Foreign tour game schedule

PITTSBURGH - Coming off the most successful season in program history, and their first NCAA Tournament appearance, the 2016 Atlantic 10 regular season co-champion Duquesne women's basketball team is starting their 2016-17 campaign with a foreign tour.

Head coach Dan Burt has announced that the 15-member squad, comprised of 11 freshmen and sophomores, will visit France, Hungary, Croatia, and Serbia while competing in four games from August 4-16, 2016.

"By taking a foreign tour, we have the opportunity to bring this young squad together for ten practices that will really allow them to get a jump start on learning our system and for us to see where leadership emerges," said Burt.

Mirroring the renaissance of early 20th century Pittsburgh, the team features a strong European presence with six student-athletes from the continent.

Senior Amadea Szamosi, sophomore Eniko Kuttor, and freshman Nina Aho all hail from Hungary. Sophomore Julijana Vojinovic is from Serbia, sophomore Kadri-Ann Lass is from Estonia, and junior Judith Sole comes from Spain.

The trip will include visits with Amadea, Eniko, and Nina's families, allowing their American and Canadian teammates to learn about their culture, further developing the program's mission of "family".

"I'm really excited to share with them the food that my grandmother makes, because to me it's the best food in the world," said Szamosi. They may not feel the same way, but it will be fun to find out".

Already known as one of the top international recruiters in the United States, Burt sees this trip as helping on multiple levels.

"Our team presence there will increase our visibility and reputation in countries that have strong basketball cultures, while also bringing the Duquesne University brand to new audiences."

The 12-day trip will also include educational expeditions, such as visiting the Terror Museum in Budapest, which documents some of the hardest times in Hungarian history; the walled city of Dubrovnik (setting for "Game of Thrones"); and the Catholic cathedral Notre-Dame.

"We are all very excited to be sharing this adventure together, and are very thankful to our Duquesne Administration and director of athletics Dave Harper for his support with this special trip," added Burt.

Be sure to follow the women's basketball team's social media outlets for daily updates from Europe.

• This the second time Duquesne has taken advantage of an NCAA rule which allows basketball programs to go on an international trip once every four years. The Dukes traveled to Toronto - in the first foreign tour in school history - to play four games in August 2012

• Duquesne's first game on August 7th will be against Bajai Noi Kosarlabda Klub - the same team former point guard and Duquesne Hall of Famer Kristi Little played for in 2009

• The second game will be played in Szamosi's hometown of Pecs against Team Pecs on August 8th

• The Dukes will travel to Vrbas, Serbia to play Zenski Kosarkaski Klub Vrbas on August 9th -- this is 125 miles north of Vojinovic's hometown of Cacak

• The final game will be August 13 against Team Dubrovnik in Dubrovnik, Croatia

• In addition to France, Hungary, Serbia and Croatia, Duquesne will have layovers in Austria and Germany

• Duquesne has had 22 international countries represent the team in its program history

• Practices leading up the foreign tour are open to the media - players and coaches are available interviews following practice

• Practice times are as follows: 10:00 am on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. 11:00 am on Thursday