Kristen Hahn is used to playing in high school gymnasiums, but she never expected to be playing in one during her freshman year on the ISU volleyball team.

“At first I was really nervous. You know, [playing collegiate volleyball is] a big deal,” Hahn said. “But being here at Ames High School, it’s kind of just, you know, it’s my freshman year, and I’m used to playing in a small gym like this.”

The former standout at Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School has found herself a spot in the playing rotation, substituting for junior outside hitter Carly Jenson.

Jenson, who was filling in for junior Rachel Hockaday after Hockaday sustained a season-ending ACL injury, was forced to tape her right wrist from all the pressure she had exposed it to after being given the starting nod.

“I just keep tweaking [my wrist] over and over with blocking and stuff,” Jenson said. “It’s not a big deal. Now that I taped it once, I feel like I need to keep taping it.”

Hahn was given the nod to rotate with Jenson during the Cyclones’ three-set victory over UW-Milwaukee on Friday afternoon after coach Christy Johnson-Lynch noticed the pressure the opponents were putting on Jenson.

“I think they were picking on Carly a little bit, service-wise,” Johnson-Lynch said. “It’s very tiring for an outside [hitter] to have to pass and hit the whole match. And if someone is working you hard, that can be kind of a tiring thing.”

Having Hahn available for giving Jenson a break has proved to be a successful strategy, as Hahn has been providing a defensive presence that has excited Johnson-Lynch.

“Kristen is a great defensive player, and I like her energy,” Johnson-Lynch said. “She makes plays when she’s in there. She brings the ball up, and she makes a difference when she’s in there.”

Hahn finds Johnson-Lynch’s confidence in her reassuring, motivating her to go all out in each set she sees action.

“Christy has confidence in me, so that gives me confidence,” Hahn said.

Hahn likely will continue to see action as she has recently, but that also means she’ll be experiencing the challenges Jenson faces.

“It’s just the mindset,” Jenson said. “I need to go in knowing that I am going to keep getting served to, and I just need to respond to that better and just be a better passer, too.”

In five matches, Hahn has recorded 10 digs and one assist for the cardinal and gold.

“Whenever they need me, I’m always ready,” Hahn said, who has seen action in eight sets of the team’s last five matches. “I mean it’s kind of my job whenever they need someone to come in and relieve a player; I hope I’d be the first one they pick to go in and do that.”

In high school, Hahn led the Kennedy Cougars with 628 digs with 6.10 digs per game her senior year. Her junior year, she recorded the second-most digs in the state with 733 and 7.26 digs per game.

Even though Hahn may appear comfortable with the pace of collegiate volleyball, there have been a few things that have made the transition from high school to college an adjustment.

“The tempo and the perfection that they expect from you,” Hahn said. “Getting a good pass or making a good play and how much they praise you at the end and tell you how good you did, that’s really exciting. It makes me feel really good.”