by Connor Gilbert

PHOTO GALLERY: Lobo VB European Tour, Part Two - Vienna and Maribor

PHOTO GALLERY: Lobo VB European Tour, Part Two - Vienna and MariborPHOTO GALLERY: Lobo VB European Tour, Part Two - Vienna and Maribor

Following three days in Prague, New Mexico Volleyball continued its European Foreign Tour with stops in Vienna, Austria, and Maribor, Slovenia, combining more cultural experiences with two successful matches against local club OTP Banka Branik.

The Lobos departed Prague on June 6 and made their way toward Slovenia with a sightseeing stop in Vienna, where the team had several hours to explore the Austrian capital, enjoy lunch and take in another historic European city before continuing on to Maribor. After arriving in Slovenia, UNM settled in for the next portion of the trip, which featured a mix of competition, outdoor activities and team bonding.

On June 7, the Lobos faced OTP Banka Branik for the first of two matches in Maribor, earning a win over the local side as they continued to gain valuable international experience. Away from the court, UNM also spent time in the Pohorje Mountain region, taking a chair lift up the mountain for lunch at Marjan’s Hut before riding down on the Alpine Slide. That evening, the team returned to Pohorje Mountain for dinner at Koca Hut, complete with a private gondola ride.

UNM wrapped up its time in Maribor on June 8 with time in the city center for lunch, shopping and sightseeing before returning to the court for a second match against OTP Banka Branik. The Lobos completed the Slovenia portion of the trip with another victory before heading to dinner at Doppler Winery, where they ate dinner above the vineyard and learned about the local winery's production process before signing their names on the wall in the cellar amongst a litany of other college volleyball teams that had passed through.