Photo by: Luke White
FOLLOW: ACU Embarks on International Tour to Greece, Rwanda
8/5/2026 5:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Follow along at this link to keep up with the Abilene Christian women's basketball team's international tour across Greece and Rwanda!
From Aug. 4-16, the Wildcats will head overseas for competition with Greek programs, volunteer and service work at Rwanda Children, a faith-based nonprofit founded by ACU alum Serge Gasore ('09), and cultural immersion experiences.
Fans can support women's basketball's international journey through its excellence fund here. Updates and photos throughout the Wildcats' trip will be posted to ACUSports.com and social media at @ACUWBB and @ACUSports.
Aug. 4-5
The Wildcats wasted little time immersing themselves in Greek culture after crossing the Atlantic. The team arrived in Athens, Greece on Tuesday, Aug. 4 and began its stay in the capital city with dinner at the Cave of Acropolis. The Wildcats dined in the shadow of the Acropolis beneath an Athens sunset and used the rest of the night to explore the city.
The team also took the opportunity to celebrate senior guard Erin Woodson's 22nd birthday with a cake at the restaurant. On the way, the Wildcats witnessed the Changing of the Guard in front of the Hellenic Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The next day, student-athletes and coaches enjoyed a morning bike tour of Athens, which took them to the Panathenaic Stadium, Ancient Agora of Athens and Presidential Mansion while picking up great views of the Acropolis. The team learned about the nation's history, tradition and heritage while traveling on two wheels.
"The bike tour was really cool," senior forward Meredith Mayes said. "We got to see a lot and bike through the streets, we got to see the Acropolis and we got to see [the] Agora, those areas were so cool. We got to see a lot of ruins. That was probably my favorite part so far."
The Wildcats took advantage of afternoon free time to further explore the community and its culture. They ate at local restaurants and shopped at local businesses and stores. The team capped the night with a cooking class at Eat With Your Greek Cousin in the heart of Athens. The Wildcats were treated to numerous traditional dishes and got to try their hands at making their own Greek cuisine.
Redshirt senior guard Natalia Chavez spoke to the importance of the experiences for team bonding and building chemistry with one another. She said navigating a new culture and sharing the experience together has been rewarding.
"We're with each other all the time, so getting to experience it with people your own age compared to your family, I feel is even more fun because we have to figure it out on our own, too, in a different country," Chavez said. "Also, we're just trying to learn the language, eating all of the food, not hesitating. … Just getting closer with the people that we've always been with."
Head coach Julie Goodenough drew on ACU's past two international tours to speak firsthand of the impact of such experiences. She said the impact of this summer's trip won't be felt just in the upcoming season, but for many years ahead.
"The last two trips that I've gone on with an ACU team, the season that we had following those trips was amazing," Goodenough said. " … Just this intense amount of time that they're spending together, it grows the chemistry, everybody gets to know each other. If you notice on our team, everyone talks to everyone. There's no cliques that have to be in the same bike group together, they have to sit together at the dinner table. They mingle all pretty well, and I just think it grows the culture of the program, grows the chemistry and the relationships.
"Without strong relationships, you're going to throw in the towel when things get hard. I think the more that we experience things together, we'll be talking about this trip not just this school year, this season, but for the rest of our lives, all the things that we were able to do together as a team. I just think it makes us a tougher, grittier group of people, just to have this awesome experience."
Up next, the Wildcats will play a pair of games in Greece, taking on Athens Select on Thursday and Melissia Select 2 on Friday.
From Aug. 4-16, the Wildcats will head overseas for competition with Greek programs, volunteer and service work at Rwanda Children, a faith-based nonprofit founded by ACU alum Serge Gasore ('09), and cultural immersion experiences.
Fans can support women's basketball's international journey through its excellence fund here. Updates and photos throughout the Wildcats' trip will be posted to ACUSports.com and social media at @ACUWBB and @ACUSports.
Aug. 4-5
The Wildcats wasted little time immersing themselves in Greek culture after crossing the Atlantic. The team arrived in Athens, Greece on Tuesday, Aug. 4 and began its stay in the capital city with dinner at the Cave of Acropolis. The Wildcats dined in the shadow of the Acropolis beneath an Athens sunset and used the rest of the night to explore the city.
The team also took the opportunity to celebrate senior guard Erin Woodson's 22nd birthday with a cake at the restaurant. On the way, the Wildcats witnessed the Changing of the Guard in front of the Hellenic Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The next day, student-athletes and coaches enjoyed a morning bike tour of Athens, which took them to the Panathenaic Stadium, Ancient Agora of Athens and Presidential Mansion while picking up great views of the Acropolis. The team learned about the nation's history, tradition and heritage while traveling on two wheels.
"The bike tour was really cool," senior forward Meredith Mayes said. "We got to see a lot and bike through the streets, we got to see the Acropolis and we got to see [the] Agora, those areas were so cool. We got to see a lot of ruins. That was probably my favorite part so far."
The Wildcats took advantage of afternoon free time to further explore the community and its culture. They ate at local restaurants and shopped at local businesses and stores. The team capped the night with a cooking class at Eat With Your Greek Cousin in the heart of Athens. The Wildcats were treated to numerous traditional dishes and got to try their hands at making their own Greek cuisine.
Redshirt senior guard Natalia Chavez spoke to the importance of the experiences for team bonding and building chemistry with one another. She said navigating a new culture and sharing the experience together has been rewarding.
"We're with each other all the time, so getting to experience it with people your own age compared to your family, I feel is even more fun because we have to figure it out on our own, too, in a different country," Chavez said. "Also, we're just trying to learn the language, eating all of the food, not hesitating. … Just getting closer with the people that we've always been with."
Head coach Julie Goodenough drew on ACU's past two international tours to speak firsthand of the impact of such experiences. She said the impact of this summer's trip won't be felt just in the upcoming season, but for many years ahead.
"The last two trips that I've gone on with an ACU team, the season that we had following those trips was amazing," Goodenough said. " … Just this intense amount of time that they're spending together, it grows the chemistry, everybody gets to know each other. If you notice on our team, everyone talks to everyone. There's no cliques that have to be in the same bike group together, they have to sit together at the dinner table. They mingle all pretty well, and I just think it grows the culture of the program, grows the chemistry and the relationships.
"Without strong relationships, you're going to throw in the towel when things get hard. I think the more that we experience things together, we'll be talking about this trip not just this school year, this season, but for the rest of our lives, all the things that we were able to do together as a team. I just think it makes us a tougher, grittier group of people, just to have this awesome experience."
Up next, the Wildcats will play a pair of games in Greece, taking on Athens Select on Thursday and Melissia Select 2 on Friday.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's BasketballTuesday, August 04
Thursday, July 30
Wednesday, July 29
Wednesday, July 22
