Hard work certainly does pay off.

Redshirt junior Natalie Vondrak had an accomplished high school volleyball career at Bishop Heelan Catholic in Sioux City, Iowa, where she was a three-time all-state selection in volleyball, and was named to the 2011 state-tournament team during her senior season.

Vondrak also averaged 4.22 kills and 3.54 digs per set during her senior year, helping lead Bishop Heelan to a Catholic Youth Organization volleyball championship in 2011.

“It was a high-level program,” Vondrak said. “Playing there helped ease the transition to Iowa State.”

Although Vondrak had an outstanding high school career, her volleyball merits only attracted top Division II programs like Wayne State and Augustana.

Despite having great visits to these Division II programs, Vondrak said she felt there was something missing. 

“I came to an Iowa State camp during my sophomore year of high school and right after it was over, I knew it was my dream to play here,” Vondrak said.

Vondrak decided to pass on her other offers and pursue her dream to play at Iowa State. Vondrak walked on in 2012, redshirting during her freshman year.

She did not see a single minute of action that season, but she did earn a partial scholarship that next spring.

In her redshirt freshman season, Vondrak saw the court in 37 sets throughout 17 matches. She even made four starts for the Cyclones, as then-starter Tori Knuth was healing an injured ankle.

That season, Vondrak finished with 52 kills, giving her an average of 1.41 per set and a .291 hitting percentage. She also posted eight kills against Northern Iowa and Texas A&M, career-high marks at the time.

Vondrak earned another partial scholarship the following spring with her performance during her redshirt freshman year.

“Earning those [partial scholarships] just shows how much hard work I put in,” Vondrak said.

After earning two partial scholarships in each of her spring semesters, Vondrak received even better news right before the 2014 season, her third with the team.

Head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch brought Vondrak into her office for a meeting. At the end, Johnson-Lynch presented her with a full scholarship.

“I just froze when she offered me that scholarship ” Vondrak said. “It meant a lot to me.”

In her first full season as a full-ride athlete, Vondrak played in 28 sets throughout 14 matches. She posted 1.39 kills per set and a .240 hitting percentage during that 2014 season.

Before the full scholarship, Vondrak had doubts if she made the right decision passing up the full-ride offers she received in high school.

“You know, every walk-on has those ‘What if?’ thoughts on did I make the right decision walking on here,” Vondrak said.

Despite the doubts, she continued to pursue her dream of playing for the Cyclones, and it paid off.

“It feels good knowing that your school is being paid for,” Vondrak said.

Vondrak has played in 21 sets during her redshirt junior year and has been hitting .268 while averaging 1.86 kills per set. She has also made two starts in nine ISU matches in 2015.

“Iowa State has molded me into what I wanted to be as a volleyball player,” Vondrak said.