If you have played a sport in any capacity, you have most likely heard the phrase, “There is no I in team.” Coaches from every team sport have drilled this motto into their athletes’ brains. Some athletes take it to heart and give it their all to work with their teammates the best they can. For others, the words go in one ear and out the other. However, for women’s lacrosse defender Jordyn Jarrett, it’s not just a cliché statement; it describes the  way she carries herself both on and off the field.

A junior mass communications and design major from Reading, Pa., Jarrett’s journey in lacrosse began long before she stepped onto a college field. Like many athletes, her introduction to the game came from her family. She began playing lacrosse around the fourth grade, with  inspiration from her older brother. What started as an activity to try turned into a passion that would carry her to the collegiate level.

Jarrett’s path to Misericordia was shaped by opportunity and familiarity. During her youth and high school years, she gained experience through travel teams, camps and clinics, and Jarrett was prepared to start connecting with college programs. She chose to attend Misericordia due to the influence of some family friends who attended the University.

Jarrett has experienced the highs and lows that come with being a college athlete. A specific challenge she faced was dealing with the significant coaching turnover the women’s lacrosse program endured prior to this season. Within just a few weeks, the team cycled through multiple coaching changes, which created uncertainty and instability, but throughout that adversity, Jarrett remained steady and grounded in her team-first mentality.

Jarrett leaned into what has always mattered to her most: the team.

“I would always put my teammates first,” Jarrett said.

This philosophy is something that she hopes people take away when they hear her story, which isn’t framed around personal accolades or  recognition, but the way she shows up for her teammates. It’s a quality that extends beyond the field and into the team culture she helps build.

Jarrett’s game is fueled by passion for the game–another one of her defining traits.

“I would say that I tend to have a worse temper on the field, but it’s all just love for the game,” Jarrett said.

Her intensity reflects the competitive drive that fuels her play and the commitment she has to her teammates. It’s a balance that she has come to embrace: playing with fire in the moment while staying grounded.

Some of Jarrett’s  favorite memories aren’t tied to a specific moment or standout performance. Instead, they come from the collective experience of the game itself, especially the close, hard-fought wins that test her team’s resilience and ability of players to work together.

“It’s always a roller coaster of emotions, but when you come out on top, it’s a good feeling,” Jarret said.

It’s those moments of team success that capture what wearing a Misericordia jersey truly means to her. Those moments include unity, trust and a shared purpose.

“Being on a team that is always fighting for the girls next to us and putting each other first, no matter what we do,” Jarrett said.

As she continues her career, Jarrett isn’t solely focused on her statistics or personal milestones. Instead, she’s thinking about the legacy she will leave behind. For her, it’s simple: she wants to be remembered as someone who stood up for her teammates, who put others before herself and who helped create an environment where everyone felt supported.

“I want my legacy to be someone that always, like, stood up for herself and her teammates, more so her teammates,” Jarrett said.