The past few days in Italy have been even more exciting than expected. We won our first Italian game on Monday and are hoping to play tough and get another win tonight! Although our trip is coming to an end and we are on our last stop to Lake Como, we are enthused about what adventures still await. Many pictures have been taken and I cannot wait to show them to everyone. Mom, how does Mexican sound on Friday when we return? Please no more Italian!! Cannot wait to see you guys.
Aly Bisci

Our trip is quickly coming to an end and many of us are ready to get back home to our families, air conditioners, ice cold drinks and cheeseburgers but we’ll be sad to see this once in a lifetime opportunity to travel the Italian countryside come to an end. We have created many memories that we’ll never forget like; our first victory, our team dinner with John Carlo at a “real” Italian restaurant and many more we can share when we get back in the states. Hope all is well, see you soon!!
Amanda Brown

As we make our way to our last location here in Italy, we are very excited to see what Lake Como has in store for us! Spending the last few days in the countryside was a nice contrast to the city of Rome; it is much more peaceful and the landscape views were absolutely breathtaking. Winning our first game the other night made the experience of playing in Italy even sweeter! We hope to grab another W tonight as well. I must say this trip has gone very quickly, but we have plenty of pictures, stories and experiences to tell you all about when we return. See you soon!
Lauren Fornazor

Italy has been an experience of a lifetime so far and I think there will be so much more to come as we travel to Lake Como. I have seen more amazing sites here than ever before. The food, culture, and the atmosphere have been so enjoyable. Unfortunately our trip is nearing the end and we will only be staying here for another two days. Time has gone by so fast and before we know it we will be flying back to the states. We cannot wait to share all our memories and pictures with everyone back home. Ciao!
Kate Harrison


We are on our way to our last destination, Como. The past couple days have been amazing. Tuscany was so breathtaking and I have taken so many pictures that I’ll show you mom when I get home. We won our first game on Monday night and hope to get another one tonight! Our wonderful experience in Italy is quickly coming to an end. These memories and experience I will always keep with me and I can’t wait to share them with everyone back at home. Como awaits us and we are all very excited to see what it is like and maybe we will even see George Clooney! Hope all is well! See you soon!
Kirsty Stearns

As we make our way to our last destination in Italy we are all very anxious to see what Lake Como is like. Tuscany was so beautiful and definitely my favorite place we have visited so far. I have taken tons of pictures and can’t wait to share them with everyone when I get home. Though I am looking forward to getting back to the states to drink ice cold water, eat my Mom’s home cooked food, sleep in my own bed, and see my family and friends I have made countless memories here that I will never forget!
Amy Heffner

I am writing this en route to Lake Como, and am very excited to see how it compares to the beautiful town of Montecatini. Although I enjoyed the city of Rome, I think the smaller countryside towns we have been visiting these last few days were much more to my liking. I am getting sick of all the Italian food, but I can’t really complain because it is very good. I am anxious to get home to see my family and friends, but will be sad to leave Italy. I have had an amazing experience so far and am so fortunate for the opportunity. I can’t wait to see my family and friends – miss you all.
Jennie Miller

Tuscany was just as amazing and beautiful as I imagined it to be, San Gimiano had to be my favorite place so far with its beautiful towers and its vast history. Although I did get pooped on by a pigeon, I am having an amazing time so far with my team mates and I’m sad that we are heading to the last place on our tour of Italy. We went to Florence yesterday and we got to see the beautiful David which was 16 feet tall, a lot taller than I expected. Browsing through the street markets of Florence was fun and I got a few things for my family which I can’t wait to show them back in the states. See everyone in three days!
Amie Ballo


I am very anxious to get to Lake Como I have heard very good things about it. Tuscany was a lot of fun and very beautiful. I really enjoyed the countryside and the little side shops. It has been a great experience so far and I’m sad that it is soon coming to an end. Being able to see the statue of David was a great opportunity and I think we were all actually a little surprised of how tall he was. But I do miss all my friends and some family and am excited to see everyone when I get home!
Emily Smith

