Natalie Grover ’24 and Karen Murphy ’24 Gain Volleyball and Life Experience in Europe

European Adventure
Natalie Grover and Karen Murphy, who are sophomores at Dartmouth, recently spent two weeks on a volleyball tour of Europe. Along with eight other athletes from seven different states, the Big Green duo traveled through the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Italy, playing the sport they love while also learning about these cities and their rich histories.

Beginning in Prague, they got to do some exploring, eat traditional food and play friendly games with the Czech National Team. "Prague's charm and colorful architecture made it one of our favorite places that we visited," Murphy said.

Prague

After getting closer with the Czech squad, the two teams decided to travel together through Slovenia, eventually making it to Pula, Croatia, for the 16th Annual Global Challenge Tournament.

The tournament, which took place in downtown Pula – known for its multitude of ancient Roman buildings that date as far back as 27 A.D. – consisted of five days of play (July 12-16), with the opening ceremony kicking things off in Forum Square, the main square of both medieval and present-day Pula.

The mission of the Global Challenge is to provide U18 and U23 teams with international playing experience and exposure. Teams from Italy, Israel, Hungary, England, the United States, Slovenia, Croatia and the Czech Republic were included in the event, giving Grover and Murphy the chance to compete for the first time in two years. "We were so grateful to get back on the court and have lots of fun competing," Grover said. "Being right on the crystal blue Adriatic Sea was also a plus."

Czech Team

There were many positives to the tour, but the most important part for Murphy was learning about cultures different from her own. "I really enjoyed meeting new people from all over the world and gaining new perspectives from the different countries we traveled to. As fun as it was to play volleyball, I really enjoyed getting to know the players and exploring the cities with my teammates.

"I liked learning about the different cultures and eating traditional foods," Murphy continued, "but my favorite part would probably be the encounters we had with the people we met and getting to know them and their stories." Grover agreed with her, saying that "meeting and spending time with the girls from other countries was definitely my favorite part of the trip."

Back on the Home Front
Grover, Murphy and the other members of the Class of 2024 (Ellie Blain, Teani De Fries, Amelia Gibbs and Bomi Ogunlari) have had the honor of calling themselves Dartmouth volleyball players for the past 18 months but have not been able to play a single match in a green and white uniform yet due to the pandemic. Murphy said that missing out on their first year at Dartmouth was tough. "The fall was an extremely difficult time for all of us, especially losing our freshman season. I think we were all looking forward to competing and playing the sport we love more than anything, considering our spring club seasons were cut short and our state championships were shut down."

The freshmen were able to train on campus during the fall and the spring, having a much different experience than they initially expected when they committed to coming to Dartmouth. "Bonding with the team and staying active felt 10 times more important during COVID, as the rest of the time was usually spent sitting on our computers," Grover said. "I loved coming to the gym every day and being with the team and playing the sport I love."

Winter and summer were tougher because they had to find somewhere else to train while studying remotely. Luckily, Murphy was able to practice with her old club team and Grover trained at the gym where she worked.

Being able to practice away from Dartmouth was great, but they missed the game. "It's been well over a year since I last competed in a real volleyball game, which is one of the reasons why I couldn't turn down this opportunity to play overseas and prepare for our upcoming season," Murphy said. "It was so fun to be back on the court again alongside Natalie, and I'm super grateful we were able to share the experience together."

Grover echoed that sentiment. "After not being able to compete for almost two years, having the opportunity to play before our upcoming season was crucial. I felt super lucky to get to go with Karen and continue to build our connection on and off the court. I also really enjoyed playing against tough competition from all over the world. I think playing such talented teams will really aid us this coming season."

With the summer quickly winding down and with preseason starting soon, Murphy and Grover are more than ready to put on their Big Green jerseys. "We're both very excited to finally get the chance to represent Dartmouth volleyball this fall and can't wait to get back in the gym with the rest of our teammates," Murphy said. "Our team has the chance to do something really special this season and I'm looking forward to being part of the journey."

Life has definitely been different and challenging since the pandemic hit last March, but Grover is choosing to look at the positives. "Overall, COVID made me appreciate the volleyball community and the sport even more, as life without it was challenging in many ways. I am hungry to compete this upcoming season and can't wait to be back on a (hopefully) normal campus with my teammates."

Murphy, Grover and the rest of the Big Green squad will kick off the 2021 season at their first of three tournaments on Saturday, Sept. 3, returning to play for the first time in 658 days.

Natalie Grover (L) and Karen Murphy in Pula, Croatia

Schedules