Most days of the year you can find Harlingen South volleyball star Lexi Kruse practicing her craft one serve at a time.
Whether it’s at the gymnasium at her high school or at another facility 30 miles away, the straight-A student/athlete is always working on improving her skills.
To understand what drives Kruse, it’s necessary to know a few things about what inspires her to do the things she does.
When asked what is the one thing that motivates her as a player, Kruse simply looks up at the banners that adorn the ceiling of the South gymnasium. One quick look around the gymnasium tells all one needs to know about the Lady Hawks’ volleyball program.
In 1998, the team finished with a record of 27-9. In 1999, it was 26-5 and an area finalist, and in 2002, it was 28-4 and reached the Sweet 16.
And it doesn’t stop there.
In 2003, the Lady Hawks reached the Final Four of the Class 4A state playoffs becoming the first high school in Valley history to do so.
From 2004-08, reaching the Sweet 16 almost became a habit as the Lady Hawks had one of the most successful volleyball programs in the Valley.
But for the next three years after that, the program had to settle for a mixture of regional quarterfinal appearances along with one area round showing.
Then, nothing.
Not to say that the program wasn’t successful during that period, but it didn’t live up to the reputation that it had built for itself.
Today, however, it is that same winning tradition that drives sophomore Lexi Kruse. To restore some of that lost tradition that was last seen on campus in 2011.
At 5-foot-9, Kruse may not be a giant, however her size hasn’t impeded her from playing like one.
Kruse plays every match like it’s her last and every kill she strikes elicits a strong emotional response.
Unlike other high school athletes that participate in multiple sports, Kruse concentrates solely on volleyball. Four times a week she makes her way to her club team and practices a bit more, competing against collegiate-level athletes.
It’s easy to see why college scouts are already inquiring about her. She can hit, she can set and she is probably the Lady Hawks’ most effective server.
She can do it all.
However, to get to where she stands today, the road has been long and hard.
Ever since Kruse was a young child, her life has always revolved around volleyball. She tried other sports, but in the end it always circled back to volleyball.
Her first taste of the sport came in the third grade when she played at a local Boys & Girls Club. That is when, as she said, “fell in love with the sport.”
“Everything about the game captivates me,” Kruse said. “I can’t pinpoint something about it. I just love it. It’s my heart’s desire.”
In a game that is centered on teamwork, everybody strives for perfection. But to Kruse, “perfection is when you reach the point that you can’t get any better,” and that is something the sophomore strives for with every practice she attends and with every serve she makes.
As a freshman, Kruse was named the district’s Newcomer of the Year. But, as all good athletes do, her selfless demeanor won’t allow her take any credit for it. She simply deflects her success onto everyone else.
“It was a great honor,” said Kruse. “I was shocked when I first found out. But I give it up to all the freshmen out here that made it to the varsity level.
“I have some great coaches that push me every single day, and I have coaches and parents that push me at home.”
In fact, Kruse’s parents are coaches. Her father, Larry, is South’s golf coach and was the Hawks’ basketball coach for several years prior. Meanwhile, her mother had a 15-year coaching stint at Cedar Hill in North Texas.
As for Kruse’s volleyball career, it most likely won’t end in high school and may not even end at the collegiate level. But rest assured that all the success she’s had and will have in the future, is the culmination of all the hard work and sacrifice she’s had to endure.
From the first day she smacked the ball at the Boys & Girls Club to the last day she graces the floor at Harlingen South, fans can always count on Lexi Kruse to give it all she has.