University of Toledo Travels Overseas


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Despite borders, language and oceans separating the University of Toledo from the distant country of Croatia, one medium translates flawlessly across all of these barriers: tennis.
It defies the normal cultural hurdles foreign countries typically have with each other, in that the ubiquitously known rules of the game allow for instant communication between players through the language of competition. This phenomenon was experienced first-hand for the Rockets men’s tennis team when they traveled to Croatia and Rome this summer to complete their first foreign tour.
First on the trip, the Rockets traveled to Split, Croatia, hometown of 2-time MAC player of the year and Toledo senior Stjepan Sisko.
“Well, I had never been to Europe before, so I thought that going to Rome and being in Split where Stjepan, our guy from Croatia is from, was just amazing to see the people and to experience their culture and to see how much different it is in Europe than it is here,” said sophomore Vince Anzalone when asked about the trip

The team experienced the country like true natives, engrossing themselves fully in the culture of Croatia and their tennis.
Coach Al Wermer spoke on how this experience was actually conceived in the first place: “Well, we have three guys from that area of the world, that region, and then Sisko had sort of, I want to call it for lack of a better term, sort of a bed and breakfast, their family, so they agreed to help us with housing and even some transportation.” He continued saying “he also arranged for some match play for our guys at his club where he had played.”
Croatia wasn’t the only international location that the team visited. The team also spent two of their 12-day trip experiencing Rome.
“I don’t think there’s anything else like it in the world. It’s like the New York City of Europe, like it’s just so historical and such a pretty place to be,” said Anzalone. “I’m very grateful that I had the opportunity to go.”
The team had the privilege of seeing such historic Roman locations such as the Coliseum and the Vatican. Coach Wermer had already been to Rome before and knew it was a great opportunity for his team to experience a new culture.
“The idea of going to Rome kind of came on late in the last couple months, in the spring I had been to Rome,” said Wermer. “We went over there for just two nights and we spent one amazing day, went to the Coliseum and stuff like that just because we were kind of close by. Who knows when some of these guys are going to get back to Europe?”
Back on the competition side of the trip, scrimmaging the international clubs presented a unique experience for the men’s team.
This is because all matches they play in the states are played on a hardcourt, yet in Croatia they use a red clay surface, the same surface that is used in the French Open.
“Oh, it was definitely different than here in the States; it’s much slower, the red clay, than the hard courts that we play on, and I really enjoyed it, said Anzalone when asked about the different surfaces. “I mean it takes a little getting used to, to play on the red clay, but I honestly enjoyed it very much.”
The new surface, coupled with the international competition, provided a unique opportunity for the Rockets to prepare for the upcoming fall season.
UT is set to begin their fall season this Friday in West Lafayette, Indiana at the Purdue Invitational.
Coach Wermer is keeping his expectations for the fall split cautiously optimistic. “Well, my expectations are tempered [for this fall season] because we are — I don’t know if all of our guys did what we would’ve liked in the summertime.”
The fall split is just the beginning for the Rockets 2016-2017 season, however. After the MAC indoor tournament at the end of October, the Rockets will resume play for the spring season, where Coach Wermer has some of the best expectations he’s ever had.
“My expectations for the year are higher than ever; I don’t want to be too overly zealous as we start out,” Wermer said.
Coach Wermer’s optimism for his team is even more uplifting considering the tough spring schedule the Rockets boast, with teams like Indiana, Wisconsin, and Ohio State lining the schedule.
The men open up their season at home Sept. 30 at the Rocket Invitational, and the team encourages everyone to come out and support your Rockets.

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University of Toledo Travels Overseas