A HREF="http://www.stonybrookathletics.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/cydney_bowman_882695.html">Cydney Bowman (Lake Mary, Fla.), a sophomore member of the Stony Brook University volleyball team will represent the United States of America over the next few weeks in Croatia for the 2015 European Global Challenge.

Seawolves' head coach Coley Pawlikowski and associate head coach Dan Pawlikowski will coach the BIP/USA Development Team with Vogel and fellow senior Stephanie McFadden (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) on the roster, while sophomores Cydney Bowman (Lake Mary, Fla.) and Courtney Scanlan (Salamanca, N.Y.) will play for Team BIP (Bring it Promotions, LLC).

During their journey, each student-athlete will be blogging about their experiences.

"Chai my Americans!" Which is hello, and basically how you say almost every other greeting here in Europe. Last time we chatted I was headed to Bled, Slovenia for sightseeing and to Pula, Croatia for the European Global Challenge which is where I am as I'm writing to you in between matches. When we arrived in the city of Bled we were stunned by the amazing greenery and the view of the famous Lake Bled. My team and I were so ready to get a nice lunch, lay out and most of all try the incredible gelato that is so popular. As we searched for a place to eat, we found the most American place and order cheese pizza to split as a table and it was so nice to have something we are used to for lunch. Next, I kid you not, but I understand why the gelato is so popular, words cannot describe how smooth, tasty, and refreshing the gelato is especially on a hot summer day by the Lake. I'm pretty sure I have had the same "cookies" flavor with every meal because it reminds me of cookies and cream for home.

Once we concluded our day in Bled, we then headed back to the hotel and prepared to leave for Pula in the morning, where the tournament is being held. Today is the third day of playing and my team has been competing very hard and coming away with some good wins, while trying not to pass out. By this I mean the facilities we are playing in have no air, much like the hotel in Slovenia, this has me thinking that this a "thing" overseas, which I cannot comprehend because it is nearly 90+ degrees everyday. Being a person who sweats huge amounts in America, I'm literally drenched by the time our games come to an end.

Yesterday my teammate Symone took a video of how I could wring out my jersey after we played and how my legs were glistening on the way back to the hotel. It was disgusting! On the other hand, our matches are pretty spread out so in between games, my teammates and I head down to the local beach that is about 10 steps from our hotel. The water is clear as day and feels impeccable to be in after a hard fought match in a blazing gym, and we can't forget getting a little gelato to go along with laying out by the water.

Today was the first day of elimination and my team beat a strong Hungarian team 3-1 as we advance to play the Italian Junior National Team, unfortunately we didn't win, but we ended up coming in top 8 overall.

To conclude the trip, we will explore the beautiful city of Venice, Italy and see how their culture lives. And of course, more gelato! I'm very happy to have spent the past 2 weeks here, sightseeing, experiencing new things, and learning a new type of volleyball. I think it has allowed me to gain more confidence and see a different side of the game. I cannot wait to get back to New York and play with my team, I think this trip has helped me immensely and I want to continue to improve my game. This was a trip of a life time and I would do it over in a heartbeat, I a, so thankful to have had this opportunity.

Thanks for following my experience!

-Cydney