FARMINGDALE, N.Y. | In celebration of NCAA Division III Week (April 7-13), the Farmingdale State College athletics department will be highlighting the experiences, perspectives and passion of our student-athletes.
Division III Week is a positive opportunity for all individuals associated with Division III to observe and celebrate the impact of athletics and of student-athletes on the campus and surrounding community.
In order to highlight the diverse array of student-athletes who proudly represent Farmingdale State athletics, we will feature a selection of individuals throughout the week. You will get to know them better as they share their responses to five questions about what it means to be a Division III athlete at FSC.
Our next student-athlete spotlight is sophomore volleyball setter,
Sarah Rende (Wantagh, N.Y.).
Sarah was a Second Team All-Skyline Conference selection last fall, and was the inaugural women's volleyball recipient of the Conference's Elite 19 Award – presented to the student-athlete with the highest grade point average from a team participating in the conference tournament. In just two seasons with the Rams, the Science, Technology & Society major is the program's all-time leader in assists per set (7.70), and ranks third in overall assists (1,278). Sarah has been a team leader this spring semester with organizing her teammates in giving back to the Academy Volleyball club's 12-year-old age group, as they have volunteered at the club's Wednesday practices to assist the youth in further developing their volleyball skills.
Q&A
What has made your Division III student-athlete experience so great/special?
Being a Division III student athlete has made my college experience very special because it has allowed me to have a good balance between academics and athletics. I have been able to excel in the classroom while also creating a family within my team. FSC has allowed me to meet my best friends through volleyball and I am so grateful for finding my home here.
What's your favorite Division III memory at Farmingdale State?
My favorite Division III memory has to be how welcome I felt when I transferred to Farmingdale State for my sophomore academic year. Joining a new team as a transfer can be nerve wracking but I immediately connected with my teammates and they made me feel very comfortable. My coaches and our athletic staff also helped with the transition as they all care for the athletes here and I instantly felt like I was a part of the close-knit family that FSC has built with our Rams.
Please give an example from your time here when you/your teammates got involved in a community engagement effort; describe the experience, and how the sense of accomplishment felt.
My favorite type of community engagement effort has been when we've been able to share our knowledge of volleyball with younger athletes. It feels really rewarding when we get to make young volleyball players better and teach them more about the sport. I love seeing them take our advice and improve, all while having a fun time with us. We feel a great sense of accomplishment when we get to be a small piece of an athlete's journey.
Give an example of a moment when you felt like a leader within your team; explain what led to that moment, and how you executed your leadership traits.
One moment when I felt like a leader within my team was when we were having a tough week and during practice, if we were feeling low, I would call the team into a huddle to talk about what we could do better to bring up the energy. This allowed us to reset and be there for each other, which ultimately made us play better and brought up the vibe of practice. Being a leader involves knowing when your team needs a reset, being the person to recognize that, and having a conversation to boost the morale of practice.
Division III affords student-athletes the opportunity to balance many initiatives at once (e.g., academics, athletics, job/family, etc.). How has this balance allowed you to be successful both at FSC and in life during your time here.
Division III allowing me to balance academics, athletics, a job, and family and friends is one of my favorite things about being a D-III athlete. I get to play my favorite sport while also being able to succeed in the classroom, coach volleyball, and spend time with my family and friends. Having to balance all of these things at the same time has taught me time management, teamwork, communication, and having a good work ethic. Balancing my commitments have given me skills that will continue to help me in my future.
