Brazil was among Robyn Ah Mow’s favorite stops as a member of the U.S. National Team.
Now in her seventh year leading the University of Hawaii women’s volleyball program, she’ll have a chance to share the experience with the Rainbow Wahine over a 13-day tour that will include stops in four cities starting with Sao Paulo.
“I loved playing there, it’s kind of like Hawaii,” Ah Mow said on Wednesday. “I think it’s a good experience for the girls culture-wise and obviously the talent there is one of the best in the world. I went twice and loved it.”
The Rainbow Wahine are scheduled to depart on Friday on the program’s first international trip since 2015, when the team visited Italy, Slovenia, Austria and the Czech Republic.
A return to Europe was shelved due to the pandemic and the UH staff was able to put together the trip to Brazil to cap spring workouts.
“It kind of is a dream come true,” UH outside hitter Riley Wagoner said.
Wagoner said there had been talk of an overseas trip since she and middle blocker Amber Igiede entered the program in 2019 and having the trip come together entering their fifth years “makes me really grateful for getting to go at all.”
A group of nine players plus staff members will start the trip with a flight to Los Angeles with a connection in Newark, N.J., before the final leg to Sao Paulo, where they’ll spend their first three days in Brazil.
They’ll also make stops Rio de Janeiro, Saquarema — site of the Brazil national team’s training center — and Arraial do Cabo before returning on June 8.
The Wahine have five matches against club teams scheduled in an itinerary that includes cultural tours and sightseeing.
“I think it’s obviously going to be challenging because they have really good teams; their whole volleyball world is really advanced over there,” Igiede said of the competitions. “It can’t be anything but good for us to practice against that, and especially for some of the people who want to play professionally, including myself, I feel like it’s great practice to see the different style of play.”
Igiede and Wagoner said the trip will be their first out of the U.S. and are looking forward to the bonding experience within the already tight-knit group — as well as trying the local food.
UH men’s middle blocker Guilherme Voss is from Rio de Janeiro and Wagoner said he “was telling us the food’s really good and the acai bowls are really good over there.”
Wagoner spent the spring semester playing for the UH beach volleyball team said she had a week and a half to recharge following the NCAA Tournament in Gulf Shores, Ala., before rejoining indoor practices in preparation for the trip.
“It’s definitely making the atmosphere in the gym really exciting and we’re all having fun knowing this trip is going to be an awesome experience for us, and we’re going to get to play some great volleyball and bond even more.”
