Summer breaks fly by year-after-year. Many are filled with seasonal jobs, family and friends. For
DeVonne Ryter, the summer of 2018 will be remembered for new, once-in-a-lifetime moments.
Ryter was one of 10 NCAA All-Stars that formed Team BIP in the 2018 Global Challenge. The Idaho senior joined players from Miami, Northern Illinois, St. Marys, California, Montana, Utah, Northern Colorado and North Carolina in the week-long tournament held in Pula, Croatia, this past July.
"I don't know how I got chosen," Ryter recalled. "I think my name just kind of got thrown out there. Our coach was Mark Barnard, the head coach at Oregon State, he had mentioned me and Coach Buchanan had talked with him. That is how I got selected."
The team gathered in Prague, Czech Republic, for a few days before exploring parts of Slovenia, Vienna, Austria and finally arriving in Croatia for the tournament.
"It was amazing to see Europe." Ryter reminisced. "I had not been outside the country, except for small family vacations to Mexico. It was cool because I got to do it all on my own. It was a really independent thing."
Pula, Croatia hosted the 10 teams in the tournament that coincided with Croatian national team's run in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
"We had this cool thing where we would play volleyball and focus on volleyball, but then we also had a tour guide that would show us all the amazing places we visited. We went cliff jumping, we were downtown when Croatia won in the semifinals of the World Cup. That was unbelievable. They were the happiest people that I have ever seen."
Team BIP finished third in its pool of five USA teams. The College National Team and a team from the Mountain West Conference held the top-two American spots.
"Honestly, it was super competitive. There was not any sense of pressure on us though. It was the first time in a while we just got to play and just have fun with it. It was really cool."
The trip was not just a summer volleyball tournament for Ryter. The two-week tour also served as a building block for the start of her senior campaign. Ryter, a Second Team All-Big Sky selection a year ago came back to Idaho with a renewed sense of passion for the game.
"It is really crazy that two weeks of volleyball really prepared me for our preseason now. We are on our seventh day of double-days and I have noticed I just kind of hit the ground running. It didn't take me the first few days to get back into it.
"Mentally, too. I just kind of knew what to expect. I think what really prepared me was the mental part of it and not putting too much pressure on myself. I kind of found my passion for volleyball again in Europe."
There will be a number of reunions for Ryter this fall. Mykaela Hammer and Cassie Laramee both play for the Lady Griz. Northern Colorado's Taylor Muff was also on the team. The Big Sky student-athletes formed a solid bond along the tour.
"It was really cool to meet all of them. Taylor was actually one of my best friends on the trip. We did everything together. We just immediately connected. She is one of the coolest people I've ever met. I'm so excited to play them this fall. It is going to be super competitive but I'm excited."
At the conclusion of the tournament, the team continued on its travels. They wrapped up the tour with a few days in Venice, Italy, before heading back to the states.
"I just wish I had more time in each place. I just wanted to really explore. I was there for volleyball and I am grateful that we even got the tourist part of it."
The Vandals open the season with the Idaho Volleyball Classic, Aug. 24-25. The team hosts Santa Clara, Grand Canyon and New Mexico for the opening weekend. Visit GoVandals.com/Tickets for more information on season and single match tickets.
