Our D21 just got into Furman ED (with Merit). She too is an athlete and was strongly considering looking at being recruited for her sport. When she visited Furman in January, she was completely drawn to the campus, the academic environment, the people she met during the tour, internship opportunities and Greenville.
She liked the idea that she could join the club sport team. She would never want to give up her sport - it’s a huge part of her life. She plays for school, club team and regional team playing national competitions (we live overseas).
She only considered southern schools, so there are fewer D3 schools as compared to the Northeast/Midwest. Rhodes and Sewanee were on her list, but she didn’t have a chance to visit due to covid. Several Florida schools, like Rollins, are D2 and worth researching.
Good luck with her decision.