(Editor's Note): UNCW rising junior Meredith Peacock recently traveled to Europe with Bring It Promotions as part of the 10th Annual European Global Challenge.

    Paired with collegiate players from some of the top volleyball programs in the nation, Peacock and her BIP Development/USA squad spent four days training in Slovenia before heading to Pula, Croatia for the four-day tournament The team squared off against Junior National teams from Slovenia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Russia as well as club squads from Italy, Serbia, Austria and Romania as they prepared for the European Championships.

    Now back from her trip abroad, Peacock shares some of the highlights of her experience with UNCWsports.com.

    The Bring It Promotions (BIP) development trip to Slovenia, Croatia, and Venice was by far one of the greatest experiences of my life. Not only was I exposed to great volleyball that tremendously helped me grow as a player, but I also made some pretty awesome friends and some great memories along the way.

    We started out our tour in Maribor, Slovenia where we trained together as a team while both practicing and playing a few scrimmages against the Slovenian Junior National Team and the Russian Junior National Team. The first few practices and scrimmages were simply a way for us to gel as a team and get ready for the Global Challenge tournament held in Pula, Croatia.
    
    While in Slovenia, we were able to sightsee all over, including downtown Maribor and a place called Lake Bled, which was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It is this huge lake with crystal clear water, surrounded by mountains; there were places to go hiking, swimming, and to take boats out. A few of my teammates and I paddle boarded out to the island that was in the middle of the lake; I must say that was an amazing way to paddle board for the first time!
    
    After being in Slovenia for four days, we took a four hour bus ride to Pula, Croatia, where all 26 teams in the tournament stayed in the same hotel. You could see the beach from our hotel balcony! Again, the water was incredibly clear and so gorgeous! The beach itself was a lot different from Wrightsville Beach being that there was no sand; it was all rocks and a lot of sea urchins! Our first night in Pula we had the opening ceremonies where each team was announced and walked up on stage; it definitely wasn't anywhere near what the Olympics would be like, but it was pretty cool to experience something close to it!
    
    The next few days were filled with a lot of volleyball, including games against Hungary, Croatia, Russia once again, and a few American teams. We played great the first day and didn't lose one game, and we competed well the rest of tournament and came in eighth overall which I would say is pretty good after only playing together for a week or so! At the end of the tournament there were closing ceremonies as well, where I actually got awarded to the All-Tournament Team; it was really neat standing up there with girls from all over the world who got the same award. I felt so honored!
    Just like in Slovenia, we were able to do a good amount of sightseeing in Pula. We explored downtown Pula, went cliff jumping, swimming in caves, and hung out at the beach a lot! It was really nice being able to see and explore all of the places we traveled to while also playing a lot of good volleyball. It was a great learning experience, especially from being coached by different coaches and also from playing against multiple international teams. It's weird how different these types of teams play; their offense is much slower, so it took awhile to get adjusted to blocking them. They are also all very good serving teams so it was really important for us to have good serve receive. Another difference was the ball we used; it was a lot different than what we use in the United States, so it took awhile to get used to that as well.
    
    One of the coolest things about the trip was the girls I got to play with and spend time with. We were all from such different schools from all over the country; we got along so well and really enjoyed being able to get to know one another. We all became so close within the span of ten days, and they will be friends I will never forget! We ended the trip with a day in the beautiful city of Venice where we had the day to ourselves to explore. Overall, the trip was such an amazing experience, and I am so happy I took hold of the opportunity presented to me. It really opened my eyes to the possibility of continuing my volleyball career after I graduate and possibly playing professionally overseas. It is something I am greatly considering now, and I am getting very excited that it could be a possibility!
    
    I am extremely thankful for all of the support I received from my family, friends, teammates, and coaches while on my trip; it meant so much to me!

- Meredith Peacock