Post by GoBigRed on Apr 18, 2007 7:24:53 GMT -5
By: Evan Bland
Posted: 4/18/07
Lindsey Licht is living the best of both worlds.
She's finishing up her first semester of college. After that, she'll head home to Aurora, Colo., and spend a week with her fellow seniors in high school.
Though she's officially graduated, Licht will get to walk down an aisle to receive her diploma, hang out with old friends and even go to prom.
She's still trying to track down a date, though.
"Still looking for one," Licht said, smiling. "Hopefully I'll find one here and take them back.
(Long pause)
"C'mon, you never know."
Talking with Licht, in many ways, is like talking to a high schooler. She's still adapting to college life and misses home from time to time.
In other ways, the 6-foot-5 prized recruit of the Nebraska volleyball team is remarkably mature.
Considering the lofty expectations on her to succeed - with much of that coming from herself - Licht can hardly be otherwise.
A good start would be to crack the Cornhusker lineup this fall, when NU begins its defense of its national championship.
"I want to play," Licht said. "And I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure that to me. That's my expectation for me now."
The freshman made strides toward that goal this spring, playing in two of Nebraska's three exhibition matches. Against Colorado State on Saturday, Licht recorded a match-high 12 kills in helping the Huskers to the sweep.
Though Licht has spent just a few months with the team, many volleyball followers are already comparing her to Sarah Pavan, her senior counterpart. Like Licht, Pavan is 6-foot-5. Both are left-handed. Both can make a volleyball look like a streaking missile.
The similarities, Pavan said, stop there.
"We're completely different in our styles, in our demeanor and everything," Pavan said. "Aside from the physical part, I don't think there should be a comparison."
Indeed, Licht admitted she's much more emotional on the court and could learn from Pavan's "poker face." If anything, though, she considers it an honor to be compared to last season's American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Year.
"She's downright the best right side (hitter) I've ever seen," Licht said. "I've got to prove to everybody that I can be the next Sarah Pavan. I can fill in that role when she leaves.
"She (will leave) big shoes to fill, but baby steps to get there."
Taking those smaller steps has helped Licht get where she is now. As a sixth-grader and fresh off her family's move from Montana, she made the seemingly trivial choice of trying to play volleyball.
A year later, she was already receiving letters from interested colleges.
Licht focused solely on volleyball through high school, helping her team finish runner-up in the state tournament her senior year.
During the recruiting process, in which she received offers from volleyball powerhouses across the nation, Licht was also dealing with significant pain in her right foot.
Nebraska Coach John Cook had already offered Licht a scholarship and said the door was open for her to enroll early and rehab her foot if she so chose.
Only months later, Licht is recovered from her February surgery and doing everything she can to earn playing time in the fall.
"She's a difference-maker," Cook said. "You've got to have players that are difference-makers."
But will she be ready to start during the 2007 season?
"A lot of it will depend on how hard she works between now and August," Cook said.
Regardless, she's already making an impression on the team. The buzz at the NU Coliseum when she made an overpowering block on a CSU attacker was telling, too.
"I just love blocking by her," NU senior middle blocker Tracy Stalls said. "She really does get passionate, and that's really exciting to see. I'm just so excited for her future. She's just going to keep getting better because she's got a really receptive attitude."
For Licht right now, taking baby steps is how she tries to improve every day. For the next two weeks, that will mean working on her sand volleyball game as the team works out in the Hawks Championship Center.
Getting a prom date would be nice, too.
After that, who knows. All Licht knows right now is she's happy to be in Lincoln.
"I want to be here," Licht said. "I want to win a national championship and I'm going to work my butt off to get it done."
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© Copyright 2007 Daily Nebraskan
Posted: 4/18/07
Lindsey Licht is living the best of both worlds.
She's finishing up her first semester of college. After that, she'll head home to Aurora, Colo., and spend a week with her fellow seniors in high school.
Though she's officially graduated, Licht will get to walk down an aisle to receive her diploma, hang out with old friends and even go to prom.
She's still trying to track down a date, though.
"Still looking for one," Licht said, smiling. "Hopefully I'll find one here and take them back.
(Long pause)
"C'mon, you never know."
Talking with Licht, in many ways, is like talking to a high schooler. She's still adapting to college life and misses home from time to time.
In other ways, the 6-foot-5 prized recruit of the Nebraska volleyball team is remarkably mature.
Considering the lofty expectations on her to succeed - with much of that coming from herself - Licht can hardly be otherwise.
A good start would be to crack the Cornhusker lineup this fall, when NU begins its defense of its national championship.
"I want to play," Licht said. "And I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure that to me. That's my expectation for me now."
The freshman made strides toward that goal this spring, playing in two of Nebraska's three exhibition matches. Against Colorado State on Saturday, Licht recorded a match-high 12 kills in helping the Huskers to the sweep.
Though Licht has spent just a few months with the team, many volleyball followers are already comparing her to Sarah Pavan, her senior counterpart. Like Licht, Pavan is 6-foot-5. Both are left-handed. Both can make a volleyball look like a streaking missile.
The similarities, Pavan said, stop there.
"We're completely different in our styles, in our demeanor and everything," Pavan said. "Aside from the physical part, I don't think there should be a comparison."
Indeed, Licht admitted she's much more emotional on the court and could learn from Pavan's "poker face." If anything, though, she considers it an honor to be compared to last season's American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Year.
"She's downright the best right side (hitter) I've ever seen," Licht said. "I've got to prove to everybody that I can be the next Sarah Pavan. I can fill in that role when she leaves.
"She (will leave) big shoes to fill, but baby steps to get there."
Taking those smaller steps has helped Licht get where she is now. As a sixth-grader and fresh off her family's move from Montana, she made the seemingly trivial choice of trying to play volleyball.
A year later, she was already receiving letters from interested colleges.
Licht focused solely on volleyball through high school, helping her team finish runner-up in the state tournament her senior year.
During the recruiting process, in which she received offers from volleyball powerhouses across the nation, Licht was also dealing with significant pain in her right foot.
Nebraska Coach John Cook had already offered Licht a scholarship and said the door was open for her to enroll early and rehab her foot if she so chose.
Only months later, Licht is recovered from her February surgery and doing everything she can to earn playing time in the fall.
"She's a difference-maker," Cook said. "You've got to have players that are difference-makers."
But will she be ready to start during the 2007 season?
"A lot of it will depend on how hard she works between now and August," Cook said.
Regardless, she's already making an impression on the team. The buzz at the NU Coliseum when she made an overpowering block on a CSU attacker was telling, too.
"I just love blocking by her," NU senior middle blocker Tracy Stalls said. "She really does get passionate, and that's really exciting to see. I'm just so excited for her future. She's just going to keep getting better because she's got a really receptive attitude."
For Licht right now, taking baby steps is how she tries to improve every day. For the next two weeks, that will mean working on her sand volleyball game as the team works out in the Hawks Championship Center.
Getting a prom date would be nice, too.
After that, who knows. All Licht knows right now is she's happy to be in Lincoln.
"I want to be here," Licht said. "I want to win a national championship and I'm going to work my butt off to get it done."
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© Copyright 2007 Daily Nebraskan