MILAN » The only thing constant is change.

And the key to surviving change is to embrace and adapt. Change with the change, so to speak.

It’s how the Hawaii volleyball team has approached the itinerary during the first week of its European training tour.

A last-minute change in schedule by the French national team has created a domino effect that has several other national teams moving matches and flight times as they prepare for next month’s Baku 2015, the inaugural European Games, in Azerbaijan.

The Rainbow Wahine’s match against the Italian women’s national team is on as planned for Tuesday evening (6 a.m. Hawaii time) at the Centro Pavesi, home to the Italian Volleyball Federation’s training center.

However, the match against the Slovenian national team is moving up a day from Thursday to Wednesday and will be played in northern Italy near the Swiss border instead of Slovenia. There’s also a chance that next week’s match against Tunisia will not happen at all because of the visa problems the team is having getting into Europe due to the tightening on immigration from African nations.

It’s another whole volleyball world on the other side of the world and this cambiamento di program (change of plan) is exactly the kind of eye-opening experience Rainbow Wahine coach Dave Shoji hopes for for his players.

"We’ve only been here two days, but already we’ve had great experiences," he said. "Monday in Milan and its city central, Tuesday in Lake Como, a country-side town. So many languages being spoken, rarely hearing English being spoken. Great Italian food.

"It’s just Europe. It’s been great so far."

There was one change that Hawaii didn’t want to make for Tuesday’s match — using the NCAA volleyball rules instead of the FIVB international rules. It was more of an option, one a number of other U.S. teams who have had a training tour in Europe have taken advantage of.

"We’ve been practicing (with FIVB rules and volleyballs); we want that experience for our team," Shoji said. "This is how they play in Europe and that’s how we want to play while we’re here.

"It’s all part of experiencing this side of volleyball."

Hawaii has had two practices at the training center’s smaller gym, one that is very similar in size and humidity to Gym I on the UH campus. They’ve been efficient and productive as the final practices before fall camp.

Monday’s team bonding continued via a bus ride from the hotel to Lago di Como (Lake Como), where the Rainbow Wahine availed themselves of much of what the city had to offer.

Boat ride around the lake. Kayaking on the lake, including an optional swim.

A tapestry exhibit at the Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta, the last Gothic-style cathedral to be built in Italy.

A ride on the Como-Brunate funicolare, the incline railway that connects the city of Como with the village of Brunate two-thirds of a mile uphill.

Panini. Gelato. Pasta.

Other than the slow, intermittent Internet access, the Wahine wouldn’t change a thing. Of course, there’s always tomorrow.

Star-Advertiser reporter Cindy Luis is accompanying the Wahine volleyball team on its trip to Europe, where the team will train and play exhibition matches. Luis will provide daily accounts in print and online of the trip. Follow her @CindyLuis_SA