By Pat Sangimino
Lindsay Krause | Skutt | Freshman
Last July, nearly a month before Lindsay Krause attended her first class at Skutt Catholic High School, she verbally committed to play volleyball at the University of Nebraska.
“It just felt right,” said the 6-foot-3 high school freshman. “I have watched this program growing up. I love it and I love the fan base.”
No one knows her better than her mother, JoAnna Draper, who wasn’t surprised by her daughter’s decisiveness. “When she makes up her mind, her mind is made up,” Draper said. “Once she makes that commitment, she’s all in.”
Virtually overnight Krause had drawn the attention of more than three dozen name-brand volleyball schools nationwide. Two years ago she wasn’t sure if she was skilled enough to be considered a blue-chip recruit. She remembers sitting inside a sold-out CenturyLink Center two years ago, when the Cornhuskers won a straight-set victory against Texas to capture a national championship.
“It was unbelievable being there and seeing it,” she said. “At that point, nothing had really started for me. I was wondering if I was good enough to play at that level. I was still pretty awkward — I was still trying to grow into my body — and I wasn’t very good.”
Her transformation was quick. Six months of hard work in the weight room and on the court paid dividends with improved athleticism. It showed the following summer, when at the age of 13, she took part in a college camp at the University of Iowa. “The coach there was telling me I shouldn’t be this good at that age,” she said. “That is what kind of lit that fire for me. Believing you can do it is a big part of all of this.”
Skutt won its third straight Nebraska Class B crown last month and Krause was integral in the victory. She had 18 kills in the four-set victory over Omaha-Duchesne. Now Krause, an honor roll student, will spend the winter months juggling games in high school basketball and club volleyball. But Krause will approach it with her signature level of commitment. “It will be a challenge to do both,” she said. “But we’ll make it work.”
