Sienna Klauss, a star midfielder on Poly Prep’s Girls Varsity Lacrosse Team, announced her commitment to play Division I Lacrosse at the University of Vermont (UVM) on October 10, 2024. Klauss began playing competitively as a seventh grader, already determined to play lacrosse at the collegiate level. Whether it be winning draw controls, ripping shots from the eight-meter, or cheering on her teammates, Sienna is a vital part of Poly’s lacrosse team– not just for her exceptional lacrosse skillset and IQ, but for her positively contagious energy as well. Her drive and dedication to the sport are indisputable, and it is undeniable that she will continue to be a powerful force in the lacrosse community for years to come at UVM. To gain a deeper understanding of Klauss’s journey on the field, I asked her a few questions about her experience and identity as a lacrosse player and the road to Division I athletics.
Pre-Game Routine
Klauss’s away games sometimes involve bus rides that are over two hours long, so it is crucial to establish a solid pre-game routine. Immediately after getting on the bus, Klauss says she enjoys “talking to the people around me and then listening to mellow music. Something like country.” As the game-day destination approaches, Klauss needs to get “hyped up! I will listen to house music,” explains Klauss, “and right now one of my favorite songs is Bluest Flame by Selena Gomez. I’m also a big Drake fan, so I will also listen to any of his music. When I am listening to music to lock in, I visualize myself on the field and winning the first draw-control.” As the bus pulls into the parking lot and the team scrambles to transfer the gear onto the field and lace up their shoes, Klauss says she likes to keep her headphones on to stay energized. After all this preparation, the warm-up starts. “I like to get hype with the people around me as we warm up our sticks,” Klauss describes. While a piece of fruit is her pregame snack, “after the game, I’m always in the mood for a pretty heavy meal,” she explains. “One of my favorite foods is a burrito. I’m usually craving that after.”
Recruiting Process
The athletic recruiting process, especially at the Division I level, is highly competitive and only suited for the best players in the country. While Klauss is undeniably a talented player, it’s necessary to acknowledge the immense dedication and hard work that made her stand out against her competition. “I knew from a pretty early age that I wanted to play lacrosse in college, and I started playing more competitively in seventh grade. That’s when I joined my lacrosse club team on Long Island.” Before joining her club team, Liberty Lacrosse, Klauss played for Brooklyn Crescents. Klauss began considering her collegiate career seriously as a freshman, but it was at the beginning of her sophomore year when she started sending emails to coaches and creating a list of schools that she was interested in. “I wanted to keep my options open because I thought that it was the best way to go into a process like this,” Klauss recalls. She wanted to make sure that she didn’t set her mind narrowly on one school, as that opens up opportunities for disappointment. “One thing I learned is that you might have your mind set on one thing, but that can take away from opportunities you might not have thought of before. UVM was on my initial big list of 25 schools, but through sophomore year, it wasn’t really on my mind as much as other schools.” Although the sophomore year was a pivotal year for Klauss in the recruitment journey, the summer preceding Junior year was the most critical time in the college process. “There were lots of coaches at our games watching us. I had five tournaments, and then I tried out for these tournament teams that weren’t in my club team. It was basically like a showcase tournament. That was a really big spot for coaches to come and watch you.” Once September 1 came around, Klauss immediately garnered a significant amount of offers. “I had a few schools call and email me about opportunities to visit, which was really exciting. However, I kind of knew that those schools were not going to be the greatest fit for me,” she remembers. Although Klauss didn’t hear anything from UVM on that day, she went to a prospect day there anyway. At the UVM prospect day, the current lacrosse team members helped out with the drills and got to know the prospective players. “They were super nice and funny, and I could tell they were there not because they had to be but because they wanted to be. After the prospect day, I knew I liked the school a lot, and I sent the coach a thank you email.” Shortly after that day, UVM reached out to Sienna and invited her to a formal tour of the campus. Klauss received an offer to play Division I at UVM after the visit and committed there just one week later. After almost three years of the college screening process, Klauss is now an official soon-to-be Division I athlete.
Why UVM?
Klauss received invites to visit campuses from numerous colleges, so it was a process of its own, narrowing her options down and finally committing to UVM. “One thing that was really important for me was a medium-sized school; I didn’t want a small or a really big school. Additionally, I wanted a place where I could have some balance. Obviously, playing Division I is a huge commitment; it’s like having a job and going to school, but I think there’s also a way to have a balanced life doing that. I wanted a school that I would love with and without lacrosse.” The moment Klauss stepped on the UVM’s campus, she knew it was the perfect fit. “I saw Burlington, and it was so beautiful. I really loved not only the campus but the town, too. The coaches were great, and all of the girls on the team were nice and welcoming, and I just really loved their program overall.” Whether it was the size, the campus, lacrosse, the people, or campus life, UVM matched everything Klauss was looking for.
Favorite Part About Poly Lacrosse
Although Klauss will unquestionably go on to achieve great things at UVM, the special memories she shared with her Poly teammates will not be forgotten. “My favorite part about Poly lacrosse is the people. There is never a moment I’m not laughing with my teammates,” Klauss told the Polygon with a smile on her face. Klauss arrived at Poly as a slightly nervous freshman, but she immediately found her place on the team with ease and confidence. “Coming into Poly freshman year was hard, but the second lacrosse season hit, and I made many connections with my teammates. Everyone on the team is there because they want to learn the sport of lacrosse, have fun, and work hard.” Klauss has one year left with the Poly lacrosse team, and there’s no doubt she’ll make it count before bringing her talents to UVM.
