Here is VolleyballRecruits.net's Part 5 of Get to Know a College Program! Periodically, we are going to share with you interviews with college vballers, who are here to tell you how they chose their program and what it's like to be a part of their college team.

 Our fifth player is Bethany Steiger, a member of the Fairfield volleyball team. She chatted with us about what it's like to attend Fairfield and the path that took her there. Steiger is entering her senior season as a middle blocker for the Stags. Here's what she had to say!

On the Recruiting Process

In what ways did you make yourself accessible to coaches?

I had made myself available through my volleyball club, Club Fusion. There were many tournaments on weekends where collage coaches of every division came and watched several different clubs play each other. It was important to attend every tournament and never give up the chance to be seen, it’s hard to be noticed when you are playing with girls all at the same skill level as yourself. I also had a recruiting coordinator at my club who provided me with many connections that I then pursued. If there was ever a program or college I was very interested in, I did not hesitate to contact them because it shows great initiative and can grab the attention of the coach.

When did you first receive personalized contact from coaches from your program?

Spring of my junior year of high school

How often were you contacted by coaches from your program?

I was contacted about every month whether it was email, phone calls, etc.

What separated your school from the rest of your top choices?

The atmosphere once actually visiting the campus and the academics the school was known for, I wanted a great education above all else.

Do you have any suggestions for future athletes’ visits?

Never be afraid to ask questions because believe me there aren’t any stupid ones and you regret not asking something you truly want to know.

When did you verbally commit? When did you sign the National Letter of Intent?

I verbally committed in the summer before my senior year, and signed my National Letter of Intent over Thanksgiving break that year.

If anything, what would you have done differently in your recruiting process?

I would have visited more schools in person rather than talking and emailing. I became super tired very quickly of all the traveling on top of club volleyball, but you truly get a feel of the school once you visit it in person, don’t limit your choices.

On Being a Student-Athlete

Describe your campus’ location.

My campus location at Fairfield University is a very urban location. It is only an hour outside of New York City but is located in Connecticut. The seasons are awesome, winters not too cold; falls are gorgeous because of all the trees and the leaves changing colors, springs get warm quickly, and summers stay hot till mid-September. The weather is crucial because Fairfield is actually located on the beach (the Long Island Sound) (Atlantic Ocean); it is a beautiful place to live. Pros are that everything you could possibly need (even some shopping) all can be done in town. A con might be that you cannot have a car until you are a junior.

Please describe a typical class at your school.

A typical class at my school is about 1hr. 15mins. and the max amount that can attend a class is 30, most classes have 23-25 students because there are no TA’s only professors, and your professors will get to know you. This is a great thing because if you work hard those professors notice and are willing to help you in your career.

Are there mandatory student-athlete study sessions?

Yes, for all incoming athletes there is study hall, after the first semester if you have above a 2.5 then study hall is not mandatory; if in your four years your cumulative GPA ever drops below a 2.5 then you have study hall until you can bring it up. Some coaches can make mandatory study hall for their teams.

What kind of academic resources are available to student-athletes?

There are several academic resources available at Fairfield, there is tutoring in every subject and a writing center for all papers and reports that you would like proofread. 

What did you major in? Are there any well-renown majors at your school?

I am a Finance and Management double major and the well-renown majors at Fairfield are the business majors because we have a highly competitive business school.

What are off season workouts and practices like?

Off season workouts and practices are Monday thru Friday so you get the weekend free which is the best thing ever. You do have to wake up every morning at 8 am.

What was your travel schedule like?

Travel schedule is not bad at all I don’t miss hardly any school because games are always on the weekends and are longest drive is 6 hours and we fly to two other schools. So most of the schools we play are on average 2-3 hours away so very reasonable.

How did you balance volleyball and academics?

It is hard at first but I took advantage of when we did travel to bring work and actually do it because I know I wouldn’t want to do it once I got back on campus. I also got very acquainted with the library at my school; I pack my bag for the day so instead of going back to my room between classes I go to the library and get work done so I can go to bed at a reasonable hour each night or have the night free.

Describe your living options.

You live on-campus for 3 years and your senior year you can choose to live off-campus. I love this because everyone is still so close and you don’t have to go far to hang.

Freshman year- dorms

Sophomore year- suites

Junior year- townhouses

Senior year- the beach

Describe the athletic facilities.

The athletic facilities are very nice, everything is located in one building so that is a huge plus, study hall and tutoring along with the training facilities all under the same roof. It makes balancing school and sport super convenient.

Was it possible to participate in any extracurricular activities?

You cannot study abroad during the school year but summers and breaks you can. Also Fairfield is huge on extracurricular activities so yes you can become very involved with the university outside of your sport.