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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern volleyball team will leave this Sunday for China as the squad will embark on a tour of the country that will see them play four matches and visit the cities of Shanghai an Beijing. The Lions will leave early Sunday morning and board a plane from Tulsa to Chicago at 6 am. They will then fly non-stop from Chicago to Shanghai, arriving at approximately 1:55 pm the next day. Once in Shanghai, the team will have a day of sightseeing and practice before they have the first of two matches at the Shanghai Sports Training Center. The Center houses athletes that train in sports like volleyball, rowing, basketball and track. After a second match at the Sports Training Center, the team will then visit the Jade Buddha Temple. After a day to themselves, the Lions will depart for Beijing. The squad will tour the Forbidden City, home of the former emperors of China. They will then check out Tiananmen Square and practice. A trip to the Great Wall of China and a look at the home of the 2008 Summer Olympics will highlight the second day in Beijing. The team will play two matches in Beijing at the China Sport University before heading back to the States on May 31. A trip like this will often be used to broaden the horizons of athletes and to expose them to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "Hopefully, this trip will bond us together through our shared experience," said coach Chris Willis. "Volleyball is simply the platform we are using to engage this journey, but it is secondary to experiencing a different country and culture." Each day, a member of the Southern squad will complete a journal that will be posted on the site to help fans keep up-to-date with the happenings in China. |