Seldom will you find someone who has endured as much adversity on the volleyball court as Faith Steinwedell.
A junior right side hitter from LaJolla, Calif., Steinwedell has been a constant contributor  to Mississippi State, beginning 2011 with career totals of 303 kills and 105 blocks in her 55 matches at MSU, 45 of which she has started.
However, Steinwedell’s three seasons at Mississippi State leading up to the 2011 campaign have been headlined with tribulation, mainly due to injury.
As a freshman in 2008, Steinwedell started all of the first 21 matches of the season, but in a late-October matchup with conference opponent Kentucky, Steinwedell suffered what would be a season-ending injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in one of her knees. Although her freshman season was cut short, Steinwedell managed to tally 134 kills, which ranked fourth on the team. Steinwedell said she was crushed by the injury.
“It was devastating,” Steinwedell said. “I was shooting for the All-SEC freshmen team. I wanted it so bad, and I felt like I was on the road to it.”
Steinwedell has, however, found the positive that came from the injury.
“Everything happens for a reason,” she explained. “I think it made me come back with more determination, and it’s made me who I am today.”
The following season, Steinwedell, who was now a sophomore, took advantage of being healthy, starting in 20 of the 30 matches State played. Her 2009 season included a career-best 15-kill, error-free performance against in-state rival Ole Miss. 
Unfortunately for Steinwedell, the injury plague struck again in 2010. Playing on the opening weekend of the season, Steinwedell once again sustained a serious injury — to the same ligament in the knee she had previously injured just two years before — which required season-ending knee surgery. After undergoing a succesful operation, Steinwedell was able to apply for a medical redshirt, enabling her to play the 2011 season as a junior. In only four games during 2010, Steinwedell totaled 32 kills, 17 assists, 10 aces and 41 digs. 
Although she expressed how rough the injury during her freshman season was, she admitted the injury during the 2010 season was much worse.
“It was 10 times harder than the first round. After my first one, I was kind of like ‘Okay, I tore it, I can’t do it again,'” Steinwedell said. “Then the doctor told me that I had redone it, and it was worse this time. I had a micro-fracture in my femur, and I tore everything.”
The pain, she said, stretched beyond her physical well-being.
“It’s our job to play volleyball,” Steinwedell said. “When that gets taken from you, not by your own choice, it’s like ripping your heart out.”
So far this season, Steinwedell has prospered from good health, accumulating 64 kills, 28 assists, 10 aces and 56 digs throughout the team’s first thirteen matches.
In those 13 games, Steinwedell said her team has had its share of peaks and valleys.
“It’s definitely been up and down,” Steinwedell said. “Every loss that we’ve had has been a learning experience. Every win that we’ve had has been an earned win. It’s put us in a place where we have to earn our wins, and if we lose, it’s because the other team is better.”
On a more personal note, Steinwedell says her redshirt junior season has been an emotional struggle thus far.
“The coaches have really pushed me hard but in a good way,” she says. “It’s all about staying consistent and pushing through it mentally. My knee hurts — but it’s going to hurt forever — so I have to be great, even with an injury.”
Jenny Hazelwood, the head coach of MSU’s volleyball team, said Steinwedell’s intelligence within the game is one of the most valuable aspects of her skill set.
“Faith has an unbelievable knowledge of the game, and her volleyball IQ is really high,” Hazelwood said. “The wealth of her experience and her knowledge when we’re playing, brings more information to the court.”
Hazelwood added although Steinwedell’s role on the team might have altered slightly over time, her knowledge of the game is something that will never evade her.
“When I got here, she was recovering from her first ACL (injury),” Hazelwood  said. “We still needed her to come in and be a six-rotation player. The second time around, it’s been a little different from a recovery standpoint. Now, she’s not always on the court, but she still brings a lot to the court every time she’s out there. Her role has changed a little bit, but as far as what she brings from a knowledge standpoint, that’s always been there and it’s going to continue to stay the same.”
Steinwedell’s dedication and commitment are qualities that extend off the court, as she is widely considered a good teammate and friend according to senior outside-hitter Caitlin Rance.
“I know she’s always got my back, no matter where we are, and I know she’ll always be there for me,” Rance said.
Steinwedell and her teammates are preparing for the second half of a four-game SEC road trip, which includes games at Alabama and Ole Miss this coming weekend.
State’s game against Ole Miss on Sunday will be televised nationally on ESPNU, marking the first time a Mississippi State volleyball game will be aired on national TV.
The opportunity, Steinwedell said, reflects the commitment of the team as a whole.
“It’s a tribute to our hard work, and I know the girls are excited,” she said. “It’s not so much about it being on ESPNU, it’s more about how we’re playing The School Up North, and how we have to take them down.”