Photo courtesy of Villanova Athletics.
Recent Carroll graduate Remy Fairchild, who made the All-District First Team in 2015-16, just finished up her freshman volleyball season at Villanova. The 6-foot outside hitter got some significant playing time in 2016-17, finishing the season with 101 kills, 8 assists, 3 service aces, 81 digs, a solo block and 19 block assists. She totaled 114 points for the year in 52 sets played.
According to the Villanova athletics website, Fairchild was named to PrepVolleyball’s All-Texas team and the 2015 Under Armour watch list. Her club team, TAV 16 Blue and Tav 17 Black both finished top-five nationally. She also earned academic all-district all four years and academic all-state her senior year. Fairchild was selected as the recipient of the Dragon Heart Award for her leadership on and off the court.
Villanova finished the year at 18-13 (9-9 in the conference).
We had a chance to catch up with Fairchild to see how her freshman year went, and discuss her future with the Wildcats and beyond.
Photo courtesy of
Photo courtesy of
Villanova Athletics.
Southlake Style: How’s it going your first year, athletically?
Remy Fairchild: It’s kind of challenging, because it’s so different than high school, obviously. It's a whole new level with different expectations. It's definitely an adjustment. The season didn’t end up how we expected. We were 9-9 in the conference. I think next year will be better.
SS: What's the biggest thing you’ve learned so far?
Fairchild: I’d have to say the mental aspect, honestly. Because I’ve been playing for so long, we all know what to do technically while playing. Mentally, there's a block you have to get over at times. Being a freshman on the court, there’s a lot you have to get over. Playing with the older girls, you learn how to stay stable on the court and focused. That’s the toughest thing.
SS: So you were happy with your playing time, this year?
Fairchild: Yeah, definitely. Most freshman never get to see the court their first year. I was very grateful for every opportunity I got to play. I played the first half of the season, not so much the second half, but yeah I was happy.
SS: How’s it going academically?
Fairchild: I think, obviously, it’s definitely a challenging school. The academic tudors that are provided for us and the mentors ... I have a mentor meeting every week to make sure I'm on top of everything, and completing all of my assignments. They’re good at guiding us to keep up with our grades. Our team GPA was a 3.4 which was the highest out of all the teams at the school.
SS: You're originally from Cleveland, you grew up in Southlake, and now you're in Philadelphia. What are the biggest differences you notice?
Fairchild: I moved to Texas when I was about 6. I completed just up until kindergarten in Ohio. I don’t have much memory of it. Most of my life I grew up a Texas girl. Obviously it’s freezing [in Pennsylvania]. I have seen snow. I’ve never seen that. I definitely think there’s a difference in the people, too. It’s hard to explain. Southern hospitality is real. The people here are definitely different. The past four or five months, I’ve been here, I’ve had a routine schedule, so I haven’t really experienced much of Philly. I've just been at school. In the offseason, I'll get to know it more.
SS: Why did you choose Villaova?
Fairchild: Honestly, academics were my first priority. Once I visited, I told my coach; he makes fun of me all the time for this ... It’s like when you try on a wedding dress and you start crying, because it’s just the right fit. I just knew this is where I was supposed to be.
SS: Are there any current teammates you look up to?
Fairchild: I would probably say a senior that is on the team this year, who will no longer be with us next year, Claire Crutchfeild. She was the sassiest, spunkiest, fiercest girl I’ve ever met. She brought such an aggression on the court and it was so fun to watch. I admired that a lot about her. She was in my position and performed really well this season. I’ll always look up to her.
SS: Have you picked up any new hobbies/interests in Philly?
Fairchild: This might be weird. I’m obsessed with working out. I watch YouTube videos on lifts and nutrition and seeing how what foods you eat affect your body. It’s a weird fetish of mine. I do a lot of research on nutrition. It goes along with being an athlete. I spend a lot of time in the gym and go to a lot of different grocery stores. That's pretty much my hobby.
SS: Do you have a major or career focus yet?
Fairchild: I really love business. I love the idea of how money works and the economy. So, I’m leaning toward something in economics. I’m not in the business school, but can still major in economics in the liberal arts school. Also, they have a summer business institute at Villanova where you can come during the summer and get a business minor in just a few weeks. I might be doing that in the future.
SS: What are your goals for the rest of this year?
Fairchild: Right now, we’re in the offseason, so I think it’s important for all of us to get stronger and bond as a team more. Our chemistry will be different now that the seniors are gone. Academically, I’m not going to have as much practicing and traveling as I did during the season, so the focus will be on studying a lot more and have a lot more time for that.
SS: And what are your goals for the future?
Fairchild: I definitely want to experience the NCAA tournament. That would be my ultimate goal. Making the Big East tournament first is what we need to focus on. We weren’t able to do it this year, but next year we should be able to. We took Creighton this year our last match, 3-2, and they ended up going pretty far in the tournament, so I think we should have a great shot at NCAA.
SS: Where will you end up, geographically?
Fairchild: I have family from all over. I have family in England, Ohio, back in Texas. I’m not really sure. Wherever my career ends up. I don’t really have a preference. I'm just going to do my thing as it comes.
SS: What are your favorite memories at Carroll?
Fairchild: One game I’ll always remember was my senior night. That was a game that was really special to me. It was against Coppell. That was my standout moment in high school. The crowd was filled, my family and parents were there. It was a special night.
Also, my sophomore year, I got pulled up to varsity. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I wasn't great at volleyball then. I got to travel with the team for playoffs. We made it to state tournament. We got third in state. Standing there with all the older girls and getting a medal was great. That was really inspiring. I didn't play, but I got a medal, so it counts. I didn't start playing volleyball until I was 14. I started late.
SS: What got you interested in volleyball at that age?
Fairchild: Growing up I was always so awkwardly tall. I was like a giraffe. I was tall and lanky. People always asked if I played volleyball. My mom suggested TAV club for me. I was thrown onto third team after tryouts. I kept playing every year and eventually worked my way to the top team at that club when I was 17. That was when I got a lot of looks from schools. We were the number one team in the nation that year. We got a lot of college looks.
SS: Would you like to send a shout out to anyone?
Fairchild: My parents were definitely my rocks through it all. My little brother had to sit through all my games. They all spent hours sitting through club tournaments, driving me to practice. They were there for all my emotional breakdowns after bad games. They’re my biggest supporters and number one fans. Thanks!