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Cailey Dockery

Volleyball Foreign Tour Blog

Follow the Irish as they tour and compete in Europe, May 26-June 7
Featured in this article
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Cailey Dockery

The Notre Dame women’s volleyball program traveled overseas to Europe for it’s 2025 Foreign Tour, May 26-June 7. Visiting and competing in four different countries over 12 days, the Irish made stops in Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, and Greece.

Flying from Chicago to Croatia, the Irish spent their first afternoon in Croatia before heading to Slovenia for more team adventures and to prepare for their first two matches of the trip.

The Irish stayed in Slovenia for a few days before heading to back to Croatia on Friday, May 30. They spent two nights right on the water in Pula as they eagerly anticipated the travel to Venice, Italy on Sunday morning.

Arriving in Italy in the afternoon, the Irish stayed about 10 minutes away from Venice, where they took water taxis into the beautiful city. On Monday, the Irish were set to play their fourth match of the tour and first match in Italy.

Tuesday morning, the Irish were back on the road! They arrived in Athens, Greece that afternoon and set off to Nafplio. In Nafplio, the Irish took a break from some matches and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Completing their foreign tour in Athens, the Irish played their fifth match of the trip against a local club team and enjoyed the historical sights of Athens.

After visiting the Panathenaic Stadium and Parthenon on Friday, the Irish traveled back to the United States on Saturday with memories that will last a lifetime.

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DAY ELEVEN – GREECE

  • The Irish spent their final day in Athens enjoying the historical sights of the city.
  • After visiting the Panathenaic Stadium early that morning, the Irish had the chance to shop before getting gyros for lunch.
  • Despite the heat, the Irish made the trek to the very top of the Parthenon to take in the sights of the Acropolis.
  • The Irish concluded their night with a dinner downtown, enjoying the company of family who traveled with great food and live music.

 

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DAY TEN – GREECE

  • The Irish left Nafplio to head to Athens, but not before making a pit stop on the way by the water. While waiting for lunch, the team enjoyed some time by the pool and water.
  • Later that night, the team played a local club team in Athens and enjoyed pizza with the team afterwards.

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DAY NINE – GREECE

  • The Irish enjoyed a nice breakfast on the rooftop of the hotel before setting off on their first boat ride of the day. The Irish took a boat out to an island just off the coast, enjoying the water, sights, and great food for lunch as it was prepared fresh from the staff on the boat.
  • The Irish then took a boat out to Bourtzi Fortress for a quick trip before going out for a nice dinner as the sun set.

"As I think back on our adventure these past twelve days, Greece is the most memorable. The food, the culture, the ancient architecture, and the beautiful landscape hold special places in my heart (and my photo library). Our time in Greece began with a drive through the mountains to Nafplio, a beautiful seaside town holding castles, some amazing coffee, and the world’s best sunsets. Hiking up to the castle early in the morning was one of my favorite memories of this trip, from the quality time with our group to the awesome panoramic views of all of Greece and the ocean beyond. Nafplio also included a boat day, where the team sat in the sun, swam in the crystal clear sea, and ate a delicious home cooked Grecian meal. Athens, the capital of Greece is a combination of ancient structures and modern architecture, bringing a sense of awe with every turn. Even driving this early morning, I still think of the views of the Acropolis from our hotel and being able to walk to get dinner and gelato. Learning about the Acropolis and the Olympic stadium was incredible, hearing the vast history and intricate work behind the architecture. I am so grateful that we were able to spend so much time in Greece! It is a beautiful country with a rich history, delicious food, and I am counting down the days until I return!" - Grace Langer

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DAY EIGHT – ITALY/GREECE

  • Notre Dame flew out early Tuesday morning as they ventured to their final country of the tour – Greece.
  • They landed in Athens around 4 p.m. and after a fantastic Greek lunch, they made their way to Nafplio.
  • The Irish had a beautiful dinner on the hotel rooftop, celebrating Cailey Dockery’s birthday.
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DAY SEVEN – ITALY

  • The Irish were off to play their fourth match of the foreign tour, making a few stops on the way.
  • Playing at the CMP arena in Bassano del Grappa that evening, the Irish stopped first in Padua for lunch and sightseeing. They also stopped at Cittadella, a walled in city.
  • They faced a local Italian club team and stayed afterward for pizza and fellowship with the opposing team.

"Italy was so special and unique! Every corner I turned there was something new and all the buildings were old and beautiful. The food was excellent and the shops were great, not to mention the one of a kind boat ride into Venice." - Maya Evens

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DAY SIX – CROATIA / ITALY

  • Waking up and eating breakfast at the hotel in Pula, Croatia, the Irish then hit the road for a three-hour bus ride to the City of Water.
  • After checking in at the hotel, the Irish took water taxis into Venice where they had an afternoon and evening full of great sights and great food.
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DAY FIVE – CROATIA

  •  The Irish spent the morning downtown for lunch and sightseeing, enjoying the views of the Pula Arena.
  • During the day, the Irish spent the day relaxing by the pool and at the beach, enjoying the Adriatic Sea.

"Since my first visit in high school, Croatia has remained one of my favorite countries to visit. I feel incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to return—this time with my Notre Dame family—so soon. The delicious food, breathtaking views of the Adriatic, and the warmth of the local culture make it so difficult to leave!" - Cailey Dockery

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DAY FOUR – SLOVENIA / CROATIA

  • The Irish left Maribor on Friday morning and traveled to the capital city of Ljubljana, Slovenia for lunch along the beautiful river that ran through the city.
  • Driving to Koper next, which is close to the Slovenia and Croatia border, the Irish faced a local Slovenian team and enjoyed some pizza postgame.
  • Driving an hour and a half to the hotel in Pula, the Irish ran off the bus just in time to catch the sunset on the coast.

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DAY THREE – SLOVENIA

  • The Irish left the hotel early Thursday morning to take the bus into downtown Maribor for some sightseeing on the river, shopping, and lunch.
  • Notre Dame faced the Austria National Team again later in the afternoon. Many of our parents were in attendance for our first two matches to support!
  • The whole team and all of the families in town then took a 40 minute bus ride to the top of one of the mountains to eat dinner at the beautiful Doppler Winery.
  • Once retuning to the hotel that night, the Irish packed up to head out early Friday morning for Croatia.
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DAY TWO – SLOVENIA

  • The Irish had lunch with a view! Taking a ski lift up, the mountain coaster down was an absolute must.
  • Notre Dame took on the Austria National Team in their first match of the trip.
  • Heading even further up the mountain, the Irish took a gondola lift to the very top to eat an exclusive dinner at a local restaurant.

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"I was so excited to visit Slovenia, my favorite country. It was exciting to see the culture again, wander through the town, go alpine sliding, and embrace the slower pace living style Maribor has always had. Having Slovenia as one of our first stops made it even more special, because I got to share a piece of my favorite place with some of the people I care about most." - Sydney Helmers

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DAY ONE – USA / CROATIA / SLOVENIA

  • Flew from Chicago to Europe with a connecting flight in Vienna, Austria before landing in Zagreb, Croatia
  • The Irish spent the afternoon sightseeing and getting lunch in the capital.
  • After exploring the city, the Irish took a bus to Maribor, Slovenia where they enjoyed dinner at the Draš Center.
  • In Maribor, the Irish will play two matches along with doing some exploring of the city and mountainside.

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