Momentum.

That’s what Jamie Straube loves. Lucky for her, momentum is a dynamic innate to the game of volleyball. Straube also loves her team and the excitement and energy of playing in front of frenzied fans.

So when she is on the court facing an ugly opponent, she harnesses all her energy and she jumps, launching off one foot. She counts on setter Alison Landwehr to send her the right ball and she punches it across the net. Spiking. Killing.

That one-footed maneuver, otherwise known as a slide attack, is a Straube specialty. The slide’s motion seems natural, albeit somewhat terrifying for the recipient of the sharply angled spike.

Straube, a 6-foot-2-inch sophomore middle blocker, first discovered her love for volleyball in fifth grade when she managed her older sister’s team.

“They always needed an extra person,” Straube said. “They’d always make me go in the back row because I was so tall when I was younger. They made me, and I loved it. I was like, ‘Mom, I want to do this.'”

A year later, Straube’s mom gave the nod, and her daughter’s volleyball career was launched.

Now Straube is the highest-ranked player to ever sign with Iowa State; No. 22 of the 2009 high school recruits at the time. Her latest motivation is perfecting that slide, often with assistance from sophomore setter Landwehr.

“A lot of it is Alison being so comfortable setting that play,” said coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. “Straube has gotten really good at hitting the slide and the fact that Alison is so good at setting it just makes for a really exciting combination.”

Straube and Landwehr are both teammates and good friends. Their friendship helps them work well together in practice and during matches, whether it’s giving each other kudos or dishing out criticism. They know each other enough to be able to communicate without hurt feelings. This forthcoming approach simplifies Landwehr’s job.

Something else Landwehr particularly appreciates about Straube is her willingness to go for a ball, even if the set isn’t ideal.

“I love that because it makes me want to put it right to her because I know she’s just going to get up there and get on the ball,” Landwehr said.

Despite the continuing success Landwehr and Straube have had this season with the slide attack, Johnson-Lynch said Straube’s true calling is blocking.

“She’s just a big physical kid,” Johnson-Lynch said. “She was born to be a middle blocker. She’s got the build and physique for that position.”

Not only does Straube have the build for blocking, but she also has the heart. She loves the defensive part of the game the most. Being in the middle allows her to focus on defense, so she likes it the best.

In high school she played several positions, including hitting on the outside and right side, but for the Cyclones, she’s all about blocking. Junior Debbie Stadick, a fellow middle blocker, admires Straube’s ability to stop the ball.

“She’s such a good blocker, I wish I could block like her,” Stadick said. “It’s like she’s natural at it. I mean she works really hard at it, too, but she just has an instinct for it.”

Even though she loves defense, Straube seems to have an instinct for offense, too. She reached 300 career kills against Oklahoma on Sept. 25, which demonstrates her power as an offensive player as well.

But her teammates don’t find her the least bit intimidating.

“She’s the sweetest girl ever,” Landwehr said. “Just fun to be around and really nice.”

From taking silly pictures with her teammates to karaoke night with her roommates, Straube is clearly capable of managing her distinct on and off-court personalities.

One facet of her personality is being helpful, even when it gets her into the occasional scrape. When she was a child, her sister was battling with chewed gum stuck in her hair and the ever-nurturing Straube came to the rescue.

“I cut her hair,” Straube said. “I thought I was being helpful, but it was obviously not.”

Since then she has clearly learned when lending a hand is more appropriate, and her teammate Stadick has experienced Straube’s helpful nature firsthand.

“If I’m struggling to get a ball down in a game or something, she’ll pull me aside and give me tips and feedback about what I can do to make myself better,” Stadick said.

Bettering her team’s and her own performance is an ongoing by-product of Straube’s focus and intensity. She tries to stay consistent for her team and make as few errors as possible. She wants to motivate her team but also be someone they can rely on.

Although she likes to make smart plays and put the ball down for her team, she isn’t very concerned with what the statistics say about her game. Instead, she is just looking forward to developing as a player.

“I never really worry too much about numbers,” Straube said. “I think it’s just good to go out there and keep working hard. I never want to settle for anything, though, so I want to keep improving and do my best.”