Spartan Teams Travel to Ireland and Puerto Rico for Summer Fun and Games

Field hockey and girls volleyball trained, played and made memories with local athletes on summer trips 

August was an incredible month for St. Stephen’s Upper School Field Hockey and Girls Volleyball teams. Field Hockey athletes traveled to Ireland for a week of games and clinics, sightseeing and cultural experiences. Meanwhile, the Upper School Girls Volleyball team fit in cultural and outdoor activities between preseason training and exhibition matches in Puerto Rico.

Field Hockey Visits Ireland

Field Hockey’s itinerary included clinics and games with both club and school teams in Dublin. Associate Athletic Director and Field Hockey Program Head Chelsea Richards, Sports Medicine Director and Head Athletic Trainer Kathy Rainey, and Assistant Field Hockey Coach, Upper School Transitional English Instructor and International Program Assistant Grant Brennon chaperoned 19 Upper School Field Hockey players for the week-long trip in early August. 

A Spartan connection made the trip extra special. Ali and Una Murdoch P ’19, ’17 helped connect St. Stephen’s with Irish clubs and schools and shared a “must-see” list of their favorite Dublin activities! 

A lifelong member of Monkstown Hockey Club, Ali Murdoch helped forge connections between St. Stephen’s, Monkstown and Rathdown School, and he organized scrimmages with Railway Union Hockey Club and the Pembroke Wanderers Hockey Club. In addition, Murdoch secured Irish goalkeeper coaching legend Nidge Henderson and former Irish National Team member Chloe Watkins to lead hockey clinics for St. Stephen’s. The Spartans shared meals with Monkstown, Rathdown and Railway Union hockey players and traded St. Stephen’s pins and Bucc-ee’s stickers for club keychains with their Irish counterparts. 

“Of course we came to play hockey, but what was really special was reconnecting with a dear St. Stephen’s family and experiencing sport through the lens of another culture,” said Richards. “The standout moments for our team weren't just on the field — they were meeting Irish hockey players and coaches, sharing meals with new and old friends, and goofing around with people who enjoy the game as much as we do.”

Outside of hockey, the group packed in plenty of sightseeing, including a seven-mile hike in County Wicklow’s Glendalough glacial valley, a guided tour of the historic Kilmainham Gaol (‘jail’ in Irish), swimming at the infamous Forty Foot at high tide, a tour of Trinity College, including a viewing of the Book of Kells, and shopping on Dublin’s famous Grafton Street. 

Girls Volleyball Visits Puerto Rico

Four thousand miles across the Atlantic Ocean, Girls Volleyball Program Director Paula Trejos and Coach Stephen Hight took 14 Spartans to Puerto Rico in a first for the program. 

Their seven-day trip in August included five games at Leadership Christian Academy and the American School, both on the outskirts of San Juan. The preseason games allowed the Spartans to explore lineups and expand their offense, ultimately creating a diverse group of players across the Upper School teams. 

The itinerary included daily activities as well. Players toured vibrant Old San Juan and nearby Castillo de San Felipe del Morro, a UNESCO World Heritage site. They also enjoyed Puerto Rico’s natural beauty, hiking El Yunque (the only tropical rainforest in the National Forest System), kayaking a bioluminescent bay and relaxing on the beach.

“Whether it was trying local cuisine or talking to the other school athletes in Spanish, the girls immersed themselves in the culture,” said Trejos, noting that they expertly balanced the demands of competition with the joys of travel. 

Now that these teams are back on campus, there are plenty of opportunities to see them in action. Fall is the season for both volleyball and field hockey, view their upcoming home games on the Spartan Athletics calendar and come cheer them on!