MORGANTOWN, W.Va.  – The 2019-20 academic year at West Virginia University officially kicked off on Wednesday, with students heading to the first day of class. It was a different view one week ago for members of the women's basketball team, who spent last Wednesday sitting by the Mediterranean Sea in Greece as they capped a European tour.
 
The Mountaineers spent 11 days abroad, making their way from Rome to Sorrento in Italy before hopping a short flight to cap the tour in Athens. In addition to a pair of contests against European national teams, the travel party toured plenty of famous landmarks and experienced local food and desserts at each stop.
 
Accompanying the team and staff were several donors and supporters. Mountaineer Athletic Club members Terri and T Sigley, Paul and Mary Feldmeier and Byron and Susan Witt joined the trip, as did Hoops N' Heels member Kate Covich, wife of WVU golf coach Sean Covich. Cheryl Carey, wife of coach Mike Carey, and Liz Allen, wife of strength and conditioning coach Zack Allen, rounded out the crew.
 
"The reason we wanted to support the women's basketball team is we have always admired the heart and intensity that coach Carey and his players always bring to the basketball court and we wanted to support that," Terry Sigley said. "In addition, traveling with the women's basketball team is like traveling with family. They make you feel welcome every step of the way."
 
The travel part departed Morgantown on Sunday, Aug. 4, and headed to Washington Dulles International Airport. After an overnight flight, the crew landed in Rome and immediately hit the ground running Monday morning. Following a quick stop for brunch, the players, staff and supporters set out on a guided tour of the Colosseum, learning some history of Imperial Rome along the way. They capped their first day in Italy with a meal at a local restaurant, dining on antipasti, risotto, fish and, of course, tiramisu, cannoli and cappuccino.
 
On Tuesday, the Mountaineers made the short jaunt to Vatican City, where they took in the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica in another guided tour. Several players, staff and supporters visited the
 
"I loved seeing the artwork and learning the history of it," said freshman guard Kirsten Deans.
 
Deans, along with junior guard Arleighshya McElroy, made her WVU debut later that evening when the Mountaineers faced the Dutch National Team in Rome. Deans led the way with 10 points for West Virginia, while senior guard Lucky Rudd added nine. However, the game was called midway through the fourth quarter.
 
The following day, the players took the morning off while the staff and supporters headed out to visit the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. Several members of the party dined on local delicacies such as pasta, fresh seafood and gelato. After returning to the hotel for a group dinner, the players joined the crew in returning to Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain for shopping and dessert.
 
Thursday morning the group packed up and checked out of their hotel in Rome before boarding a bus bound for Sorrento. After stopping for pizza at the base of Mount Vesuvius, the team made another pit stop in Pompeii. Led by tour guide Rosemary, the Mountaineer spent two hours touring the ruins and learning the history of the town frozen in time. The bus then continued on to Sorrento, where the group checked into a hotel with a picturesque view overlooking the Bay of Naples before heading to Via San Cesareo for dinner and sightseeing.
 
Over the next few days, staff members and supporters took the ferry to nearby Capri for a day of dining and shopping. Most took the Capri funicular from Marina Grande to the Piazza Umberto I. After a conditioning workout, the players had the opportunity to relax by the beautiful pool on the property. The chance to rest was much appreciated as the team held a full practice in nearby Vico Equense. The journey to the facility may have required more effort than the practice itself, as the local police had to intervene to help the bus navigate the tiny streets of the town. The group then capped their time on the coast a pizza-making class at a local cooking school Saturday evening.
 
The crew departed Sorrento early Sunday morning, making its way to the airport in Naples for the quick flight to Greece. Upon landing in Athens, the group checked into the hotel before the coaches and players departed for practice in a training hall the O.A.C.A. Olympic Indoor Hall. They ended the long day with dinner at a traditional Greek restaurant.
 
As the team rested for its evening contest, the staff and supporters took a leisurely walking tour of the Plaka District Monday morning. The group visited the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation, the Cathedral of the Archbishopric of Athens and all Greece, as well as the pint-sized Church of St. Eleftherios next-door.
 
That evening, the Mountaineers took on the Greek National Team in the main arena O.A.C.A. Olympic Indoor Hall, which hosted the basketball finals during the 2004 Olympic Games. Despite a valiant effort late in regulation, West Virginia fell to Hellas by a score of 50-47. McElroy led the way with a 13-point effort, while sophomore guard Madisen Smith had 12 points in the contest. Ironically, two of Greece's starting five – Artemis Spanou and Anna Niki Stamolamprou – played at Robert Morris where they rank among the all-time leaders.
 
With the basketball portion of the trip complete, the Mountaineers set off to see the sights on Tuesday. The party spent the morning on a driving tour of Athens. After a quick stop to view the Panathenaic Stadium, the site of the first modern Olympics in 1896, the crew set out for the Acropolis. Most of the group took a guided tour to the top, where they were able to visit the Parthenon, the Erechtheum, the Odean of Herodes Atticus and the Temple of Athena Nike, among other sites. After several hours at the Acropolis, the group ate lunch in the historic Plaka District and returned to the Plaka that evening for dinner and shopping.
 
The team spent its final full day in Greece at Balux Prive, a beach club at nearby Glyfada Beach where players got to spend the better part of the morning in the Mediterranean Sea. After departing the beach, some members of the party returned to the pool at the Hilton Athens to continue the afternoon. The group capped the tour with dinner overlooking the Acropolis that evening before departing for the U.S. on Thursday.
 
In addition to both basketball and historical experiences, the group was able to bond as a team. In addition to six veterans, four newcomers made the trip, giving the Mountaineers the chance to come together as a team before practice starts at the end of September.
 
"It was a once in a lifetime experience," said Rudd. "I'm happy I got to experience it with my teammates."