Carolyn Steger is a redshirt junior who wears number three for the Eastern Michigan University women’s volleyball team. She comes to EMU from Wexford, Pa., which is about 20 minutes north of Pittsburgh.
Being redshirted means Steger took a year off from playing, usually due to an injury or transfer. In this case, it was a knee injury that kept her out of the 2010 campaign.
Steger hasn’t always played volleyball. She spent some time playing basketball when she was younger, and she also ran track. She even took part in the high jump and triple jump before making the decision to stick with volleyball.
Off the court, Steger likes to read, hang out with her friends, do some shopping and play a little sand volleyball. Steger’s favorite athlete is Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor, who is the wife of former Tigers catcher Matt Treanor.
Despite the fact that her favorite athlete is a volleyball player, Steger said her favorite professional sport is hockey.
And although her favorite sport is a winter sport, she said her favorite time of year is the summer.
“I love the warm weather and being able to be outside,” she said.
Her appreciation for warm weather is a perfect match for her favorite vacation spot so far: Cabo San Lucas.
Steger is a fan of pasta, but her favorite place to get food here on campus is the Marketplace. Steger said the deli is her preferred place to go because they have the best paninis.
Her teammate, senior outside hitter Rachel Iaquaniello had great things to say about her.
“I think she’s super competitive,” Iaquaniello said. “I think she really has fun being competitive, and I have fun playing with her.”
According to Iaquaniello, Steger remains true to herself on or off the court.
“Whether that’s outgoing, knowing how to have a good time or being loud or goofy… I can always count on her to be herself,” Iaquaniello said.
Steger is a star in the classroom as well as on the court. Her favorite subject is math and she is double majoring in psychology and actuarial science. She is hoping for a career as an actuary after she graduates.
“An actuary is a business professional who analyzes the financial consequences of risk,” Steger said. “Actuaries use mathematics, statistics and financial theory to study uncertain future events, especially those of concern to insurance and pension programs. They evaluate the likelihood of those events, design creative ways to reduce the likelihood and decrease the impact of adverse events that actually do occur.”
Steger has actually been named as the team’s “Top Scholar” and she was also on the dean’s list. Both things, she said, have been her biggest accomplishments in her time at EMU so far.
Steger said that she likes all different kinds of music, but her favorite musician right now is singer and songwriter Tyler Hilton.
Growing up, Stager said her favorite cartoon was “Winnie the Pooh.”
Now, her favorite TV shows are the ABC comedy “Modern Family” and the recent comedy “Monk.” Her favorite movie is the comedy “Zoolander.”
Steger’s favorite actor and actress are Ryan Reynolds and Kiera Knightly respectively. Both are known for their presence in romantic comedies.
Steger said her biggest role models are her parents.
“They’re a big influence in my life and I look up to them,” she said. “They set great examples.”
