Samantha Fordyce To Participate In Italy Volleyball Tour 2011

Opportunity has no boundries.

Ferris State University women's volleyball student-athlete Samantha Fordyce (DeWitt) will soon be experiencing an opportunity of a lifetime by participating in the Italy Volleyball Tour 2011 from June 2-12, 2011.

Fordyce, who will be a junior on the 2011 FSU women's volleyball team, will be representing the United States of America in an international sporting event through American International Sports Teams (AIST).  The AIST receives invitations to participate in tournaments from around the world and most of the teams, which range from softball, soccer and football to volleyball, will play between 5-7 games within a 10-day period while the rest of the tour involves sightseeing and cultural education.

AIST teams are comprised of NCAA Division I, II, III, junior college and NAIA student-athletes in which individuals are selected on an invitation-only basis.  Those who are chosen to participate in AIST tours usually have achieved all-america, all-region or all-conference level recognition.  The AIST tours travel worldwide and feature such destinations as Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Italy for volleyball. 

Fordyce is scheduled to arrive in Rome this Friday (June 3) and will play four matches from June 4-7.  During that period, Fordyce and her USA teammates will tour such places as Vatican City, Florence, San Marino and Pisa, which is known for its world-famous leaning tower.  The USA team, which is comprised of athletes from across the nation, is also scheduled for tour stops to Milan, Lake Como, and even an optional trip to Switzerland on Saturday, June 11, before the team's final match of the trip.

The 2011 AIST Italy Women's Volleyball Tour will conclude on Sunday, June 12 with departure from Milan to New York's JFK Airport.            

"This is a great opportunity to meet new people and grow in my leadership skills," said Fordyce, who earned All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Honorable Mention honors in the 2010 season.  "I hope to do Ferris State University proud!"

This past 2010 campaign, Fordyce amassed a program 16th single-season best 1,094 assists and an 10.1 assists average as the Bulldogs' starting setter in 28 matches.  She produced a team-high tying 31 service aces, 172 digs, 56 kills, and 26 total blocks, which featured 20 block assists.  A 2010 team captain, the 5-11 Fordyce also chalked up three double doubles (assists and digs) while racking up at least 40 assists in a match on 14 occasions. The two-time (2009 and 2010) GLIAC All-Academic Team member currently has registered a program seventh-most 2,337 career assists in 59 outings. 

During her time in Italy, Fordyce will be producing a blog with highlights and photos of her experiences to be posted on Ferris State Athletics' official website - www.ferrisstatebulldogs.com.