On Tuesday, the ETBU Volleyball began the day with a devotional over brunch and then had the privilege to play two volleyball matches in the Belgrade downtown arena.  The first match was against Stampedo, a local Serbian club team, followed by the second match against a Macedonian federation club team.  After two tough matches, where the Tigers went 1-1, the team was given the opportunity to take pictures and interact with some of the local children who were at the skills clinic on Monday night.  

The ETBU Volleyball team spent the evening at the Connect Center with many local teenagers and the Stampedo Volleyball team.  The group enjoyed pizza, assisted with English classes, and spent the rest of the night playing cards and board games. The ETBU players were able to invest quality time building relationships with the local players and teenagers, while sharing about their personal lives back in the US.

"Today we were given the opportunity to play against a couple of international teams and it was really interesting to see not only how the game of volleyball is played at an international level, but how cultural differences seem to disappear when we step on the court," Sophomore Gabby Guy from Tomball, Texas said.  "These girls have welcomed us in with open arms, and I have really enjoyed getting to build relationships through our time in fellowship. I look forward to seeing what God has in store for us as we continue to do His work for the remainder of the week."
 
Wednesday began with a morning devotional at the Connect Center followed by a guided tour by the priest of St. Peter's Church, a local Serbian Orthodox Church.  After enjoying a traditional Serbian lunch, the team trained with the local Serbian club team, under the direction of their head coach, which was truly a different experience for the Tigers.  
 
After dinner at the Connect Center, the team hosted numerous individuals from the community that regularly attend English classes at the center, as well as the Serbian club volleyball team, for an "Amazing Race" scavenger hunt through downtown.  In total, there were eight teams and over 35 people, that participated in the event.  Afterwards, our Tigers spent about an hour talking and playing games at the Connect Center.  
 
"Today we got to visit an Orthodox Church, which was really cool because we were able to see more of the religious aspect of the Serbian culture. We also got to experience a really nice family style lunch in downtown, and then went to practice that was lead by the Serbian coach. This practice was different for us, but it was interesting to get see how they practice and how they run things. The last thing we did was an 'Amazing Race' where we got to run around the city with some of the Serbians and follow clues. This event really brought us closer and helped us make new friends and build relationships," Junior Paige Miller from Kerrville, Texas added.  
 
Ryan Erwin
Vice President for Athletics
East Texas Baptist University