If you ever find yourself pedaling a Schwinn bike toward a gym in Nebraska, wondering if you can just waltz in and join the volleyball team—you might be channeling your inner Janice Kruger. But don’t be fooled by her humble Midwestern beginnings. This small-town girl turned collegiate volleyball athlete and national coaching icon, has built a career (and life) around creativity and a whole lot of heart.
Janice grew up in a Nebraska town so small, you could probably fit the entire population—1,200 folks, give or take—into a single high school gym. When the public and Catholic schools combined, they managed to form a volleyball team, and Janice was off and running. Or more accurately, digging and spiking. “It might sound surprising, but I often walked a mile to school…
