In the Game

by Tony Moore

Jenn Morrissey ’16

Jenn Morrissey grew up in a lacrosse family — both her parents played, and so did her four older siblings, including brother Chris ’05. So it made sense when she picked up a stick and took to the field at an early age. The surprise came along in high school, when she began playing volleyball as her fall sport. “Once I started volleyball, I quickly fell in love with it,” Morrissey says.

Jump ahead five years, and Morrissey is a dual-sport athlete at Dickinson, where she started all 21 volleyball matches her first year and all 16 lacrosse games.

And she did more than just start: She also dished out 582 assists on the volleyball court and broke the Red Devil lacrosse record for assists by a first-year student with 18.

“It was hard for me to decide if I wanted to play lacrosse or volleyball,” Morrissey says, noting that not having to make the decision was music to her ears. “Both teams welcomed me with open arms, and the warmth of the faculty and coaching staff generates a sense of family. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to play both sports.”

When not in a Red Devil uniform, Morrissey’s sense of place is just as meaningful, and she cites her relationships with faculty and the college’s strong academic foundation as features she’s embracing. “There are opportunities to explore whatever you are interested in,” she says. “There is no limit.”

Ryan Steinbock ’14

Ryan Steinbock is a runner, and what that means to him comes down to this: “There’s just something about constantly pushing your body to its absolute limits to see just how far or fast you can make it go.”

Pushing his body in cross country earned him NCAA All-Mideast Region honors at the 2011 and 2012 regional champion-ships and second-team All-Centennial Conference (CC) honors in 2011 and 2012. The international business & management and German double-major also has landed on the U.S. Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association CC Academic Honor Roll. And he’s glad he’s doing it all while wearing a Red Devils uniform.

“I talked with Coach [Don] Nichter and some of the guys who were already on the team when I first visited,” he says, “and everything just seemed to match what I wanted out of the team and college in general. I wasn’t even fully aware at the time how much talent the team has, or just how competitive it actually is.”

He knows now, and he’s finding that what’s just as important as having great teammates is forging lasting friendships.

“I usually eat, run and live with a bunch of my teammates every day,” he says, “and the guys on the team are easily some of my best friends. I have no doubt that most of these friendships will be lifelong friendships as well.”

Published October 28, 2013