I can’t wait to get to Lake Como, which is our last destination. Tuscany was amazing, and the scenery was so beautiful. We had so many tours through small towns and villages, and it was fun shopping in all the little stores. Our trip is winding down now, and we have our last game tonight, so hopefully we will pull out another win. Can’t wait to get home and see everyone!
Jess Foran

We are leaving Montacantini for Como with a fierce band of competitors. Emily Smith has both played the part and looks the part of a gladiator. A brutal push to the floor banged up one knee and a vicious elbow to the eye has earned her a thumbs up reputation by the descendants of the Roman Empire. They have given her the honorific name “ Erma, Hell Hound with Ombrella.” In our second game all of these young gladiators played a very tough, determined and poised game. Game time 8:30 tonight, we all can’t wait.
Coach Assistimomo Dano Tano

As our adventure continues, the sights become even more amazing. Yesterday, we were in Florence and saw the statue of David. The stature of David which was sculpted by the artist Michelangelo is a piece of art. The anatomy, in perfect detail, helps to show David’s strength, power, and attitude which is what our team portrayed as they played the day before against an Italian team. They played well together. It has been a great experience to see the growth of the team.
Lorrie Radcliff

It is hard to believe that our trip is nearing the end. The past 6 days have flown by, but at the same time it seems as if we have been here for a long time. I guess it is because we have seen, done, and grown as a team so much. At this exact moment we are traveling through the Italian country side watching the scenery change moment by moment, from the rolling hills of Tuscany to the foothills of the Alps in Northern Italy. It is truly breathtaking. We play our last game tonight and if we play like we played on Monday the Amici del Campetto Select team does not stand a chance. Our team played with so much passion I hope we can continue to do that come October. Well, that’s it for now, onto making a few more memories in our remaining time here in beautiful Italy.
Coach Endler

Ciao…Coach Mel here, giving you an Italian update. Yesterday (8/12) we toured the beautiful city of Florence or “Firenze” as they say it in Italian. We had the opportunity to see Michelangelo’s most famed sculpture the “David.” I think the “David” should be the team’s mascot, because it truly represents power, confidence, strength and no-fear mentality. . . . these are things the team displayed during our victory win! And hopefully we will display during tonight’s game against another Italian team. It has been very enjoyable to watch these young women experience these historical sites and to develop everlasting relationships. Basketball is not all about X’s and O’s. Go Hounds! We are currently on our way to the lovely Lake Como with its shimmering and deep blue waters. Lake Como is located 30 miles north of Milan and is known for its silk industry. Many fashion designers, such as Giorgio Armani, travel here to select silk patterns. In the 17th century, the wealthy vacationed here in their beautifully decorated villas, even today the wealthy vacation here. The team is hoping to see George Clooney (supposedly he has a villa here) and I think the coaches are too! Hope all is well in the states…

Coach Mel



We have arrived in our last stop in Lake Como. The Leonardo da Vinci Hotel is much more modern than our last 2 stops. We are relaxing till we get back on the bus to head to our final game here in Italy. It is about an hour ride from here, though after being on the bus for 4 hours, I hope we have some legs left for the game. I suspect that the team will be ready to roll though as the energy from their first victory here is fresh in their minds. We will be one short tonight as Emily Smith got hurt (she will be fine, as she heals well and in fact is trying to talk me into playing with a patch on her eye!), but I am positive everyone else will pick up in her absence. I loved the energy and passion we played with in both games. We need to continue to use our sight, hands and feet, as The David showed us in our tour yesterday.
The moments continue: Emily’s blood, Amy Heffner’s fitting in like she has been with us for a few years, Aly and Lauren knocking the Italians all over the court, Aimee’s pigeon episode, Jess fouling out (which the coaches loved!), Lorrie doing everything and anything for the team, Jennie getting her first start, Kate’s impersonations, Kirsty’s Italian belt, Amanda’s 3 straight 3’s, the 4 coaches posing in the Forum…you get the picture!
It has been terrific so far with a few more days to go… I am tired, but it is a good tired. We may have something special going here when we come back to the States! See everyone soon! Ciao!
Coach Iasiello (Spirk)