Senior middle hitter Lindsay Haupt always dreamt of playing collegiate volleyball, but not for a team as distinguished as Sacramento State.

“When I was in sixth grade, I decided I wanted to play college volleyball. It was kind of a dream ever since I was a little kid,” Haupt said.

Although her volleyball career sprouted from a small Division V high school, Haupt proved she had the determination to become an all-star athlete.

“I was kind of a raw player when I first came here, yet I was really athletic and I had a great attitude – but that was it,” she said.

Haupt started her career as a Hornet lacking the mental part of the game.

“I didn’t know how to play volleyball really, you know at least mentally. I hadn’t been coached in that area before,” she said.

Through the teaching of coach Debby Colberg, Haupt was shaped into the player she is today. Colberg told Haupt as a freshman to just listen and soak up as much information as possible.

“When I came in as a freshman, my mentality was just to take everything in as much as possible, and when Debby talked to me, she said she just wanted me to be a sponge and soak everything in and that’s exactly what I did,” Haupt said. “I credit that ability back to a few players, Natalie Melcher and Stephanie Gamst, who were seniors at the time but took me under their wing and helped me push forward.”

Colberg maintains it was the positive attitude that Haupt possesses that allowed her to quickly develop new skills and become a more well-rounded player.

“Her attitude has always been the same and I think she soaks up all the coaching we can give her,” Colberg said. “I think she has always come in with her work ethic and her energy, even to practices, and it’s probably one of the best I’ve ever had out of a player.”

Colberg considers Haupt’s positive attitude a foundation for her leadership both on and off the court.

“I think that kind of attitude rubs off on her teammates, particularly the younger players, and it helps tremendously. That is what we really call leadership. She is a great role model for everybody,” Colberg said.

Haupt’s teammates also believe it is her good spirit and dedication to the team that allows her to be a positive role model for everyone else.

Freshman libero Chelsea Goodsell said she wasn’t intimidated by any of the seniors. Haupt made Goodsell feel welcomed.

“As a senior, she kind of just made sure that we felt accepted and she wanted us to adjust to college life,” Goodsell said.

Goodsell also said Haupt is spending her time teaching younger players and giving them pointers, especially in the middle hitter position.

“Especially with Maddison (Thivierge), like in practices, Lindsay would tell her what to do, and she also takes all four of us (freshmen) under her wing. She really does a good job with that,” Goodsell said.

All of Haupt’s hard work and willingness to learn paid off in a big way. In 2004 during her freshman year, she was named Big Sky Outstanding Freshman. A year later, she was named Big Sky Conference MVP.

Although the award is based on her individual stats and game performance, Haupt credits every award she’s won back to her teammates.

“There is no way that any of us could ever get any of these individual awards without a great team. Volleyball requires so much talk and teamwork that you have to play together to be good as an individual,” Haupt said.

Over the next two years, Haupt continued to be a dominating force for the Hornets. In the 2006 season, she was named Big Sky Player of the Week twice, and so far this season she has already been honored three times.

Haupt has played in all 83 games this season and is second in kills with 309 thus far, with a .391 hitting percentage.

With the big numbers Haupt has posted, there is no question as to why the Hornets are currently 20-3 overall and 8-0 in the Big Sky Conference.

The current Hornet squad has the makings of being one of the best teams Colberg has coached.

Haupt believes it is the hard work and perfection Colberg demands from the girls both in practice and in matches that puts the team at the level it’s playing at.

“Debby has always pushed us to be the team that we are this year, and she has been teaching us, especially us seniors, the mentality that she wants out on the court, the type of play that she wants us to play with and the type of skill that she wants to see out on the court,” she said.

One of Haupt’s favorite parts of volleyball is the bond the team has with each other and the girls’ ability to come together and play as a team.

“This team this year gets along better than any team I have ever been on. Our attitudes and how we treat each other really transfers onto the court,” she said. “It is definitely our good attitudes and our mentality that makes this team my favorite team ever.”

Alicia de la Garza can be reached at [email protected]