BERKELEY – Iya Lindahl went 16-10 last season as a freshman for the Cal beach volleyball team, which tied for the team lead in wins.

But never did she get more validation of her status as a beach volleyball player when she traveled to Europe earlier this summer to play a pair of events on the World Beach Volleyball Federation Tour.

Lindahl teamed with Amber Walker – the strength and conditioning coach at Lindahl's old club in Del Mar – to play in tournaments in St. Moritz, Switzerland and Sicily, Italy.  The pair won the championship at the Sicily Open and made a strong run in St. Moritz before falling to the two pairs that ultimately played in the finals.

"I've been working so hard and sometimes the results don't always come," said Lindahl, who teamed with Nicole Anderson as Cal's No. 4 pair last season. "It's nice to have a little reminder that you do it for a reason. It reminded me how much I love the sport."

Lindahl and Walker first visited St. Moritz before moving on to Sicly – two spots where the locals aren't used to seeing beach volleyball. But the tournaments were played in front of big crowds, and when Lindahl and Walker won the championship match in Sicily, they were mobbed by autograph-seekers.

"The crowds were so engaged," Lindahl said. "They stormed us afterward, asking for autographs and photos. It was all amazing."

Ever since immersing herself in beach volleyball, Lindahl had dreamed of playing in international tournaments. But she didn't expect it to happen this summer. Walker had played on the WBVF Tour last summer, and she and Lindahl began talking about the possibility of teaming up in June.

A month later, they were on a flight to Switzerland. At age 19, Lindahl had never left the country. Now she was suddenly flying to the other side of the world for two weeks of, among other things, the unknown.

"I was a little scared on the flights because there was a lot of turbulence. I was so excited not to die on the plane," Lindahl said. "It was worth it. It's been one of my dreams to play internationally, and I can't believe it came true when I was 19. I can't put into words how amazing the experience was."

Each tournament spanned three days, playing nine matches in a double-elimination, playoff format. Matches occurred all day and night – Lindahl and Walker played one of their matches at 11:30 p.m. local time.

Although Lindahl and Walker knew each other and trained extensively together at WAVE Volleyball Club, they didn't have any tournament experience together. But they ended up taking fifth in St. Moritz before winning it all in Sicily.

"It was literally a life-changing experience," Lindahl said. "I have absolutely never felt that kind of joy. It was pure euphoria. It was an amazing experience to meet so many people from around the world."