Just as she had imagined several years before, Jamie Straube took the court at the Nebraska Coliseum in Lincoln this season for the first time as a collegiate volleyball player.

However, reality ended up playing out a little differently than she had originally envisioned. While Straube saw a childhood dream come true, the freshman middle blocker made her debut in Lincoln with cardinal and gold on her back — not the home team’s beloved scarlet and cream.

Growing up in the small town of Tecumseh, Neb., Straube was raised a Husker fan and had the goal as a young girl to eventually play for Nebraska. But when it came time for the No. 22-ranked high school senior in the country to make her decision on college, it wasn’t difficult for her to choose Iowa State instead.

“When I was growing up I wanted to play Nebraska volleyball, but as I got older I realized there’s a lot more about a program that I needed to look at,” Straube said. “Once I came here I found that I loved what [coach] Christy [Johnson-Lynch] was doing with the program, I loved the coaches and loved the players, and just knew this was the best fit.”

Straube’s debut in Lincoln came on Oct. 21 with a 33-year-old, 75-match losing streak against the Huskers on the line. Since the match meant just that much more to the Nebraska native, Straube found a little extra motivation for the first match in her home state.

“We got to go home the week before in our off week, and everyone there said they wanted the Huskers to win but for me to play well,” Straube said. “But I knew we had a chance to beat them, and I was going to do everything I could, because beating them at the Coliseum would be a dream come true.”

The excitement of returning to her home state propelled Straube to 11 kills in the match on a season-high .375 hitting percentage, as she helped lead the Cyclones to their first win over Nebraska in school history. She also added eight blocks on the night, which still ranks as a personal- and team-high this season.

“It was pretty cool to see,” Johnson-Lynch said. “You never know when you go back home if a player is going to be really nervous and timid or if they’re going to embrace the opportunity. I think it meant a lot for her to go back there and to play, and everybody was excited that she played so aggressively and so well.”

The decision to come to Iowa State made Straube the highest-ranked recruit ever to sign with the Cyclones, and her talent was no secret to anybody as soon as she arrived on campus.

The freshman adapted so quickly to the ISU coaching staff and the Division I game that she worked her way into the starting lineup in the regular season opener for the Cyclones, and currently leads the Cyclones with 1.18 blocks per set.

“Athletically she is so elite,” Johnson-Lynch said. “With her build, her strength and her quickness, she is built to be a middle blocker. But she is also a very unique combination of a great athlete and a very coachable player. She listens well, remembers what we say, understands her blocking assignments and is just a wonderful player to coach.”

Despite the plethora of talent she brought to Ames, Straube still began the season like many other freshmen, somewhat timid and hesitant. However, it didn’t take long for the competitiveness and fiery nature of the 6-foot-3-inch freshman to show its face, and now it’s not uncommon to see a boisterous yell or a pump of the fist from Straube after a big play.

“When the season started she was a really tentative and used to tip all the time,” said senior setter Kaylee Manns. “But now she’s getting in rhythm and she’s really starting to get it. She’s making big plays and isn’t afraid to show how excited or how pumped she is, and a lot of times it pumps us up, too.”

While Johnson-Lynch has recruited several players with raw athletic talent in recent past, Straube also brings a long history of experience at club volleyball’s highest level. During high school, Straube played with three other future Division I volleyball players on the Nebraska Juniors Volleyball Club, which captured the USA Volleyball Junior Olympic 18-and-under championship her senior season.

The experience she earned while playing on a national level with current Huskers Gina Mancuso and Hayley Thramer, as well as No. 7 UCLA’s starting freshman setter Lauren Cook, has helped make the transition to Division I volleyball a little easier for Straube.

“Playing club was huge for me,” Straube said. “Coming from a small school I always had the chance to play, but not at that really high level. Club gave me more formal training and allowed me to get quicker and learn the game better than I would have just learning on my own.”

Straube will get a chance to face two more top 10 teams this week as the Cyclones are staring down rematches with the No. 2 Texas Longhorns and  the No. 10 Nebraska Cornhuskers.

But this time, instead of having thousands of fans wishing she had stayed closer to home, Straube will have thousands of cheering fans glad that she crossed the state line to become a Cyclone.