FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Women's Basketball junior Lauren Beach was named to the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Student-Athlete Engagement Group, as one of their 32 representatives. Beach was selected as the member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) with all 32 conferences represented. The group's aim is to serve as an amplifying voice for women's basketball on key initiatives, legislation and various issues.
 
"It means a lot to me to be chosen for this opportunity," Beach said. "I'm excited and honored to be able to represent voices at Fairfield and in the larger women's basketball community. It's a great opportunity to be a part of making change, and I'm really looking forward to getting started."
 
"Lauren has developed and emerged as a leader not only within our team and program, but in our campus community," Head Coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis said. "She consistently embodies what it means to be a Stag with her team first mentality, care for others, leadership, and consistent work ethic and desire to get better every day. She will be an awesome addition to an important student group within the NCAA."
 
Beach is entering her third season with the Stags after starting 22 games last season. She has fought through various injuries but returned to be an impact player for the squad, averaging 29.1 minutes per game to go along with 4.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest. She was also a tenacious defender, leading the team with blocks while adding 30 steals last year.
 
Off the court, she has shown that same hard-work and dedication, maintaining a 3.90 GPA while studying in the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing, which was ranked in the top-five in New England and received national accolades from the US News & World Reports.
 
The group consists of current NCAA Division I women's basketball student-athletes from all 32 conferences who were nominated through the WBCA NCAA Division I Conference Captains program. Each captain submitted the name of a player from their team or conference who they believed would be a good representative for all women's basketball players in their conference. The term of service for each student-athlete will coincide with athletics eligibility for competition.