What do a nurse and a setter have in common? Being a nurse means sacrificing everything for the well being of a patient. A nurse helps make a patient more comfortable and sets them up to become healthy once again. Nursing is considered by many to be one of the most unselfish occupations a person can undertake because it is a field that requires constant service for the well being of others.

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A setter in volleyball is one of the players who sometimes gets overlooked. A big spike is the play that makes the crowd go wild. However, a spike cannot happen without an accurate set. The setter gets very little glory or recognition, but often times, these players set their teammates up for success.

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Behrend senior Lexi Irwin takes on both of these challenges selflessly and with pride. Irwin is a 2015 graduate of Hempfield Area High School, and is a resident of Irwin, Pennsylvania. Her athletic accolades in her high school days include three letters in both basketball and volleyball along with two All-Section selections in volleyball and another All-Section selection in basketball. This success has translated to college volleyball, as she has three times been selected as an Academic All-AMCC, was the team Rookie of the Year in her freshman year as well as a two-time captain.

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She was a key contributor to Penn State Behrend’s AMCC Conference Championship in 2017, which subsequently led to a berth in the NCAA Tournament. While Irwin had some opportunities elsewhere to play volleyball, she knew she could not pass up the opportunity to become a nurse and play volleyball at Behrend.

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When Irwin spoke of her decision to become a nurse, she stated “I always knew that I wanted to be in a profession where I helped people as much as possible. So, I was between teaching and nursing. I concluded with nursing as my major because my mom is a nurse and I grew up listening to some of her stories that were always so inspiring. It definitely keeps me busy balancing classes and a sport. However, it also keeps me on my toes to make sure I use my free time appropriately.” This statement just emphasizes the selflessness Irwin possesses and benevolent character she displays. Lexi has had a very successful three years at Penn State Behrend, but her success would not have been possible without some key people in her life.

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Lexi expressed the importance of her family and her head coach in her academic and athletic prosperity. She expressed just how tough it was to leave her twin brother Zack and attend a different school than him for the first time. However, she also expressed just how much her brothers Chris, Nate and Zack mean to her. All of her brothers enjoy sports and have given her feedback and advice, which has helped her improve as an athlete.

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In addition to her brothers, Lexi also mentioned the important role her parents Patricia and Bruce have played in her life. “My parents have made so many trips driving and flying around the country for my tournaments and games ever since I was younger. My dad has always been my motivation to keep going and my biggest supporter. His honesty about my performance after my games has always kept me humble and competitive and ready for the next challenge that is thrown at me. My mom has also supported me so much through my years as an athlete and a student. She is always the cheerleader in the stands and the one to keep me positive. She has also helped me throughout school, every time I get stressed she is the calming voice to settle me down,” Irwin commented.

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Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Phil Pisano has also played an important role in her college career. When speaking about her coach, Irwin said “Phil is never satisfied, which keeps me humble as an athlete. He is the one to always push to get every last bit of what he can out of you, and that has really made me tougher as a player. Phil is a motivating coach, but he is also very available to help with any other issues we may have. I have learned so much from him not only athletically, but for life in general.”

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While her head coach and her family have played big parts in Irwin’s career, she additionally spoke highly about her teammates. “They have been some of my best friends. My teammates are always the ones to pick me right back up after I make a mistake, or after I make five mistakes. But, they are also the ones to hold me accountable for those mistakes which helps me grow as an athlete. There has yet to be a bad practice that can’t be fixed by a long locker room talk afterwards. I also owe them for all of my successes in volleyball because without their passes and kills, my stats wouldn’t even be a factor. They are helping create awesome memories that I can look back on forever,” she said of her teammates.

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The Lions will look to build off of a 2017 season in which they won the AMCC Title. Irwin is one of two seniors, the other being Amanda Henry, and she is most definitely one of the team leaders of this young team. She hopes to recapture the feeling she experienced in 2017 when she won her first conference championship.

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Irwin is the true definition of a team player, and this attitude will translate as she soon will begin her career as a nurse. Irwin has one more season to enjoy the game as a collegiate athlete. For current and future collegiate athletes, she had some words of advice. “Never taking any day for granted. There will be hard practices, and challenging losses, and you will feel like you should quit at some point throughout your career. But, it is the most rewarding thing coming into senior year knowing you made it through the four years, despite any of the bumps in the road you have already surpassed.”