Women’s basketball headed to Italy for 10-day tour

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ women’s basketball team is ready to test themselves against international competition as the Razorbacks travel to Italy for a 10-day tour.

Arkansas will travel throughout the country and take part in sightseeing tours, local culture and food, and they will face three international teams in their home gyms.

The Razorbacks begin their adventure landing in Naples, Italy, Aug. 7. The long flight drops Arkansas in country in the late afternoon with a meal and a little free time to round out the day.

Wednesday and Thursday morning will be filled with sightseeing events in Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii before the team heads north to Rome.

The Razorbacks will check into their hotel but jump back on the bus for their first game of the trip against Deep 3 Select.

The weekend is filled with more sightseeing including the Colosseum as well as a fun event called “Amazing Race Roma,” a task-oriented scavenger hunt-style activity in the city.

In addition to the Colosseum, Arkansas will experience the Roman Forum, Campidoglio, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza Navonna and Villa Borghese.

A half-day trip to Vatican City will wrap up Arkansas’ experience in Rome. The team continues North, through the middle of the country to Florence as the tour continues. Florence is the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region and features masterpieces of art and architecture.

It is also just a short bus ride away from Arkansas’ second game against the Italian Select team.

The final leg of the journey takes Arkansas to Lake Como, the most famous lake in Italy. Here the team will be in the shadow of the Italian Alps and on the shores of crystal clear water. It is also near the location of the team’s final game against the International All-Star Team.

Arkansas concludes its tour with some free time on the last night in country before returning to the states the next morning. Players have 13 days to prepare for the start of the fall semester on May 29.

The trip to Italy is the second in program history with the 2013-14 team experiencing a similar tour. That program won three games defeating the Italian Select, the All-Star Vicenze and the Chemcats Chemnitz programs. The Razorbacks have also taken foreign tours to Australia in 199 and Canada in 2007.