SUNY Potsdam Athletics

 
Kraus had her sights set on attending Crane for several years before it became a reality. A trumpet player, she attended music camp there for three years in high school.
 
"I did apply to other schools, but I knew that if I got into Potsdam I wanted to go there," said Kraus. "Attending Potsdam was primarily for music, but I knew I wanted to play volleyball in college also. I had gotten into Syracuse and they had given me a (music) scholarship, but I knew I wouldn't be able to play Division I volleyball and be a music major."
 
Potsdam could offer her programs for both of her passions, so her decision was a fairly easy one.
 
"I was going to Potsdam regardless and I really wanted to play volleyball," Kraus said. "That's sort of how it worked out."
 
Kraus arrived on campus in August 2004 and immediately began preseason for volleyball. On just Day 2, she ran into a setback.
 
"It's funny," said Kraus. "My second day of preseason I twisted my ankle pretty badly. I was out of preseason and spent a lot of time with Heather Pike, who was the trainer. So we really got to know each other. I remember being in the dorms and nobody was around because no one's around during preseason. After I got back on my feet after a week or so, I just always remember (Coach) Steve (Pike) being very friendly and welcoming and always a huge supporter of me. So that was kind of an interesting start to my time."
 
Once healthy, the freshman got into the swing of things. While the young Bears posted just an 11-18 record overall, Kraus immediately caught the attention of opposing teams. She finished her first campaign with 90 kills, 40 aces, 88 blocks and 24 digs while playing in all 29 games. Her play earned her a spot on the All-SUNYAC first team.
 
The following year, with Kraus as a key piece of their resurgence, the Bears improved their win total by 11. Potsdam was 22-17, participating in the NYSWCAA, ECAC Upstate and SUNYAC Tournaments. In the conference playoffs, Kraus had nine kills and four blocks as Potsdam knocked off Geneseo in the quarterfinals. The Bears finally bowed to Cortland 3-0 in the semis. Kraus finished her second season with even more impressive numbers and claimed another first team all-conference accolade. She totaled 251, kills 58 aces, 90 digs and 111 blocks.
 
Despite a rigorous Crane and sports schedule, Kraus really enjoyed her time at Potsdam and playing volleyball gave her a deeper experience.
 
"I always got along really great with my teammates," Kraus said. "We had a ton of fun, going away every weekend and playing tournaments. It was a really good experience. It was interesting because I really got to meet a lot of other people that I wouldn't have met. Being in the music school, you're kind of separated from the rest of campus and most of the people on the team were not in Crane. We always seemed to have a bond and it was always a really fun time."

Kraus' Crane experience was also a very positive one and the faculty appreciated her ability to excel at both sports and academics.
 
"Everyone was very supportive," said Kraus. "I remember my trumpet professor, Dr. (John) Ellis, was always my number one supporter. He'd always ask me how the team did over the weekend. I was on the front page of the school newspaper one week spiking a ball and he had put it up on his door. I never felt pressure from anyone at Crane. I definitely felt like I was in the minority because there were probably a handful of people who were in Crane and played sports as well. It's a big commitment, but I always felt very supported."
 
Kraus' self-discipline was critical to handle being an athlete and a Crane student simultaneously.
 
"It was a very close community because I think there were like 600 students in Crane at the time when I went there so everyone sort of knows each other," Kraus said. "Everyone would be in that building all day because you not only have your classes, but you had to practice your instrument. Some people practiced four or five hours a day. It just depends on the level at which you play or want to play. You also had all the rehearsals for all the bands and ensembles you're playing in, which were on top of all the classes. I remember having a 19-credit semester and that didn't even include ensembles. That was extra rehearsals a week. It's definitely a lot and you have to manage your time well. Especially for me because I knew I had to go to volleyball. I'd be there late at night or early in the morning to do whatever I had to do to get it done."
 
Kraus entered her junior season surrounded by another solid core of Bears. Potsdam posted its second straight 20-win season with a 20-14 mark. The Bears narrowly missed the SUNYAC Playoffs, but earned another ECAC Upstate bid. 308 kills, 48 aces, 89 digs and 84 blocks earned Kraus another first team all-conference nod.
 
The Bears started the 2007 season strong, but battled through a couple extended winless streaks during the fall. However, they picked up their play late in the season to earn another conference playoff spot. Potsdam downed Oneonta 3-2 in the play-in game, led by a team-high 14 kills from Krause, before falling to Brockport 3-0 in the quarterfinals. Kraus finished her final year with more great numbers. She had 337 kills, 17 aces, 55 digs and 113 blocks, easily capping her career with a fourth straight first team All-SUNYAC selection. Kraus was also recognized for her success in the classroom after being named Academic All-District I second team.
 
After four years on the court for the Bears, Kraus amassed 986 kills, 163 aces, 258 digs and 396 blocks.
 
Kraus graduated in 2008 with a degree in music business, a path she hadn't initially expected.
 
"I first went to Crane for music education, but that only lasted a semester," said Kraus. "I decided I wasn't going to be a teacher so I switched to music business. At the time it was a fairly new program at Crane, but it definitely covered a few different areas of the music business. It's where I was first introduced to arts administration, which is the field I went into."
 
After Potsdam, Kraus headed back home to New Paltz. She started her professional career as assistant to the theater manager at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock. She then spent time as a box office associate at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie. Kraus also spent a season as the assistant volleyball coach at SUNY New Paltz. To further her career, she decided to add a master's degree to her experience.
 
"I knew I wanted to work in the arts in some sort of arts institution and I knew I wanted to be in the city," Kraus said. "To get in somewhere I wanted to get into the program at Brooklyn College, because I knew they had a lot of connections. I would meet a lot of people and that's sort of what happened. I went there and I did a lot of internships while I was in the program and my connections got me a job at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), where I worked for a few years. I worked in marketing and digital. That kind of led me to my job now at Carnegie Hall, where I also work in digital and marketing. It sort of all stems from that first glimpse into arts administration (at Crane)."
 
After working marketing and digital media at BAM for nearly three years, Kraus was hired as the email and digital operations manager at Carnegie Hall. She's very happy with the position.
 
"I have a good time," Kraus said. "I work with some really great people. I'm the email manager, which means I'm in charge of every promotional email that goes out from Carnegie Hall. It's a big job because we have a lot of performances every year, over 150. So we have to send emails promoting them and emails raising money for the organization because we're nonprofit. It's always interesting. There's always something more to do and on the other side, staying ahead of the trends in my field. It's a good job and a really cool place to work."
 
For Kraus, New York City suits her perfectly.
 
"It's definitely the place where there's the most going on and the most opportunity," said Kraus. "You could work in my field, the arts. You could work in music, theater, dance, any of those. There's a million places you could work here. It's great because I'm surround by art all over the place. I can go to performances and shows. It's really the best place to be."
 
Despite being over six hours away, Kraus is able to stay in touch with her alma mater thanks to the efforts of the SUNY Potsdam Alumni Relations Office.
 
"There are alumni things that happen in the city and I attend those," Kraus said. "Potsdam is a nice community. I've met other people who've gone through the music business program, other people who've just graduated and are looking for jobs. I'm happy to always be a contact. It's still a great community to be a part of."
 
Kraus would encourage any prospective students looking for music programs or to play collegiate volleyball, to consider Potsdam.
 
"I feel like both Crane and (Bears) volleyball are nice and welcoming communities. Really a good place to go, especially when you're leaving home for the first time and going to college. It's a great place to be."
 
Kraus and two other Bears greats will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame on Saturday night.