The Minnesota volleyball team will participate in a European Tour over the summer when it heads on a six-match, 12-day tour that will take place over four different countries on June 12-23.

Minnesota will start out the first six days of the tour in the Czech Republic. The Golden Gophers will arrive in Prague on Tuesday, June 13. Minnesota will play its first match of the tour in Prague on Wednesday, June 14 against Olymp Praha. The Golden Gophers will play their second of two matches in Prague on Thursday, June 15 against Slavia Praha. 

On June 16, Minnesota will depart for Brno in the Czech Republic for the second leg of its tour. The Golden Gophers will play two matches against opponents that have yet to be determined in Brno. Minnesota will play its first match in Brno on Friday, June 16, and will play a second match in Brno on Saturday, June 17.

Minnesota will spend the day in Vienna, Austria on Sunday, June 18. The Golden Gophers will then head to Maribor, Slovenia on Monday, June 19. Minnesota will face the Croatian Junior National Team twice, once on June 19 and then again on Tuesday, June 20. The Golden Gophers will finish competition on the European Tour when they face the Slovenian National Team on Wednesday, June 21.

The Golden Gophers will spend their final day of the tour in Venice, Italy on Thursday, June 22.

Minnesota will have its activities chronicled on gophersports.com throughout to trip in a variety of ways. Stay tuned to gophersports.com for details on this leading up to the Golden Gophers European Tour. 

The Golden Gophers return 12 letterwinners from its 2005 team that finished 25-8 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Minnesota also finished third in the Big Ten with a mark of 14-6 in conference play last year. The Golden Gophers return 2005 First- Team All-Big Ten middle blocker Meredith Nelson (St. Croix Falls, Wis.), 2004 First- Team All-American Kelly Bowman and the 2005 Team MVP Malama Peniata (Plymouth, Minn.) to the 2006 squad.