Aug. 11, 2006
NORFOLK, Va. - The Old Dominion women's basketball team will cross the Atlantic Ocean as the Lady Monarchs tour France and Italy from August 14-24. The ODU women's basketball team is schedule to play four games, one in France and three in Italy, during their stay overseas.
The 15-time Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) champions will have games against Nice Dazur in France on Thursday, August 17th, and teams to be announced in Florence, Italy on Saturday, August 19th, in Mestre, Italy outside of Venice on Monday, August 21st, and in Milan, on Wednesday, August 23rd.
The Lady Monarchs' adventure begins when they arrive in Nice on the morning of August 15th followed by a tour of the southern French city located on the Mediterranean coast. The following day the players and coaching staff will travel to Monaco, the most densely populated country in the world and the world's second-smallest independent country, also known for having more millionaires per capita than any other country.
Following ODU's game on Thursday, the Lady Monarchs will travel to Florence, a city often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. There the Lady Monarchs will tour the Acadamia Museum which houses several masterpieces by Michelangelo, including The David.
Before hitting the hardwood for their second game in Europe on Saturday, the team will bus to Pisa for a tour which will include the famous Leaning Tower.
Sunday's schedule includes bussing to Mestre, the gateway to Venice. The Lady Monarchs will go to Tronchetto Marina where they will transfer by boat to Piazza San Marco Square in Venice for some sightseeing. On Monday, the team will return to Venice for a walking tour of Piazza San Marco, often known in English as St. Mark's Square, and the Murano Glass Factory, before their third game.
On Tuesday, the squad will stop along the way to Milan in Verona to see Juliet's Balcony from Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet. In Milan on Tuesday, the Lady Monarchs will take a tour, which will include the Roman Amphitheatre, the third largest structure of its type in Italy after the Colosseum and Capua. The team will also bus to Cernobbio, located on Lake Maggiore in the Italian Alps.
Wednesday starts with a boat cruise on Lake Como, including a stop in Bellagio, followed by the Lady Monarchs' fourth game of the trip.
To follow the Lady Monarchs' summer journey, including game recaps and pictures, log on to www.odusports.com.