Klausing to play volleyball for NKU

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

He didn’t play it as a varsity sport, simply because it’s not offered at his high school, or anywhere nearby for that matter. Yet, he’s parlayed his talents into a commitment to play at the Division I college level.

Lincolnview High School senior Trace Klausing made it official Friday morning by signing a letter of intent to play men’s college volleyball for Northern Kentucky University, which will field a team for the first time during the 2025-2026 academic year. He was surrounded by family and friends during a brief ceremony.

His path to this point was a long and time consuming one, including thrice weekly trips to Columbus, along with trips out of state and even out of the country. It began during his freshman year at Lincolnview.

“I’ve always loved volleyball and I’ve always had the dream of playing it,” Klausing said. “My freshman year is when I knew that was my opportunity to pursue the sport, so I traveled to Dayton and attended a camp there and that was kind of when everything prospered. Then I made a team in Columbus and I had to make the commitment to travel there three times a week, freshman year to senior year. Honestly, it was the best decision I’ve ever made, seeing all the experiences I’ve had, places I’ve traveled – it’s been crazy with memories I’ll have for the rest of my life.”

“It was a shock to me (in my) freshman year,” he continued. “Getting into the whole high school groove and stuff like that, but knowing that’s what I wanted to do with my life and embracing it at the same time…with my school work, I knew that was going to be a challenge, so the support from the teachers and the administration made it so much more easier. It was a challenge but it was a challenge I took on and I’m glad I did.”

Among the places Klausing has traveled: Florida, Indiana, California, Colorado, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas, Puerto Rico, Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Czech Republic.

Along the way, Klausing racked up some pretty lofty accolades, including invitations to the USA Volleyball Indoor NTDP Training Series (four times) and USA Volleyball Beach NTDP Training Series (three times); 2024-2025 A2 Boys Player of the Year; 2024-2025 OVR Player of the Week, and 2022-2023 A2 17 Red MVP. He was also captain of his club team (A2) for two years.

While physical talent is a big part of it – talent that Klausing is blessed with – he noted the mental aspect of the game is his favorite.

“Momentum is a big thing in this sport,” he explained. “You can go down by by 2-3 points and the mental game and the team aspect, you really have to figure it out with your teammates. That’s my favorite part, figuring it out and the reward afterward, winning also.”

The 6’2” Klausing, the son of Heather Klausing and Brandon Breese, will play the libero position at Northern Kentucky.

“The libero is kind of like the quarterback position of the back row as the setter is the quarterback of the front row,” he explained. “I like that role and being the leader of the defensive side. With my height I do have a little bit of an advantage at the libero position – my range is a lot longer and wider than some others…my wingspan is longer than some liberos and it’s a nice advantage to have.”

Klausing was recruited by multiple schools, and spoke with the likes of Ohio State and Penn State and he noted the recruiting process was very stressful but rewarding as well.

“It’s rewarding to be able to get to know the coaches and have them in my pocket down the road and to get to know more about the sport, different philosophies and how they coach,” he stated. “The men’s volleyball game is small enough so that everybody knows everybody so throughout the recruiting process if you mention a name they probably know who they are.”

Northern Kentucky will compete in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA).