The Monmouth contingent was joined by a pair of players from the West Coast on the trip, which was offered by USA Athletes International. Jones was recruited by the organization to serve as a coach, and she opened the travel opportunity to her team. Taking her up on the offer were juniors Melissa Gorski and Apryl Wishecoby and sophomores Megan Baum, Lynsey Barnard and Libby White. Another Fighting Scot, senior Ashley Yeast, was part of a similar trip to Australia.

"It was a unique life experience," said Jones, who reported her team went 3-1 on the "Adriatic Dream" tour. "It was really education through sports, as we learned so much about our environment."

Jones said a particularly vivid memory was walking through bullet-ridden Sarajevo, Bosnia, where the remnants of the nation’s civil war were very evident. She also said her team got to see the "clear, blue water" of the Adriatic Sea and took a memorable gondola ride through the canals of Venice. The group also spent time in Jesolo, Italy, and the cities of Split and Zagreb in Croatia.

Of the basketball, Jones noted, "International play is very physical. There’s lots of pushing and shoving, but there aren’t a lot of fouls called. I was really proud of Melissa Gorski. She played like she’s ready for the season to start right now. Lynsey Barnard got lots of work at the point guard position and is growing more and more comfortable there."

Two weeks before the trip, Baum needed an emergency appendectomy, but Jones said the 6-foot-1 center recovered quickly, made the trip and "played very well."

Jones is preparing for her third season as Monmouth’s coach after a stellar playing career, which saw her finish as the program’s third all-time leading scorer. Her most recent team finished 12-11 and placed sixth in the Midwest Conference.