
Emily Lindquist is a three-sport athlete who has started 14 varsity seasons in her high school career. In addition, she also carries at 4.5 weighted grade point average.
Courtesy photo
When
Emily Lindquist graduates in May from
Braham (Minn.), she might go down as the most-decorated student-athlete in school history.
The senior, on pace to be class valedictorian, will wrap up her athletic career by starting 14 seasons in three sports β four in both volleyball and basketball and six in softball.
For how successful Lindquist has been in athletics and academics, she never sits down and reflects. Not even a little bit.
"No time, I'm always busy," she jokes. "I guess I never really think about it like that, I just go and play and (one) season rolls into the next. It's just kind of a routine by now. It's going to be crazy when it's over."
Lindquist also is too humble to let success get the best of her.
Braham volleyball coach Britne Engelking coached Lindquist as a fourth-grader and now for the last four years at the varsity level and said she's never had an athlete quite like Lindquist.
"Last year, my biggest challenge was getting her to understand how good she was, because there's a lot of βme' players in volleyball," Engelking said.
Lindquist, who dressed for the varsity squad as an eighth-grader, has eye-popping stats on the volleyball court. This season, she became the first player in Braham history to eclipse the 1,000-kill mark for a career. The 6-foot-1 outside hitter currently stands at nearly 1,100 kills in her four years, 305 this season (as of Oct. 24) with a .389 percentage in 79 sets played. Lindquist is also averaging 2.6 digs per set to go with 25 service aces.
The 17-year-old can do it all on the court and Lindquist's coach is thankful for her player's versatility.
"She could be our middle or our right and also run a 5-1 setting with her," Engelking said. "In high school volleyball, a lot of those sets are going to the outside, so we want the majority of our sets going there. I've created an interesting lineup where she's able to play a middle, outside and also set in the back row."
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Lindquist (No. 3) is a standout hitter with more than 1,000 career kills.
Photo courtesy of Mike Bleninger/Isanti County News
The best part of Lindquist's game is when she goes up for a kill. It's a nightmare scenario for opponents who bring double or even triple teams against the powerful striker. Lindquist has added a finesse to her game to combat defenders.
"I know where to place the ball, especially this year. I think I've gotten better at placing the ball and just mixing up my shots to keep the defense guessing," said Lindquist, who would like to play volleyball in college and is considering Division II, III and NAIA schools. "But I've also gotten a lot more confident in my serve receive and defense as well."
After Lindquist's junior volleyball season, she upped her level of competition by playing for the Minnesota Select 17-1s team, a club program based in the Twin Cities.
"That's helped a ton," she said. "I think one of the biggest areas is honestly serve receive and defense, because when you have those girls hitting at you, serving at you, it's not just a high school athlete serving at you. These girls are committed to play at big colleges. You get to play with that level and against that level of athletes. It's definitely made me more confident in what I'm doing."
Engelking has seen Lindquist elevate her game this season not just by her on-court play, but through her leadership.
"This is the most consistent I've ever been throughout a season," Lindquist said. "I think especially my freshman and sophomore seasons I hit a hard spot where it's, βI can't do this.' But this year it's been really solid, and I feel like I'm doing well."

In addition to 1,000 volleyball kills, Lindquist also
has scored more than 1,000 points in basketball.
Courtesy photo
When basketball rolls around, Lindquist will be starting for her fourth year at shooting guard. Last season, she became the 11th player in school history to score 1,000 points.
"I don't know that many athletes that get 1,000 in both sports," said Engelking, the volleyball coach. "That's an interesting dynamic for a player to excel that much in both basketball and volleyball."
On the softball diamond, Lindquist will start for her sixth year. As a seventh-grader, she was the team's second baseman. Last year, she became the everyday starter in the circle for the Bombers and has collected 22 career victories. At the plate, she's held a .390 average over the last three years and drove in 25 runs last season.
For all the time she dedicates to athletics, Lindquist makes sure she's a top-notch student as well. Her 4.5 weighted grade point average is tops in the Class of 2018. She scored an impressed 30 on her ACT.
"I get home from a match and it's straight to the books," Lindquist said.
She squeezes in studying anywhere she can, hitting the books at home or with friends on the volleyball team before a match.
"It can get overwhelming at times. I make it work," Lindquist said.

Lindquist would like to play volleyball in college.
Mike Bleninger/Isanti County News
Lindquist is involved with the school musical, National Honor Society for the last two years and student council where she helps mentor seventh- and eighth-grade students once a week in the morning. During the 2016-17 school year, Lindquist was crowned a Braham Ambassador and dedicates time to attending events in Braham and its surrounding communities.
Lindquist also volunteers her time to the organization Feed My Starving Children, will partake in ditch cleanup and serve dinners and set up events at Braham's community center.
"I feel like it's really important to give back, especially when I'm volunteering for things like youth programs," Lindquist said. "It's just something that's been important to me and special when I was growing up when all those older kids would be at our youth programs and our Saturday morning volleyball. It gives them someone to look up to and a good role model to have."
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