Bronx, N.Y. – For the third time in the program's history, members of the Fordham volleyball team have been invited to represent the United States and compete with USA Athletes International (USAAI) in overseas competition. Both
Olivia Fairchild and
Natalie Martinez have accepted invitations to travel to Europe and compete over the next two weeks in the Donitas, Kroton, and Veracles (DKV) Volleyball Tournaments, one held solely in Groningen, Holland, as well as the DKV Plus Tournament, which is also held in Brussels, Belgium. For the first time in school history, the Rams will also have a coaching representative as head coach
Gini Ullery will be coaching Fairchild's squad, which will compete in the DKV Plus Tournament.
Martinez's tournament kicks off on Saturday, May 27, and runs until June 5. She and her teammates will play warm-up matches in Amsterdam on days three and four of the trip before traveling to Groningen for round-robin style play over days seven and eight, with the finals held the night of the 8
th. Fairchild and Coach Ullery will arrive in Amsterdam on May 31 and compete the following day before heading to Groningen for two days of tournament action. The duo will then head to Brussels to take on the Belgian Junior National squad and a Dutch club team, before heading home on June 9.
"I am ecstatic that Natalie decided to go back another year. She is gaining great on court experience and an opportunity to see some different parts of the country," Ullery said, "I am looking forward to coaching this group oversees and am excited that Fairchild is on my team. I think this experience to travel and compete is a great opportunity for these student athletes. The culture they get to be a part of and to see how other countries function is a great bonus for them."
For Martinez, this will be the second straight year in which she has participated in the overseas competition. Last summer, the rising junior traveled to Munich, Germany, Innsbruck, Austria, and Venice, Italy, for three matches in the Bavaria to the Beach Volleyball Tournament. In 2015, Brennan Delsing and Brianna O'Neil traveled with USAAI for the European Metropolis Tour, competing in England, France, Belgium, and Holland.
"I am very excited to be playing for USAAI against this year. I had a blast last year in Germany, Italy and Austria and now I'm excited to explore the Netherlands and see what their volleyball has to offer." said Martinez.
"I am ecstatic to be going overseas to play for the USAAI team," remarked Fairchild, "I want to play professionally once I graduate so I believe this to be a great opportunity to gain insight and experience in that realm."
Follow along on the team's social media pages (@FordhamVB on Twitter and fordhamvb on Instagram) throughout the duration of the experience!
The event gives an excellent opportunity for athletes to foster international goodwill and friendship among nations, while also promoting the game. With the exception of the US Olympic program, there are few opportunities for athletes to experience the competition, history and culture of other countries on an international level.
Established in 1992, USA Athletes International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to giving amateur athletes such an opportunity. You can find additional information about USA Athletes International by visiting
www.usaai.org.
