Righetti High School senior Kennedy Klusendorf set her mind on playing volleyball in college a long time ago.
Her coach noticed.
“When she came into the program, she had a focus,” Righetti volleyball coach Diana Strasbaugh told the Sun. “I think she knew that she wanted to play volleyball in college.”
The setter/outside hitter starred on Righetti’s varsity team for four years. In the off seasons, she played for a competitive club team in Santa Barbara. As graduation grew nearer, she contacted college coaches and got herself on the recruiting map.
And on Nov. 17, all of Kennedy’s hard work paid off. Kennedy signed a national letter of intent to play at Eastern Illinois University next year.
Everything about EIU made sense as a college choice for Kennedy.
“When I stepped on the campus over the summer, I knew that’s where I should be,” Kennedy said of her decision. “It just felt like home.”
Illinois is already home for Kennedy, in a way. Her father grew up in Illinois and played basketball at the University of Illinois, and she still has close family there.
“It’s just nice knowing that my whole dad’s side is over there,” she said. “I’ve been there so many times.”
Kennedy’s infatuation with volleyball began in sixth grade. After trying a variety of sports as a kid, volleyball won her over right away.
“I started playing volleyball and I just fell in love,” Kennedy said. “It’s not like any other sport. It’s so different and fast-paced. There’s always something going on.”
Kennedy was trained as a setter, yet she also finished her high school career as one of Righetti’s top kill-leaders. At a happy-medium height of 5 feet 9 inches, Kennedy’s versatility on the court is one of her biggest strengths and lends itself to success at the Division 1 level, her coach said.
“She can hit, she can set, and she can play defense,” Strasbaugh said. “She’s quick to get to the ball and makes good choices. When you’ve got all of that in a player, it’s really exciting.”
True to her nature, Kennedy iterated that she still has work to do to grow into the player she wants to be.
What aspects of her game does Kennedy want to improve on?
“My whole game, honestly,” she said. “I’m working really hard, playing club this year, and working with my trainer, just to make sure I’m prepared for that next level.”
This article appears in Dec 10-17, 2015.