Albany, NY---Two members of The Sage Colleges women’s volleyball team will compete as members of the Italian Challenge, a 10-day travel and competitive experience that will take place in Italy, June 7-16. Sage’s junior libero, Katelyn Drollette (Cadyville, NY/Saranac) and sophomore middle hitter, Mickey Mango (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs) are slated to compete this summer as members of the volleyball team that will compete as part of the Italian Challenge with stops in Venice, Florence, and Rome, Italy.

Mickey Mango said of the trip, “I've always wanted to travel and to be able to play, while I'm doing it is such an amazing opportunity!” Mango added, “I can't wait to see all the historic land marks of Italy and to play the local teams!"

The 10-player team, which is made up of women from Division III colleges and universities within the NCAA, will compete across Italy in the Continental Cup. The tour is part of USA Athletes International, which organizes tours and All-Star teams, to play and compete all over the world in 15 different sports.

The Sage pair will compete as members of a team that includes players from other NCAA Division III schools such as SUNY-Cortland, SUNY-Oneonta, New Jersey City University (NJ), Hunter College (NY), and Hope College (MI).  The US team will be coached by Jonathan Penn from Vassar College.

Over the course of the trip, the team will have an opportunity to compete in four different cities, Venice, Florence, Arezzo, and Rome, while also having an opportunity to visit and tour these international destinations.    

USA Athletes International, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to giving amateur athletes and coaches the opportunity to participate in international Olympic-style sporting events throughout the world, while also allowing them to broaden their educational and cultural knowledge of the world through the experience.

With over 20 years experience of international sports tournament travel, we have experienced much growth and built a brand to be proud of. What started with one baseball team has grown to over 60 annual tours. We currently are represented with over 900 athletes in seven sports that travel around the world to over 14 countries.