Star Athlete at SHU Sets Sights on Nursing Career
Sarah Ciszek, setter for the women’s volleyball team, scores high in athletics and academics
Sarah Ciszek, stand-out Sacred Heart University student-athlete, keeps a lot of balls in the air. The San Juan Capistrano, CA, native is navigating SHU’s challenging nursing curriculum while maintaining her standing as one of the best volleyball players on the Eastern Seaboard.
Ciszek earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing this past spring. Currently, she is pursuing a master’s degree in that field and also gearing up for her final season on the volleyball court.
“She is inarguably one of the best players to compete in our conference, in the history of our conference,” said Rob Machan, head coach of SHU Pioneers women’s volleyball team. “And to have her back for another year is really an outstanding advantage for our program.”
Ciszek, a setter for the team, led the Pioneers to three-straight Northeast Conference (NEC) championships. She was named NEC tournament MVP twice and was NEC Setter of the Year for the past four years. In addition, she is a four-time, All-NEC recipient, was a finalist for National Collegiate Athletic Association Woman of the Year, and was named NEC Player of the Year in the 2020-21 season.
The accolades run on and on, just like Ciszek does. Her lifestyle leaves little leeway for lounging, and that’s the way she likes it. She’s a setter, not a sitter. “I don’t really like sitting a lot,” she confirmed, detailing an undergraduate schedule that involved dashing between classes, clinicals and volleyball practice.
“You couldn’t have slipped 10 minutes sideways with her schedule,” said Machan. “She was taking one of the toughest curricula our University has to offer, while she was having all that success on the court.”
Ciszek spent long days caring for COVID-19 patients at medical facilities during the thick of the pandemic as part of her nursing curriculum. Moreover, time spent tending to the critically ill helped expand her appreciation for the services health--care workers provide, as well as the hardships they endure. It was a scary time, she admitted, recounting worries about the prospect of infecting her volleyball teammates with the virus.
On trying days, volleyball helped soothe her nerves. “Volleyball comes very naturally to me because I’ve been playing it for so long. So, it definitely let me express all of my anxiety and my stress,” she said.
Ciszek follows in the footsteps of two older sisters who played volleyball and also became nurses. She recalled batting the ball back and forth with her siblings in their yard and participating in volleyball clinics starting at age 9.
Looking back on her athletic career, Ciszek said her favorite memories are from games during her sophomore and senior years at SHU-against Baylor University and the University of Texas—two formidable opponents.
“We won our NEC Tournament—our conference tournament―to make it to these big teams. So, being able to win and play in these impressive gyms with all these fans was super rewarding,” she said.
Ciszek’s final season on the volleyball court is shaping up to be a stellar one. This year’s team includes an outstanding group of returning players, Machan said. The team was the unanimous top selection in the preseason poll the NEC released on Aug. 11, and Ciszek is a big part of the reason for that ranking, he noted.
Leaving volleyball is a sad thought for Ciszek, but she said the prospect of going pro must take a back seat to her profession. She aspires to become a traveling nurse and a nurse practitioner, and she would like to work in a fast-paced emergency department. Her game plan: to help others and to make a difference in the world.