If you follow Nebraska volleyball, you know the feeling of holding your breath when a star hitter goes down. It’s that collective gasp in the Devaney Center that you can practically hear through the TV screen. For a long time, the question of what happened to lindsay krause was the only thing Husker nation could talk about. One minute she’s the Big Ten Player of the Week, and the next, she’s watching from the sidelines in a walking boot.
Honestly, it was a rollercoaster. You’ve got a 6-foot-4 powerhouse who was basically the No. 1 recruit in the country coming out of Skutt Catholic. She was the hometown hero, the girl who stayed to play for John Cook. But the road to her professional debut with the Omaha Supernovas wasn’t exactly a straight line. It was messy, physical, and at times, incredibly frustrating for her.
The Freak Injury That Changed Everything
Let’s go back to October 2023. Lindsay was on an absolute tear. She had just dropped 24 kills in a single week and was hitting at a clip that most outside hitters only dream of—somewhere north of .450. Then, the news broke. It wasn't even a match injury. It was a "freak occurrence" in practice, as Coach Cook described it.
She suffered a significant ankle injury during a routine drill. Just like that, her junior season was over.
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For months, we saw her suiting up for warmups late in the year, sparking rumors that she might return for the tournament run. But it didn't happen. She sat. She watched her teammates fall just short of a national title. It was the kind of thing that could break an athlete's rhythm permanently, especially when you consider that her junior year was supposed to be her breakout "peak" season.
The 2024 Comeback and "That" Car Accident
Most people think the ankle was the only hurdle. It wasn't. While she was working her way back, she actually got caught in a hit-and-run car accident on O Street in Lincoln. Talk about bad luck. It caused a shoulder injury that knocked her out of the rotation again right as she was trying to find her groove.
When people ask what happened to lindsay krause during that stretch, the answer is "everything." She lost her starting spot for a bit to Ally Batenhorst. She had to fight her way back from the bench.
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But here is where it gets interesting: Lindsay Krause didn't just fade away. She used the beach volleyball season in the spring of 2024 to rebuild her confidence. If you've ever played on sand, you know it's brutal on your legs. It forced her to trust her ankle again. By the time the 2024 indoor season rolled around, she was back in the starting lineup, averaging 2.40 kills per set and proving she still had that massive vertical.
Moving to the Big Leagues
The college chapter ended on a high note, even if it didn't include a ring. In late 2024, the professional world came calling.
- The Draft: She was selected No. 19 overall in the 2024 Pro Volleyball Federation Draft.
- The Team: She signed with the Omaha Supernovas, the defending PVF champions.
- The Reunion: She joined fellow Nebraska legends like Jordan Larson (who she actually did a preseason panel with in August 2025).
Staying in Omaha was a huge deal for her. She’s an Omaha girl through and through. Signing that contract on December 23, 2024, felt like the closing of one circle and the opening of a much bigger one. She finished her degree in just three years—which is wild considering the travel schedule of a D1 athlete—and jumped straight into the pro ranks.
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What’s She Doing Now?
As of early 2026, Lindsay is firmly entrenched in the pro lifestyle. But her life off the court has been just as busy. In July 2025, she announced her engagement to Piper Wildeman. The photos were all over Instagram—fireworks, a ring, and half the Nebraska roster screaming in the comments.
She’s also been incredibly vocal about the mental side of the game. She’s talked openly about the "mental block" that comes after a major injury—the fear of landing near someone’s foot at the net. She still tapes her ankle every single time she steps on the floor. It’s a physical necessity, sure, but she says it’s also a mental "safety blanket" that lets her swing without overthinking.
Actionable Takeaways for Volleyball Fans
If you're following a player coming back from a "season-ending" injury like Lindsay did, here’s what to actually look for to see if they’re back to 100%:
- The Approach Velocity: Watch if they’re stutter-stepping or if they’re attacking the ball with a full, aggressive three-step approach. Lindsay took almost five months to get her "floor jump" back to its peak.
- The Defensive Transition: Injuries like hers usually show up first in how a player moves after a block. If they're slow to transition back to the 10-foot line, they aren't trusting the joint yet.
- The Serve: Pay attention to the jump serve. It’s the highest-impact move in the game. When Lindsay started hammering aces again in late 2024, that was the signal she was officially "back."
Lindsay Krause is a prime example of why you don't count out a player just because they've been sidelined. She went from a practice-drill injury to a pro contract in the span of a year. If you want to keep up with her stats, the Pro Volleyball Federation website is the best place to track her 2026 season with the Supernovas.