One net not enough for Larsen: RRC’s Larsen heads to Waldorf for vball and bball

LAMBERTON — The life of an athlete is usually not a novel, but, rather, a short poem. At some point, reality hits and the dreams of continuing a life with a sport are shattered.

A select few get to continue dreaming after high school and a miniscule few get to keep dreaming in two sports after high school.

Don’t wake up Red Rock Central’s Klarissa Larsen from the sweet slumber of a sporting life continued because she’s moving on to Waldorf College — a school in Forest City, Iowa, that competes at the NAIA level — to play volleyball and basketball.

Larsen signed a letter of intent May 18 and the feeling is yet to go away.

“It still feels good,” Larsen said. “I’m glad I get to continue my career and I’m looking forward to the next level.”

Larsen has played volleyball, softball and basketball since she was in seventh grade. Asking Larsen to choose between volleyball and basketball is like asking Mark McGwire about steroids.

“I don’t even want to answer that because I really don’t know,” Larsen said. “Luckily, it didn’t come to that.

“I couldn’t decide which one I wanted to play, so I just figured I was good enough to play both and I couldn’t narrow it down.”

Softball was never an option for Larsen’s enjoyment of the speed of volleyball and basketball.

“Softball is a little too slow for me,” Larsen said. “I like how quick everything is in basketball and volleyball.”

As a 6-footer, Larsen guarded both the basketball and volleyball nets for Red Rock Central.

As a middle hitter in volleyball this season, Larsen helped lead RRC to a 19-9 record and a trip to the Section 3A South championship. Larsen finished with 328 kills, 39 ace blocks, 119 digs and 17 ace serves en route to an All-Red Rock Conference selection. Forty-five percent of Larsen’s hit attempts landed for kills, as she had a .305 hitting percentage. Larsen ended her volleyball career with 687 kills, 505 digs and 95 total blocks.

Larsen blocked 117 shots in basketball in her senior campaign, while also leading RRC in scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. As opposed to normal centers, the free-throw line was Larsen’s friend, as she was an 81.3 percent free-throw shooter, hitting 78 of 96 attempts.

Considering she’s had less than month away from a sport since August, a schedule filled with sports doesn’t faze Larsen.

“It’s going to be a lot of work, but it’s pretty cool to get to play two sports,” Larsen said.

Both sports need a lot of work at Waldorf, as the volleyball and basketball teams combined to go 16-51 last season.

“I’ll bring some size to both teams,” Larsen said. “I also have a way of making the players around me play better by encouraging and helping others out.”

As for focusing on one sport, Larsen may need some college education to find that answer.

“Focusing everything on one sport has crossed my mind, but I just don’t know which one I would pick,” Larsen said. “I just can’t do it.”

For the next four years, Larsen won’t have to.

Daily Globe Sports Editor Chris Murphy may be reached at 376-7328.

Tags: red rock central, sports, prep, volleyball, basketball