Aug. 10, 2001
Opportunity The Siena coaching staff remains dedicated to providing each student-athlete with the opportunity to become the best volleyball player she can be, however, this is not the number one priority. Any athletic success without paralleled academic achievement is viewed as a hollow victory. As a result, volleyball will always take a back seat to academics and a player's family values at Siena.
Student-athletes strive to succeed at Siena for a variety of reasons. The combination of having each class at Siena taught by actual professors, and having a low student-professor ratio, helps foster an environment in which learning is cutting-edge and exciting. Siena students-athletes quickly realize the academic success they attain will translate into opportunities, and eventually successful careers beyond college. The Capital Region provides an ideal locale for such opportunities to be pursued, as countless internships are readily available to students.
Balancing Volleyball and Academics Siena women's volleyball has a proud tradition of success both on the court and in the classroom. Two American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) awards for academic distinction (presented to teams that boast a 20-win season and a 3.3 team grade-point average) highlight the programs' long list of distinctions. The Saints accumulated four consecutive conference championships (1993-1996) and competed in the NCAA Tournament (1995), proving academic and athletic achievement can go hand-in-hand. To that end, there is perhaps no greater tribute to the Siena volleyball program than the successes achieved by its alumni (see p. 20). Recent graduates have become doctors, lawyers, educators, medical researchers, psychologists and accountants in national firms. Other alumni have moved on to different countries and top graduate schools to pursue their dreams.
The Future With the injection of full grant-in-aid scholarships, the Siena coaching staff now has the luxury of recruiting exceptional high school athletes, while remaining committed to bringing in the type of individual who is rich in character and has demonstrated the capability to thrive at Siena. The staff has singled out four goals they hope to discover in every recruit, each illustrating a particular quality of an individual's constitution. The first goal is to find athletes who are willing to pay the price in the classroom and excel academically - students who realize they can open more doors in the world with a sound education rather than a hard spike.
Second, the aim is to discover proven leaders - athletes who are not afraid to be the go-to players when the score is tied late in the match.
Third, the goal is to find athletes who have the unique ability to make the players around them better - students who demonstrate a knowledge of the importance of teamwork and team chemistry.
Finally, the staff looks for something many Division I schools do not. The Siena coaches recruit players who are willing to laugh and have fun. After all, volleyball is just a game, and while at times it is intense and serious, without the laughs, smiles and friendships developed, it would not be worth playing.
This type of athlete is not easy to find, but the Siena coaching staff remains dedicated to the search - committed to keep the rich tradition of Siena volleyball alive.
