VENICE, Italy – The Toledo women's basketball team spent its first day in Italy on Sunday taking in the sights of Venice before spending the night in Bologna.

"To finally be here is truly a pleasure," said Toledo Head Coach Tricia Cullop. "We hit the ground running in Venice and everything we did today was awesome. On top of all that, we had the opportunity to meet Mariella's whole family and that was a treasured moment. Just to see the smile on Mariella's face has made the trip worth it."  

The Rockets hit the ground running after their seven-plus hour overnight flight to Amsterdam, followed by a two-hour connection to Venice. UToledo took part in a 30-minute boat ride to Venice City Center where they ate lunch at Ca Dogi before going on a one-hour guided walking tour through San Marco Square. After the tour, the team split up into groups and went on a gondola ride down the Grand Canal.

The team then reconvened at their bus before making the two-hour trip to Bologna, the hometown of Mariella Santucci. After checking into Hotel Tre Vecchi, the Rockets were on their own for dinner and entertainment for the remainder of the evening.

"The last 24-plus hours have been fast paced, but at the same time, it's been really exciting," junior Tanaya Beacham said. "We got right off the plane and went straight to a boat in Venice and then traveled a couple hours to Bologna. It doesn't get much better than that. This trip is a dream come true."

Tomorrow, the Rockets will take part in a cooking class in the morning before playing the first of three exhibition games against the Bologna All-Stars at 8:30 p.m. (CEST). Following the contest, Toledo will eat dinner with Santucci's family at a local restaurant.