University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI Panther Volleyball Trip to Nicaragua
5/19/2017 10:15:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
DAY ONE
What a fun and jam-packed first day in Nicaragua! The team flew into Managua late last night, and everyone was anxious to wake up in the morning to the bright, tropical, sunshine and do some sight seeing! We started out the day with breakfast at the hotel, mostly fresh fruit and some famous Nicaraguan coffee. After breakfast, we loaded up a van and headed to Masaya Volcano, about an hour outside of Managua. A quick drive up the mountain and we were able to step out and take a few pictures close to the active volcano craters edge, the volcano was visibly smoking and in the bottom of the crater you could even see some lava. Even thought it was a great photo op, the crater was literally breathtaking, and exposure to gases such as sulfur and radon only made the volcano safe to observe for 10-15 minutes, and then it was back on the bus!Â
The team van then took us down the mountain to a small artisan market for lunch, where the team enjoyed delicious steak fajitas with old fashioned, glass bottled sodas. After that we were free to explore the market and barter for any souvenirs we wished to purchase including hammocks, art, jewelry, and fresh produce! In the middle of the market a small smoothie stand was discovered, blending up every fruit combination we could think of. Almost everyone on the team boarded the bus with fresh smoothies in their hands!
Our first match against the Nicaraguan National Team was scheduled for 4pm, so we left early enough to be on time to warm up. Good thing practice in the West Gym gets pretty toasty, because the gym had no air conditioning! After a rocky start in set one, the team pulled together to win the next three by a wide margin! For most players, it was their first time playing with an international ball, which took some adjusting. We were happy with the amount of fans that turned out, and were even surprised to get a few cheers from the local fans for some hard swings and well earned points! Following the match we got a photo with the national team, and ate pizza on the bus to our next hotel in San Juan Del Sur.
- Assistant Coach Kim Davis
DAY TWO
Today the UNIVB team was honored to participate in some volunteer activities.The team divided into three groups who went to three different locations. One group worked with preschool students at school. The next group traveled with the mobile library to rural schools and delivered books. The last group went to a school for adults with learning disabilities and assisted them with their projects along with playing games.
Lunch was provided by a women's cooperative followed by an afternoon of volunteering with a group of students ages 5-16 who meet twice a week. The team got a couple hours of free time to explore the city before dinner at a restaurant by the beach. While the team ate they were entertained with live music and dancing.
The team topped off the night with a Gelato stop on the walk home.
Overall it was a very fun and eventful day! Adios
- Karlie Taylor and Abbi Staack
DAY THREE
Waking up to another beautiful morning in San Juan Del Sur. Our group was split in two for the morning to go out and volunteer in the community. One group visited the bilingual preschool to help teach English and play with the children. Our presence will hopefully serve as good role models to the youth here as both students and athletes. The other group spent the morning at "Manos Unodas," a cooperative learning center for people with disabilities. They started off with recess time with the adults there. The group sat in a circle as everyone introduced themselves and got to know one another by asking some "get to know you" questions. Then they broke up into smaller groups and spent the morning playing games and puzzles with the members of the center. It was moving as the members of the center shared the work they do there. They make repurposed bags from recycled rice, bean, and sugar bags as well bracelets and anKlets. It was cool to see the amount of pride they feel for what they do. You could tell they enjoyed every second spent together and were very appreciative of the donations given. In the afternoon we all had a little bit of time to explore the beach and the streets of San Juan Del Sur and experience the culture. The evening brought our second game against the Nicaraguan national team. The game was played on an outdoor court across from the beach and many local people came to support their team. We faced some challenges in this match, adjusting the the different ball, outdoor influences, and the distractions of an interesting new place. The game went to five sets but the Nicaraguan team came out with the win, defending their home court. Day 3 was filled with novel experiences and new lessons in the beautiful country of Nicaragua.
- Kati Cassabaum and Moriah Johnson
DAY FOUR
Day 4 brought more new adventures for the Panthers!
This morning the team headed out to the jungle in the back of trucks to zip line through the canopy overlooking the San Juan Del Sur valley. There were 17 stations the Panthers had to zip through to get to the bottom of the hill. After the zip line, the team headed to Playa Hermosa for a day at the beach.
On the way, many of us spotted a few monkeys flying through the trees as well as a stampede of cows through the streets. After yet another delicious meal of fresh vegetables, chicken, and rice and beans, the Panthers hit the beach where there were surfboards and instructors ready to give us surf lessons.
We first learned about general water safety protocol, then moved on to the technique. This included various ways to stand up on the surfboards, where to stand to control the board, and how to properly fall off the board if need be. Every one of our Panthers got up on the boards today, and even some on their first try!
While there, we ran into a few of our friends we met volunteering at a local school. Even though the weather was a bit gloomy today, there was a nice breeze and the water felt amazing! For dinner the Panthers enjoyed more rice with chicken served with many people's favorites, french fries! On our way back to the hotel the team stopped for some yummy gelato to cool down, the it was off to bed for the Panthers!
