starters, led by the squad's lone senior and team captain Andrea Behling, a middle hitter from Columbus, Ind., who earned honorable mention All-America honors a year ago. Versatile sophomore Kara Seidenstricker from London, Ohio, looks to continue where she left off in 2012, raking in first-team All-America honors, NCAA Division III National Freshman of the Year and NCAC Newcomer and Player of the Year awards.
"This will be our fourth 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. "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."
Written By: Ryan Maurer
Photos By: Erin Pence