I love Vassar we feel like we should be competing for the conference championship every year I'm very happy I chose Vassar College the women's volleyball program at Vassar College has a rich history of success that continues today we start and end with culture building up the things we want to do and making sure everybody understands our goals our philosophies and just what we're about you know I'm not just respecting their traditions but understand your role in creating those traditions and establishing that legacy moving forward a new era of promise is underway the Brewers had a combined nine first and second-year players on their 2019 roster eight brewers earned conference all academic honors since 2000 the Brewers have had 14 winning seasons won five Liberty League titles and have made six appearances in the NCAA tournament most recently in 2017 it's a really special experience walking into that gym for the first time is something that none of us will ever forget so a really special experience to be a part of that the Brewers who've gone to the Liberty League playoffs three of the last four seasons have a roster of players from states like Hawaii California and Texas the transition from being from Colorado to here is obviously huge but my team definitely made that as easy as possible in this school at-large really does a very nice job of making everybody feel included Vassar College has 27 varsity teams encompassing a wide range of sports most of the Brewers teams compete in the prestigious Liberty League at the NCAA Division three level the college provides outstanding and unique venues for training and competition and Vassar has its own volleyball specific court at Kaena it's amazing that we have a facility that's basically dedicated to volleyball in our program the space gets so loud and so exciting and we get like a packed house in there you know we can really just feel the energy on the court and it's really unlike any other place that we play at athletes at Vassar really make a difference to our campus they have tremendous leadership skills they're involved in lots of different activities they're really a pride point for us at Vassar Vassar College founded in 1861 is consistently ranked as one of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation with a beautiful and historic campus a diverse student body and renowned faculty Vassar offers over a thousand courses and more than 50 majors and Vassar student-athletes lead the Liberty League in all academic honors I'd love the history department here I'm also a Greek and Roman studies and Africana Studies minors so I'm doing a lot and I really really love it I love all my professors it is difficult to balance athletics and academics but it's definitely doable and our team has a very high team GPA and we've really excelled in the classroom a pastor has given me a lot of really amazing opportunities last semester I studied abroad in Paris Messer is located in Poughkeepsie only minutes from the scenic Hudson River New York City is only a short drive or train ride to the South in the spring we have a little more time on weekends and stuff to go to the city and take advantage of that I love to kids see I actually I lived here at this past summer the Hudson Valley is just beautiful I found a lot of hikes it's not real wings see it right just expect it every time former Division one player jonathan pen is vassar all-time winningest volleyball coach and watch hen who also coached the men's program to more than 150 wins is nearing 400 victories as the women's coach he's taken the Brewers to six NCAA tournaments then drop it in short I want people who can play the game and from there we design a system that's gonna allow the best personnel to be on the court doing what they do best the caliber of student athlete the caliber of person that I get to work with on a daily basis is what it is all about their commitment their inquisitiveness their diversity their desire they're just a really really special group of people Vassar women's volleyball success on and off the court together I've met so many incredible people that I will have close to me for the rest of my life but it really is a special place and we're ready [Music]