DAY FIVE
We woke up to a cloudy, hot morning in San Juan del Sur. We packed our bags, left the hotel, and headed towards the Nicaraguan version of Christ the Redeemer.
Good thing we trained hard on the dome stairs this spring, because this hike was a steep one. The 20-minute hike led us to a beautiful view of San Juan del Sur and a giant statue of Christ overlooking the ocean. It was a perfect spot to take scenic pictures of this beautiful city. Then we headed back down to load the van and head to our next destination, Granada!
Our first stop in Granada was at hammock cooperative where Nicaraguans that are deaf taught us how to make hammocks. We got the chance to learn our names in Nicaraguan Sign Language and buy our own colorful hammocks from them. We were served a delicious meal soon after. We learned to appreciate our sense of hearing after an activity where they gave us ear plugs and told us to try and communicate.Â
Our next stop was at hotel Alhambra. We had the afternoon to explore, swim, and visit local shops in the colonial town of Granada. The evening left us to play match #3 at the local volleyball court against the Nicaraguan national team. We faced new challenges and new players across the net to test our adversity. We fought hard and came out with a 3 set sweep!!! 
:)Today's experiences brought us great memories that will last a lifetime.
- Rachel Koop and Kendyl Sorge
DAY SIX
We woke up in the old colonial city, Granada! We started off our day with a delicious breakfast on the patio of our hotel. Yes, there were even pancakes!
At 10 a.m. we headed to Monkey Island where we hopped onto three separate boats to tour around the islands that were made from a now dormant volcano. We had the chance to experience all the beautiful wildlife on these islands while traveling through Lake Nicaragua, the biggest lake in Central America, that included fresh water sharks and even crocodiles! Unfortunately we didn't get to see those, but we got to visit Monkey Island where we saw wild monkeys in their natural habitat swinging from branches!
After the boat tour we had a little bit of free time to explore Granada, enjoy food from the local restaurants, and shop from the many street vendors.
Around 4 p.m. it was finally time to teach some local kids all about volleyball! We hosted a camp at the same place we played match No. 3Â last night. There were many excited campers upon our arrival and we couldn't have been more appreciative. We were able to overcome the challenge of the language barrier and were able to teach them the ways of UNI Volleyball. It was so great to see all of them smiling, laughing, and having a great time!
After the camp, we headed to dinner to a local restaurant in Granada called The Garden Cafe. This was not only a restaurant but also had a shop and a beautiful courtyard in the center. After a week full of eating rice and beans, although delicious, it was time for some more American food! After our delicious dinner we headed back to our hotel. Some hit the pool, others just headed to bed! We were all exhausted from another day full of new experiences and fun. :)
- Maddie McNeil and Kate Busswitz
DAY SEVEN
We woke up to our last day in the colonial city of Granada. We had breakfast at the hotel for the last time in Granada as well and then we got packed up to leave at 9:30 a.m. Our bus driver put our suit cases on the top of the bus and it was like a game of Tetris to see how to fit all of them up there.
Once we got all packed up on the bus we started for our next destination, a lake in what once was a volcanic crater. The water was just clear and crystal blue and looked like beautiful all around the lake. There were many fun activities that our UNI volleyball team did there including kayaking, swimming, laying in a inner tube, or just laying in a hammock. For lunch, we had PIZZA... yay!! 
??Â
After we ate, we went swimming again and everyone noticed that they got a little more sun than they thought they did! Once 3 p.m. hit, we all got packed back up on the bus to head to Managua for our last match of the trip! We started off first by playing two sets against the Junior National Team. Then the UNI Volleyball Team went against the National Team and won in three sets!
There were some tears shed and many hugs given from our seniors this year and our volunteer coach because sadly, it was their last time coaching and playing with us!Â
After all hugs and pictures were taken we boarded the bus to go to Tip Top, which is like a Chic-Fil-A, to eat! We got that on the road and we headed for our hotel and called it a day!
- Bri Weber and Heather Hook
DAY EIGHT
Bright and early this morning we said "adios" to Nicaragua as we departed from the Managua International Airport. Making a pit stop in Atlanta, we buzzed smoothly through customs and were soon back in the air en route to Minneapolis.
Travel days are never anyone's favorite, as they can get long and tedious. However, the ample down time gave us all an opportunity to reflect on each of the lessons and incredible experiences we gained through our visit to Central America. From volunteering with young children and disabled, to the surfing lessons, monkey sightings, various volcanic terrain, and of course the volleyball, it is safe to say our trip is one we will never forget. We truly believe our endeavors in Nicaragua not only developed each of us as athletes, but people as well.
Our team witnessed first hand how incredibly lucky we are compared to a large percentage of the world, and our experiences proved to be very humbling. Being a part of UNI volleyball has opened so many doors for each of us and for that we are eternally grateful!
We couldn't do it without the support of our fans, friends, and family. We thank you all for following our adventures through the beautiful Nicaraguan countryside and look forward to seeing your familiar faces this fall.
The 2017 season will be here before we know it and we couldn't be more excited to see what 2017 has in store for Panther Volleyball!
Hasta luego mis amigos!Â
Go Cats!!
- Lexi Astor
