DAY 3

Sacramento State enjoyed its third day in Portugal on a foreign tour that will stretch over 12 days, and includes a later trip to Spain. Today's highlight included the Hornets' second victory over a professional team from Portugal over a three-day span. The Hornets played CE Levada, and the two teams played four sets. Sacramento State won each of those frames handily - 25-15, 25-16, 25-18, 25-16. Below is the third installment of a series of blogs every Hornet player will write during the trip. Today, we hear from senior middle blocker Kalani Hayes.

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Hello Hornet Fans! This morning, we had a late breakfast and I made sure to stuff up on pastries before heading out for the day. To begin our adventure, we bussed to Old Town in Santa Maria Maior where we walked around town and shopped for a couple hours. We found swimsuits, jewelry, scarves, and treats.

There was a very cool market with every trinket, snack, fruit, and souvenir you could imagine. We tried so many different things! After exploring for a bit, we boarded a cable car that took us to the top of the island, and had incredible views. Seeing all the red roofs and beautiful architecture was breathtaking. Of course, we took a bunch of pictures and videos for the Instagram.

Once we got to the top, we walked up a couple flights of stairs to see a gorgeous church. Our guide, David, had us take some time to talk about what we are grateful for on this trip, which was really special. Personally, I am very thankful my mom and sister are on this trip, and am experiencing Portugal and Spain with me.

After that, we took toboggans down the hill about two kilometers, which is slightly more than a mile. The toboggans were wooden sleds that two men pushed down the streets! It was so fun and we went up to 30 miles per hour. I think some of my teammates convinced the guys to do a 360 but I was way too big of a wimp for that. Once we reached the bottom, we went back to the hotel and had a team lunch at a tasty restaurant.

After lunch, we got some rest before heading to our match. We had a great game against Levada with plenty of support from Ruben's family, the boosters, parents, and even our tour guide! After our win, we went to dinner at Papa Manuel's and had some amazing pasta and salad. We absolutely stuffed ourselves with bolo de caco which is an upgraded version of garlic bread.

Overall, it was our last full day in Madeira, and I am so excited for our next adventure in Lisbon.

Day 2 Blog - Bridgette Smith
Day 1 Blog - Caitlin Volkmann