Russ Rose Then (2004): “Kara comes from a competitive club team and has played a variety of positions from setter to right side to back row. We will use the preseason to determine in what role Kara can help us the most.”
Russ Rose Now (2025): “Kara came from a good club program and came in as a primary backrow player. She was one of the great characters on the team. She was a player who was always about the team and working hard and having fun. She wasn’t a starter, but she was someone that came in who could serve and play good defense, and I had confidence that she would be able to do those things when she got the opportunity. Years later, she’s still that same, upbeat, happy human.”
2004 Season (Freshman): Played in four matches and four games … saw first career action against Quinnipiac (9/4) … recorded first collegiate dig versus Iowa (10/1) … also saw action against Purdue (10/30) and at Iowa (11/6).
Before Penn State: Three-year letterwinner at Bloomington (Ill.) High School … team captain during senior year for the Raiders … helped squad to three Illinois sectional titles … named to the Big 12 team during senior season … also earned the coaches award … member of the honor roll, Who’s Who and the Big 12 academic team.
“Quintet of unsung heroes key to Lions’ recent success,” The Daily Collegian, Nov. 15, 2007