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Jessica Biegert and her America鈥檚 Team volleyball players were excited to visit St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica in Rome, but what happened there was more than they planned.
While Biegert and the players mingled with the crowd in St. Peter鈥檚 Square, their attention shifted suddenly to a balcony window of the Apostolic Palace as Pope Francis emerged and delivered his weekly blessing to the crowd below.
鈥淚t was a Sunday at noon, and the pope gave a citywide blessing that we got to experience and witness,鈥� said Biegert, who is in her sixth season as women鈥檚 volleyball coach at Kansas Wesleyan.
The visit to St. Peter鈥檚 was one of many stops during her recent journey to Italy for three days of competition and three days of sightseeing.
The trip was Biegert鈥檚 second to Europe with America鈥檚 Team. She went to Barcelona, Spain, in 2023.
鈥淭hey do softball, baseball, volleyball, women鈥檚 basketball and lacrosse,鈥� she said. 鈥淕irls from all over the country sign up to travel overseas and play volleyball in a tournament, ages 16 to 18. They鈥檙e high-schoolers who have never played together, don鈥檛 know each other. College coaches get to go free 鈥� that鈥檚 what they sell, you鈥檙e coached by a college coach.鈥�
Coaches and players gathered at a hotel in Milan.
鈥淥n Day 1, we throw them on the court and play 鈥� no practice, no nothing, we just start,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he longer they鈥檙e together, the more they get to know each other and figure out our style of play. They were pretty open and had a lot of energy and were excited about being there.鈥�
Biegert鈥檚 team played six matches in three days and were 鈥渁round .500鈥� but won the championship, defeating a second team from the United States.
鈥淚 had a Canadian girl, girls from Alaska, California, Arizona, and there was one from Wichita (who attends Berean Academy in Elbing, Kan.),鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey come from all over.
鈥淚n pool play we did 鈥榝air play鈥� 鈥� everybody got in and played. On the last day, it was the championship. I鈥檓 playing to win, so I played the stronger players and we were able to do it.鈥�
Pool play included a team from Italy, and the coaches opted to mix the rosters for a match.
鈥淭he girls were like, 鈥楥oach we don鈥檛 speak the same language,鈥� and I鈥檓 like, 鈥榁olleyball is a language; you just go out and play,鈥� 鈥� Biegert said. 鈥淭heir style is not that different. It was fun to watch their world get bigger.鈥�
The enjoyment continued well into the evening.
鈥淓very night after the games, we had homemade Italian food from the Italian girls鈥� moms, and we all ate together,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was fun to see the Italian girls and the American girls interact. They were never on their phones. (The Italians鈥�) social time is their two-hour dinners; we typically eat and run, so we actually had to sit down and have three-course meals during their social time.鈥�
A two-hour train trip from Milan to Rome followed.
鈥淚t was good to see the country and the vineyards, the farms and sheep … and castles.聽 Michelangelo鈥檚 really big over there, and we got to see his artwork and the history of that. We toured a cathedral, and we saw the Spanish Steps and the fountain in front of it (Fontana della Barcaccia).
鈥淭he next day we went to the Colosseum and got the history of it. They talked about the gladiators, and we got to walk around it. Then we went to the (Tyrrhenian) Sea. It has black sand (caused by material from a nearby volcano), so it was a fun, relaxing day.鈥�
Biegert said life in Italy is different from the U.S.
鈥淭hey walk everywhere, bike everywhere,鈥� she said. 鈥淭ransportation鈥檚 a little harder in Europe, so they鈥檙e definitely more fit. They鈥檙e happy people, very nice and social and interactive.鈥�
Biegert is thankful for the opportunity.
鈥淚t was an experience of a lifetime,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was a way to represent myself and Kansas Wesleyan and make connections all over the country.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e there for the culture, and volleyball is just a good way to connect with people in different countries. You have a common ground.鈥�
Story by Bob Davidson
