OXFORD, Ohio— When Miami Volleyball begins practicing for the 2025 season next week, don't be surprised if the newest RedHawks are significantly ahead of schedule.
 
Second-year head coach Dan Gwitt said his program greatly benefited from being able to travel to Greece and Italy together for 10 days earlier this summer.
 
"I think one of the best parts of it is we had the whole roster there that will be with us this fall," Gwitt explained after returning from Europe. "It was a great way to get the transfers and freshmen together with the group that's coming back: The time you spend together traveling and playing volleyball but also getting to see the world.
 
"It's a really special thing that you don't usually get to do, as far as building and strengthening your culture and getting to see what the new kids can do before you get to August…
 
"That was the biggest upside for me. You're a little bit ahead of the curve with this year."
 
Rookie outside hitter Molly Creech agreed. "As a freshman, it's always different coming in because it's all new stuff and you have to get used to it. But I would say within that first week, I was pretty confident going over to Europe and playing with [my new teammates]. It's a lot about how they treat you, and I feel like they were all so very welcoming.
 
"It was definitely easier to get used to than I thought, and I felt more comfortable, which made me more confident in my play."
 
During the European tour (from late May into early June), the RedHawks visited Milan, Bologna and Venice in Italy before traveling to Athens and Nafplio in Greece. The Miami group (including players, coaches and staff) enjoyed plenty of opportunities for sightseeing and sampling the local cuisine, while the Red and White also got to play four competitive matches against local professional teams.
 
"Afterwards, we would exchange shirts and we'd have dinner with them, so we were able to get to know the other players," senior Ellie Hanson recounted. "It was really good competition and a fun experience!"
 
Stops on the itinerary included the site of the first Olympics, the Acropolis, the Temple of Poseidon, Lake Como, and the famous canals and cathedrals of Venice, just to name a few. "If you've never seen Venice, it's something that until you're there you wouldn't even believe it exists," Gwitt said.
 
One of Hanson's favorite experiences on the trip was a boat tour in Nafplio. "It was the bluest water I've ever seen – it was so gorgeous!", she said. "And then [our hosts] docked us in the middle of the water, went off onto the land and barbecued food for us in a little cave. It was like a personal experience with a real authentic Greek family; it was amazing!"
 
Multiple members of the Miami entourage raved about the food, from tzatziki to gnocchi to lamb to pasta. "In Greece, they had this goat cheese fried and covered in honey: I thought that was really good!", Creech said.
 
On the court, the RedHawks impressed, despite many of the first-year players not being able to practice with the team until the day before leaving the States. "Throughout the matches, we were starting to build in things that we're going to talk more about in preseason," said Gwitt. "So if you left Europe with one or two things you can start focusing on this summer, you're already a couple weeks ahead when you arrive for preseason.
 
"All of the kids we recruited can play, so it wasn't like we were throwing them in there against professionals and they couldn't hold their own. They're Division I players. They're hungry and competitive. They want to play, and they want to win. That's why they came to Miami.
 
"I think a lot of our new kids are going to see the court and be competing for playing time, and it's going to make the returners stronger and compete harder."
 
The RedHawks look to carry over the momentum from a once-in-a-lifetime offseason experience when practice officially gets underway next week. Miami opens its fall slate Aug. 29-30 in Louisville, Ky. at the Bellarmine Classic.
 
"I feel good about where we're going to be going into the season," Hanson said. "I think we're going to compete harder than ever, be tighter than ever and be a better team than ever. We feel confident, not just based on one moment [in Europe], but from the whole trip and our play there."
 
"I'm looking forward to the progress: just everything as a whole slowly starting to get better," Creech added. "I'm excited to see how everything comes together [this fall]."
 
The Red and White will play 14 home matches this season, beginning with an exciting showdown against Ohio State on Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m. Miami will recognize former coach and Hall of Famer Carolyn Condit that night with the dedication of Coach Carolyn Condit Court, as the RedHawks unveil a new state-of-the-art Taraflex floor at Millett Hall made possible by gifts from a number of Condit's former student-athletes.
 
"That will be a huge night for this program, where we show people a little glimpse of the future and what we're trying to do," Gwitt said. "We're trying to go play the big teams, and I want to recruit players that want to go toe-to-toe with those teams. And [for everyone connected to Miami], to honor what Coach Condit did here for four decades is something really special."
 
A tournament at Xavier (Sept. 5-6), the annual Miami/Best Western Invitational (Sept. 12-14) and a home-and-home against Northern Kentucky (Sept. 19-20) will further help Gwitt's team prepare for MAC play, which gets underway Sept. 25 at Akron.
 
"It's easy for a coach or team to say, 'Hey, we have to work hard, and we expect to win.' But you've got to do it. And you have to do it mind, body and soul," Gwitt said. "There's no escaping the reality of the grind, and it's never easy at any level on any team. You have to have the right people that are committed to doing it and relentless about it, and that's why I'm most excited about this group. They desperately want to win.
 
"Our seniors realize, 'This is it: we have a good core of players that are here to support us, and we're going to do everything it takes.'
 
"It's year number two, so we want to make a big jump…it's a long season, and we want to be good in November. From a confidence standpoint, we feel like we're talented enough to get to the MAC Tournament and make a run there, which hasn't happened in a long time.
 
"Obviously you have to stay healthy, but our game plan going in is to keep building and getting stronger and better. Then, once we hit that MAC schedule, we have to produce 'W's. That's where it's really going to matter."
 
"We have a lot of strong and loyal fans, and I think we owe it to them to show how much we've grown as a team and how much tenacity we have," Hanson said. "We are more driven than ever, and I'm more grateful than ever for the alumni and all they've done for this program and poured into it.
 
"I can't wait for them to see how much that means to us, how much we've benefited from it and how much better we're going to be," she continued, specifically referencing the gifts and donors that helped make the RedHawks' European adventure possible.
 
"I can't wait to get after it this season and share that with the people who have been showing up for us, no matter what, since day one."
 
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Season tickets for the 2025 Miami Volleyball season are on sale now! Single-match tickets go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, Aug. 5. Complimentary tickets to Coach Condit Day (Wednesday, Sept. 3 vs. Ohio State) are available for all fans, courtesy of President Greg and Dr. Renate Crawford! Fans should visit MiamiRedHawks.com/Promos to request up to 10 tickets with the code CCDAY.