Apr. 7—Obtaining a Division I athletic scholarship is something that generally takes time, dedication and at least a little bit of sacrifice.
For Trace Klausing, a senior at Lincolnview High School, his dedication to the sport of men's volleyball meant a commitment to travel three times a week to Columbus each of the last four years to play club volleyball.
It's a journey that he's since followed to 14 different states and five countries, including Puerto Rico, Italy, Austria, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, in pursuit of his ultimate goal — playing Division I men's volleyball.
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Klausing officially turned that dream into a reality last week when he signed his letter of intent to attend Northern Kentucky University and play his chosen sport at the highest collegiate level.
It was the culmination of four years on the road after attending a volleyball camp in Dayton, which landed him a spot on a club team at the Advancement Academy Volleyball Club in Columbus, also known as A-2.
"I've always loved volleyball my whole life, and I always had the dream of playing it," Klausing said. "My freshman year was really when I knew I had the opportunity to pursue the sport, so I attended a camp in Dayton. That's kind of when everything prospered, you could say.
"I made a team in Columbus, and I had to make the commitment to travel there three times a week, from freshman year to senior year. I knew there was some risk involved, kind of where it would take me in life, and honestly, it was the best decision I've ever made."
Klausing, the 2024-25 A-2 Boys Player of the Year, who's listed at 6-3, will play libero in college after spending time as an outside hitter earlier in his career.
"My coaches in Columbus started transitioning me into a libero my sophomore year, and I've loved it ever since," Klausing said. "The libero is kind of like the quarterback position of the back row, while the setter is like the quarterback position of the front row. I like that role and I like being the leader of the defensive side."
During his time with A-2, Klausing was also introduced to beach volleyball, earning three invites to the USA Volleyball Beach National Team Development Program training series, in addition to four invites to USA Volleyball's indoor version of the same program.
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As a high-level recruit, Klausing held talks with a handful of other schools after serving as captain of his club team for two years and earning awards like A-2 Red's Most Valuable Player in 2022-23 and Player of the Week honors during the 2024-25 season.
"Recruiting was a very stressful process but it was very rewarding too," Klausing said. "I talked to Penn State and Ohio State a little bit, along with Carthage and Belmont Abbey and some other schools. It's rewarding to be able to get to know those coaches and get to know more about the sport, different philosophies and how they coach because it's all different.
"The support I've received from my teachers and the administration at Lincolnview made it so much easier. It was definitely a challenge, but a challenge that I took on, and I'm glad I did."
Klausing originally announced his commitment to Northern Kentucky, a member school of the Horizon League in Highland Heights, Kentucky, on March 12 via his social media accounts.
He included a statement thanking his trainers, parents, friends, the community and Lincolnview High School for supporting him in the pursuit of his volleyball career.
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